jan 1, 1894 - Pierian Club

Description:

In 1894, the Pierian Club was formed. The women of the Black community in Kansas City, Kansas, were very active in the intellectual life of the community. This club was a women’s study group that explored subjects and topics ranging from art to science. Two members of this club in 1897 were Sarah Tanner, wife of Benjamin T. Tanner, Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and assigned to the Fourth Episcopal District, which included Kansas, mother of Henry O. Tanner and Bertha Tanner Braxton, daughter. Henry O. Tanner was one of the most prominent artists at the turn-of-the century and the leading African American artist of his time. The Pierian Club is the oldest continuous women’s club in the State of Kansas. The current members celebrated the club’s 125th anniversary in December 2019. (Pierian Club Yearbook) (Documentary- Robinson)

The founder of the Pierian Club was Ms. Salina Rivers, and its founding members included: Mamie Bass, Anna Branche, Ella Braxton, Mary Lee Price Davis, Annette Gleed, Lula Johnson, Paula Jones, Laura Smith, Alice Watkins, Ella Crabb, Nettie Gibbs, and Dora Thwaites.