On Nettie Asberry: The first African-American in the United States to receive a doctorate degree

More on Nettie Asberry, a Tacoma Baha'i. -gw

From: Northwest BahaiLibrary

Renton Magazine advertised the performance of Eva Abram portraying Nettie Asberry (Tacoman Baha'i) in their February 2010 edition:

See: http://www.pugetsoundpublishing.com/RMarchives/RM_1002.pdf page 4.

Eva Abram's webpage is http://www.seattlestorytelling.org/eva.html

Nettie Asberry's biography has been shared in several places on the Internet, most notably these two places:
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8632
http://www.tacomabahai.org/2010/04/01/nettie-asberry/

There is also this new account of Nettie Asberry by Mrs. Freddie May Barnett, current President of the Washington State Association of Colored Women’s Clubs who was interviewed May 30, 2009 in Tacoma:

"She was a great activist. I learned so much of her giving to the community on racial issues. She stood up for the rights of African-Americans in this state. Per one of her early accomplishments, she was a party to organizing the NAACP in WA and the Tacoma City Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. Dr Asberry was a piano teacher by profession. Another major accomplishment: Dr Asberry participated with club members in a march on Olympia, the state capital after she heard about lynching to occur to a man regarding an interracial marriage. The march was a success and the lynching did not occur. She was a piano teacher and she taught music to all races as she wanted to insure that all people of all races had the opportunity to learn music and be treated equal. This was her passion."

In 1883 Dr Asberry received her PHD. Degree from Kansas Conservatory of Music. Mrs. Barnett goes on to state she believes Dr. Asberry was the first African American in the United States to receive a doctorate degree at that time.

Dr. Asberry was also president majority of the time and organized the“Asberry Cultural Club” which Mrs. Barnett as the current president.

The interview is here:
http://www.washingtonwomenshistory.org/about/participants/localgrants/tcw/barnett.aspx

The Asberry Club sponsors cultural events featuring arts, crafts andmusic and is one of four clubs at the Tacoma City Association of Colored Women's Club: http://tacomacwc.org/aboutus.html

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