Shirley Graham
Shirley Graham was an influential American writer and educator born in 1896 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Growing up on a farm that was part of the Underground Railroad, she had a strong heritage tied to the abolitionist movement. After the early death of her husband, Graham pursued her education vigorously, ultimately moving to Paris in 1929 to take advantage of its academic opportunities. She studied at prestigious institutions like the Sorbonne and Yale, earning a master's degree in music from Oberlin.
Graham's career flourished as she became head of the fine arts department at Tennessee State College and directed the Negro unit of the Federal Theater in Chicago. She is noted for her biographies of prominent African Americans, including Phillis Wheatley and Frederick Douglass, and for her plays that featured all-African American casts during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1951, she married the renowned civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois, with whom she faced legal challenges during the McCarthy era. After moving to Ghana in 1961, she later relocated to Cairo following Du Bois's death. Despite facing difficulties returning to the U.S. due to her political affiliations, Graham continued to contribute to literature and education until her death in Beijing in 1977.
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Shirley Graham
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- Born: November 11, 1896
- Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Died: March 27, 1977
- Place of death: Beijing, China
Biography
Shirley Graham was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1896. She was born on a farm that had served as part of the Underground Railroad and had been owned by her grandfather, a slave who had been freed before the Civil War. Early on in her life, she was married and had three children. Unfortunately, her husband died while very young, leaving her with the children.
The children did not stop her from pursuing an education. In 1929, Graham and her family moved to Paris in order to take advantage of the educational opportunities. She was fortunate enough to study at schools such as the Sorbonne in France, and she studied at Yale on a Rosenwald Fellowship for creative writing. She received her master’s degree in music at Oberlin. Shortly after earning her master’s degree, Graham took a position as the head of the fine arts department for Tennessee State College. Later, she took over directorship of Negro unit of the Federal Theater of Chicago.
It was during this time of her life that her writing career was most successful. At this time, she wrote biographies on famous African Americans such as Phillis Wheatley and Frederick Douglass, among others. Also during the 1930’s and 1940’s, Graham wrote a number of plays and arranged numerous plays with all-African American casts. In 1951, Graham married W. E. B. Du Bois; this was the second marriage for both of them. Instantly, and for the next ten years the family would face a number of legal troubles due to Du Bois’s political views and their implications in the McCarthy era.
In 1961, the family moved to Ghana. Du Bois passed away in 1963, and a coup in 1967 forced Graham to relocate to Cairo with one of her sons. While living in Cairo, she made attempts to return to the United States to live, but her request was denied due to her past political affiliations. She was granted a two- month visit in 1971 and was allowed to visit in 1975.
In 1975, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts. Graham died in 1977 in Beijing, China, where she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.