Crystal Bird Fauset

rdf:langString Crystal Bird Fauset

rdf:langString Crystal Bird Fauset

rdf:langString Crystal Bird Fauset

rdf:langString Crystal Dreda Bird

rdf:langString Politician

rdf:langString Pennsylvania State Legislator of the United States of America

rdf:langString Crystal Bird Fauset (June 27, 1893 – March 27, 1965) was a civil rights activist, social worker, race relations specialist, and the first female African American state legislator elected in the United States, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in Maryland and raised in Boston, Fauset started her professional career as a public school teacher in Boston. She would then go onto work for the Young Women's Christian Association, and then with the American Friends Service Committee. In 1935, she became assistant to the director of Philadelphia's Works Progress Administration and also began politically organizing for the Democratic National Committee. In 1938, Fauset was elected to the Pennsylvania state legislature. She served for a year as a state representative in which she introduced nine bills and three amendments on issues ranging from affordable housing projects to fair employment legislation. During the Roosevelt administration, Fauset was appointed to the Office of Civilian Defense on October 20, 1941, and worked as a race relations advisor. In 1944, she broke away from the Democratic Party and publicly supported the Republican presidential candidate. In her later years, Fauset turned to global issues and helped found the United Nations Council of Philadelphia, later known as the World Affairs Council.

rdf:langString Crystal Dreda Bird