Panel of American Women

Panel of American Women

Many of you may have never heard of the Panel of American Women.  It was an organization started in Kansas City, MO, by Mrs. Esther Brown in 1958.  The panel that she was asked to moderate was to talk about prejudice.  The group of women talking was all white and just sat together and had a conversation.  Other people heard about it and wanted to host similar panels.  And that was where the panel had its beginning.  Eventually, the panels had 4 participants and a moderator. “Panels were made up of a Catholic, a Jew, a white Protestant, and a Negro and someone of another racial or religious minority in those areas where another exists.”

The panel was started in Raleigh, NC, by Mrs. Bettye Martin.  My mother, Cliffornia Wimberley, was one of the panelists as were other women in the community. (Mrs. Nurry Johnson, Mrs. Carolyn Johnson, Mrs. Gwen Bailey, Mrs. Celeste Beatty, Mrs. Barbara Bland, Mrs. Earle Blue, Ms. Cleo Carr, Mrs. Aaron Favors, Mrs. Ruby Greene, Mrs. Sandra Hardy, Mrs. Ann Heartley, Mrs. Margaret Lockamy, Mrs. Joan Mason, Mrs. Joan Silvey, were also Black women who were involved.) They spoke across the county and sometimes travelled to other towns in the state.  As a result of the mothers working together, the children developed relationships with each other as well.

Attached is an article from the Good Housekeeping Magazine about what happened shortly after the desegregation of schools in Raleigh and the role that the Panel of American Women played at what was then Daniels Junior High School.

Please share your thoughts below the article.