It is very fitting that we begin this brief history of the Housewives League of Detroit with the words spoken by Mrs. Peck in an interview in 1935. She said that prior to the organization of the Housewives’ League, Mr. Albon L. Holsey of Tuskegee Institute, and Secretary of the National Negro Business League, visited Detroit and stated that the women of Harlem, N.Y., had organized and were patronizing the C.M.A. Stores owned by Negroes and the Housewives spend fully eighty percent of the family income. Said she, “I at once saw the power possessed by the housewife, and was inspired to do something to build up the businesses of our group in Detroit.”
This statement by Mrs. Peck caused fifty women to respond to her call and form the Housewives’ League of Detroit June 10, 1930, at Bethel A.M.E. Church. The late Rev. Wm. H. Peck, organizer and president of the Booker T. Washington Trade Assn., with whom the Housewives’ League was to work, installed the following officers: Mrs. Fannie B. Peck, President; Miss Ethel Hemsley, Vice President; Mrs. Wilma Walker, Recording Secretary; and Mrs. Hattie Toodle, Treasurer.
Women had great confidence in Mrs. Peck and readily accepted committee chairmanships, even with the knowledge that there was no pattern for the organization and that it must be developed through experimentation. By the end of 1935, over twelve thousand women had pledged their support to the principles of the Housewives League.
In order to become acquainted with businesses throughout the city, sixteen units were formed, all working under one constitution and making up the Central Body of the Housewives’ League. To be of the greatest service to business, a planned program outlining the year’s activities included features and presentations of interest to both business and professional people. This Outlined Program served as a guide to Local Leagues and was later adopted by the National Housewives’ League as a Suggested Outline. Other projects sponsored by the Detroit League were the awarding of Certificates of Merit to businesses meeting the sanitary standards set up by the League; two trade campaigns a year; spending drives; and tours. These programs for boosting business were publicized by the Semi-Annual Trade Guide, the Annual Calendar, and the bi-monthly Housewives’ League Bulletin. The above mentioned publications with over one hundred business and professional people listed, were carried into the homes by a door-to-door campaign during the spring and fall Trade Campaigns. Thus the public was made conscious of their purchasing power and of what could be done thru concentrated spending.
In 1933, Detroit responded to the call of a committee which had previously met in New York in 1932 and made plans to form a National League in Durham, North Carolina, where the National Negro Business League was scheduled to hold its annual session that year. The National was formed. Mrs. Peck, who had been the chairman of the National Committee, was elected President of the National Housewives’ League.
The first Junior Unit of the Housewives’ League of Detroit was organized in 1935. There were six Junior Units formed of children between the ages of 6 and 15. A High School and College Educational Unit of boys and girls between the ages of 15 and 21 was organized in 1946. These units helped to instill in the minds of our youth and young people progress through self-help and an appreciation of business owned and controlled by Negroes.
From the time of the Housewives’ League of Detroit was organized in 1930 until the present time, the following persons have served as president: Mrs. Fannie B. Peck, organizer and first president, 1930-1939; Mrs. Christina Fuqua, 1939-1945; Mrs. Gertrude J. Tolbert, 1945-1946; Mrs. Nannie E. Black, 1946-1952; Mrs. Helen Malloy, 1952-1956; Mrs. Lucille Jones, 1956-1960; and the present President, Mrs. Naomi Jeffries.
This Centennial Year of 1963 represents 100 years of Physical Freedom for the Negro, however, it does not represent Economic Freedom for the Negro. Therefore, “We emphasize and declare it to be most desirable to own our own business and manage it ourselves, while we recognize as an act of fairness the employment of Negroes in businesses owned and operated by other racial groups, yet we feel that the solution of our economic problem is the ownership of business, and to this end we shall confine our efforts.”
From the 26th National Housewives League of America, Incorporated Souvenir Program, July 22-25, 1963, Detroit, Michigan
June 10, 1995
DEAR SHARPIE:
Please extend my congratulations to the Detroit Housewives’ League. Organized 25 years ago, they are a pride and joy to this community. Remember the days when the League first started its worthwhile project? They made us realize then the advantage of patronizing our own group. Every Detroiter owes a debt of gratitude to the Detroit Housewives’ League. Real courage and years of hard work are the secret of their success. Service is their by-word!
Monuments to the efforts of the Detroit Housewives’ League are businesses such as Porter’s Dry Cleaners, who is also celebrating 25 years of service; Davis Motor Sales, who sold more Studebakers than any other Wayne County dealer; Detroit Institute of Commerce; Victory Loan and Investment Company; Home Federal Savings and Loan Association; Valley Printing Company; Barthwell Drugs; and a number of the country’s largest insurance companies.
Let’s Get Behind Them,
Harpie
From the 26th National Housewives League of America, Incorporated Souvenir Program, July 22-25, 1963, Detroit, Michigan
The purpose shall be to help build bigger and better Negro business and to create and increase opportunities for employment.
1. By patronizing C.M.A. stores and all organized Negro business.
2. By patronizing stores that employ Negroes in varied capacities and that do not discriminate in types of work offered.
3. By giving all possible support and encouragement to institutions training our youth for trades and commercial activities.
4. By teaching Negro Youth that no work done well is menial.
5. By conducting campaigns of education to teach the Negro the value of his spending power.
The Slogan of the League shall be: “FIND a job; MAKE one, and make your dollar do TRIPLE duty.”
1. Get YOU what you need.
2. Give the Race what it needs - EMPLOYMENT.
3. Bring what all investments should bring - DIVIDENDS.
(Compliments of NAPOLEON DRUG STORE, 2452 Hastings Street, Clifford 1013-2354)
From the 26th National Housewives League of America, Incorporated Souvenir Program, July 22-25, 1963, Detroit, Michigan