Rebecca H. Lester

Last updated
Rebecca (Hurt) Lester
Mrs. Rebecca Lester.jpg
Born
Rebecca Hurt

c. 1865 (1865)
Nashville, Tennessee, US
DiedJanuary 6, 1928(1928-01-06) (aged 64)
Nashville, Tennessee, US
OccupationsEntrepeneur, clubwoman
Spouse John Angelo Lester

Rebecca Hurt Lester was an entrepreneur, clubwoman and civic leader in Nashville, Tennessee. She served as treasurer of the Tennessee Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. She was appointed to the Davidson County Colored Women division of the Council of National Defense in various capacities during World War I. Mrs. Lester also served as a Republican primary election clerk and judge for Davidson County in 1922 and 1924, respectively.

Contents

Personal history

Rebecca was born in Tennessee [1] and raised by her sister and brother in law, Rachel and Fountain Winston since infancy [2] . Fountain was enlisted in the 44th United States Colored Infantry Regiment and employed as a porter of Tennessee Governor Malcolm R. Patterson [3] . In 1887, Rebecca married Frank M. Taylor [4] , once employed at the notorious Climax Saloon [5] , later co-owned The Manhattan, a saloon located on Cedar St. [6] . She was widowed in 1899. Rebecca was bequeathed Frank's interest in the saloon and their South Nashville residence [7] . In 1901, Rebecca wed Dr. John Angelo Lester [8] . Rebecca birthed four children, who all died by 1900. [9]

Entrepreneur

Advertisement of Mrs. Rebecca H. Lester Chiropody & Cosmetics business in Nashville Globe, March 21, 1913 Rebecca lester 1913 ng.jpg
Advertisement of Mrs. Rebecca H. Lester Chiropody & Cosmetics business in Nashville Globe, March 21, 1913

Rebecca Lester owned a women’s salon providing chiropody and hair dressing services. Giving herself advantage in the growing hairdressing market, Rebecca obtained a Pure Food and Drug Act license [10] to certify the safety of her manufactured products. Her home-based business was advertised in the Nashville Globe [11] . Public gatherings such as the annual Greenwood Park Colored Fair is where Rebecca presented her chiropody/hair dressing products and services. There she also displayed her domestic skills, cultural refinement and material endowment, all attributes coveted among affluent African American women. She won prizes for her embroidery, paintings and canned fruit [12] . In 1915, Rebecca presided over the Women’s Business League and participated in Negro Booster Club Week to increase Negro spending [13] .

Social history

Rebecca’s social and political activities confronted the challenges that the South presented to the African American community. Socially mobile African American women utilized the club movement, unions and associations to satisfy essential needs of the most vulnerable in their communities. The Nashville chapter of the National Association of Colored Women was formed in December 1896 [14] . The next year, the national organization’s 1st conference was held in Nashville during the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition [15] .

Group photo of Tennessee State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs' Third Annual Convention in front of First Baptist Church, June 9-10, 1910 Officers and Members of Women's State Federation.png
Group photo of Tennessee State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs' Third Annual Convention in front of First Baptist Church, June 9-10, 1910

Rebecca’s organizing and outreach skills benefited several Nashville womens clubs including Carnation Club [16] , Hubbard Hospital Club [17] , Friday Night Review Club [18] and Coterie Club [19] . Partly social gathering and civic activism, Nashville women clubs modeled hygiene and homekeeping, literacy and education and public health development. At a 1913 Marechal Niel Art Club [20] meeting, Rebecca served her guests on chinaware used by Dr. Lester’s mother before the Civil War. By 1916, Rebecca was elected treasurer of Tennessee’s State Federation of Colored Clubs [21] . Rebecca held elected positions in several of Nashville's African American mutual aid lodges. The Order of Calanthe, the women’s counterpart to the Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia had $10,800 in funds in 1910, with 6,000 financial members [22] . Rebecca was a member of the Union Harmony chapter of the Order. At the 1917 St. Louis Conclave, Rebecca was Supreme representative and Grand Worthy Orator at a well-attended public gathering held after the violent East St. Louis massacre [23] .

The 1913 Easter service of the Independent Order of Immaculates. at St. Paul AME Church, Rebecca Lester was elected the Grand Queen in honor of Meritorious Service, a new title created the year before. Rebecca was ceremoniously seated in the pulpit in purple robe, gold crown and scepter [24] . Rebecca was also a member and officer of the Mt Pisgah Chapter 51 of the Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star [25] .

Separate car law

Tennessee passed its first statewide Jim Crow laws in 1881 [26] . Immediately thereafter civil suits were initiated to prevent separate and “unequal” railroad accommodations which exposed African American women to smoke-filled, noisy railroad cars, often the site of public vulgarities [27] . Rebecca traveled regularly by railroad. In 1904 the Lesters entered a civil suit against the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad for $5,000. In damages [28] . Rebecca alleged that she was denied a sleeping berth and subjected to unequal accommodations which caused her to be assaulted by white men. The following year, the Nashville Streetcar protest against segregated light rail accommodations commenced [29] .

Republican election activities

Rebecca’s political activities occurred during the Progressive era, when the ratification of the “justly entitled” Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote. Toppling the nationwide voting barrier for women, Tennessee was the deciding state in a long-fought Republican victory. Rebecca served on the Advisory Committee of the colored Republican state campaign committee [30] . In Tennessee, groups such as the Lincoln League, strategized on effective means to defend African American interests within its fragile political alliance with the lily-white Republican party [31] . In the Benevolent Hall on Maury Street, Rebecca served as a clerk of the Third Ward during the 1922 Republican primary election [32] . Two years later, she served as election judge for the Fourteenth Ward. The certified election poll site was the Lester residence at 153 Lafayette, South Nashville [33] .

World War I

By 1917, Rebecca was authorized by the Council of National Defense to manage war service efforts beginning with her field work for the colored War Saving Stamp (WSS) campaign. [34]

Photograph of Mrs. Rebecca H. Lester published in "Davidson County women in the world war, 1914-1919" Photograph of Mrs. J. A. Lester.png
Photograph of Mrs. Rebecca H. Lester published in "Davidson County women in the world war, 1914-1919"

Her committee organized the Bishop Tyree WSS Club, held public meetings, coordinated publicity and received $4,000. of all public pledges. For that patriotic effort, Lester’s committee was presented with a silk banner celebrating their success at Meharry Medical College's auditorium [35] .

Rebecca chaired the Meharry Unit of Fourth & Victory Liberty Loan campaign in 1918 and 1919, respectively, which sold the largest amount of war relief savings bonds. The Meharry Unit of Victory Liberty Loan campaign was presented in uniform during a Nashville parade all wearing a 100 Per Cent sash across their shoulders. Her team participated in local clean-up activities for Civilian Relief. The Meharry Unit, composed of colored women, raised $26,050.00 for the Victory Liberty Loan campaign [36] . Lester’s outreach efforts were achieved by public campaigning at the Negro YMCA [37] , Fisk University Carnegie Library [38] and various churches [39] throughout the Fourteenth Ward.

Death

Rebecca Lester died at home on January 6, 1928 [40] .

References

  1. ↑ 1880 U.S. Census, Davidson County, Tennessee, Enumeration District 044, p. 174c, roll 1250. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  2. ↑ Tennessee, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Uncle Fount" Winston Dead, Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 6 September 1909, p. 6. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1959, (Davidson: Familysearch: 15 December 2015), image 835 of 1366. accessed on 5 January 2026.
  5. ↑ Davis, Joel, Nashville City Directory, (Nashville, Tennessee: Marshall & Bruce, 1891), p. 844; digital image. accessed on 5 January 2026.
  6. ↑ Curran’s Report Given Out’’, Nashville Banner, 29 November 1898, p. 1. accessed 5 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Wills, 1784-1920; Davidson County (Tennessee) County Clerk. accessed 5 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Marriage Licenses", The Tennesseean, 29 May 1901, morning edition. accessed 5 January 2026.
  9. ↑ 1900 U.S. Census, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, Enumeration District 102, p. 15 (stamped), dwelling 312, family 348, Rebecca Taylor; roll 1565. accessed 5 January 2026.
  10. ↑ ‘’Prominent Calanthean Honored by the Grand Court’’, The Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 18 July 1913, p. 4. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  11. ↑ ‘’Mrs. Rebecca H. Lester’’, The Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 21 March 1913, p. 7. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  12. ↑ ‘’Prizes Awarded at Greenwood Park Fair’’, The Nashville Globe Globe Publishing Co., 17 October 1913, p. 6. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  13. ↑ ‘’Business Women Organize’’, The Tennessean, Colonel Luke Lea., 26 September 1915), p. 45. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  14. ↑ Smith, Christine. S., | Woman's Club, The Woman's Era, (Boston, January 1897), p. 6. accessed on 5 January 2026.
  15. ↑ Terrell, Mary Church. 1897. “President's First Address to the National Association of Colored Women". Mary Church Terrell Papers, Library of Congress, accessed on 5 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Carnation Club, ‘’The Nashville Globe’’, Globe Publishing Co., 25 April 1913), p. 7. accessed on 5 January 2026.
  17. ↑ Of Interest to Colored People, The Tennessean, Colonel Luke Lea, 7 December 1913), p. 2. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  18. ↑ Friday Review Club, The Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 29 June 1917, p. 5. accessed on 5 January 2026.
  19. ↑ ‘’Mrs. Walter M. Clark Hostess’’, The Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 5 October 1917, p. 5. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  20. ↑ ‘’Marechal Niel Art Club’’, The Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 21 March 1913, p. 5. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  21. ↑ ‘’Negro Club Women Conclude Meeting’’, Nashville Banner, 21 July 1916, p. 8. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  22. ↑ Grand Court of Calanthe, The Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 22 July 1910, p. 1. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  23. ↑ ‘’News of Interest to Colored People’’, The Tennessean, Colonel Luke Lea., 29 July 1917, p. 23. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  24. ↑ ‘’Prominent Calanthean Honored by the Grand Court’’, The Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 18 July 1913, p. 4. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Lester, The Tennessean, Colonel Luke Lea., 8 January 1928, p. 5. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Tennessee. Acts of the State of Tennessee Passed At the General Assembly, 42nd session. Nashville, Tenn.: F. M. Paul, printer to the State, 1881. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  27. ↑ Mack, Kenneth W. “Law, Society, Identity, and the Making of the Jim Crow South: Travel and Segregation on Tennessee Railroads, 1875-1905.” Law & Social Inquiry, vol. 24, no. 2, 1999, pp. 377–409. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  28. ↑ A. Lester and Rebecca Lester…’’, Commercial Appeal, Commercial Publishing Co., 31 May 1904, p. 5. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  29. ↑ Meier, August, and Elliott Rudwick. | “Negro Boycotts of Jim Crow Streetcars in Tennessee.” American Quarterly, vol. 21, no. 4, 1969, pp. 755–63. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  30. ↑ ‘’Politics’’, Nashville Banner, 10 October 1920, p.22. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  31. ↑ Biles, Roger. R. Church, Jr. of Memphis: Black Republican Leader in the Age of Democratic Ascendancy, 1928-1940.” Tennessee Historical Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 4, 1983, pp. 362–82. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  32. ↑ ‘’Notice, Republican Primary Election, Nashville Banner, 22 July 1922, p.3. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  33. ↑ ‘’Republican Primary Election Notice’’, The Tennessean, Colonel Luke Lea, 27 July 1924, p. 27. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  34. ↑ Gilmore, Rose Long. Davidson County Women in the World War, 1914-1919. Foster & Parkes, 1923, p. 507
  35. ↑ Gilmore, p. 508. accessed on 5 January 2026.
  36. ↑ Gilmore, p. 377. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  37. ↑ | ‘’National Women’s Prayer Batalion’’, The Nashville Globe, Globe Publishing Co., 6 September 1918, p. 1. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  38. ↑ ‘’Negro Privates in Army receive Pay’’, The Tennessean, Colonel Luke Lea., 14 December 1917, p. 6. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  39. ↑ | ‘’Thrift Stamp Meeting’’, The Tennessean, Colonel Luke Lea., 14 June 1918), p. 3. accessed on 6 January 2026.
  40. ↑ Lester, The Tennessean, Colonel Luke Lea., 8 January 1928, p. 5. accessed on 6 January 2026.
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