Ethel Cuff Black
Encyclopedia
Ethel Cuff Black, one of the founders of Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Incorporated, was born in Wilmington, Delaware
. Her father was a banker in an African-American owned business. Her maternal grandfather was a Civil War
veteran. In Bordentown, New Jersey
, she attended the Industrial School for Colored Youth
and graduated with the highest grade point average. At Howard University
, she was chairwoman of the collegiate chapter of the YWCA
. During college, she was also the vice-president of Alpha Kappa Alpha
, but later voted to reorganize the sorority and formed Delta Sigma Theta with twenty-one other women Due to illness, she graduated Howard in 1915. She was also the first African-American teacher in Rochester
, New York
. She was married in 1939 to real estate agent David Horton Black.
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
Sorority, Incorporated, was born in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. Her father was a banker in an African-American owned business. Her maternal grandfather was a Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
veteran. In Bordentown, New Jersey
Bordentown, New Jersey
Bordentown City is in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,924. Bordentown is located at the confluence of the Delaware River, Blacks Creek and Crosswicks Creek...
, she attended the Industrial School for Colored Youth
Bordentown School
The Bordentown School , was a residential high school for African-American students, located in Bordentown in Burlington County, New Jersey...
and graduated with the highest grade point average. At Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
, she was chairwoman of the collegiate chapter of the YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
. During college, she was also the vice-president of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
, but later voted to reorganize the sorority and formed Delta Sigma Theta with twenty-one other women Due to illness, she graduated Howard in 1915. She was also the first African-American teacher in Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. She was married in 1939 to real estate agent David Horton Black.