Black History Month: Josephine Holloway

Today's Black History Month illustration is of Josephine Groves Holloway, the first Black Girl Scout Troop Leader. Holloway was born in South Carolina in 1898 and moved to Tennessee in 1919 to attend Fisk University in Nashville. After she graduated in 1923, she began working with girls at the Bethlehem Center, which helped poor young mothers and children.

After she learned about the Girl Scouts, she wanted to establish a troop for Black girls at the Center. She learned how to be a scout leader directly from Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts. Her training allowed her to create the first Black Girl Scout troops in Middle Tennessee.

After Girl Scouting became popular in Middle Tennessee in the white, middle class community, an official council was created. In 1933, she attempted to form an “official” Girl Scout troop for Black girls, but the Nashville Girl Scout Council denied her request.

In 1942, after lobbying for about 10 years and starting an unofficial troop, she established Troop 200, the first official Black Girl Scout troop. She was also the first Black professional Girl Scout employee in Middle Tennessee. She was a district director and camp director.

By 1944, there were 13 troops with 252 Black Girl Scouts and 82 adults. Holloway was such an expert of girls issues that the Girl Scouts also hired her as a field advisor for all Black troops. Over her time as a field advisor, she supervised over 2,000 Black girls and adults.

Holloway worked hard to help Black girls get the full Girl Scout experience, but there were no camps available for them. Through her connections to Black landowners, the council was able to buy land for a new camp for Black girls. Camp Holloway, named after Josephine Holloway, opened its grounds in Millersville, Tennessee. Because the council didn’t put a lot of money into it, Holloway and her family took care of the campgrounds.

She retired in 1963, but after she died in 1988, she left 50 acres next to Camp Holloway to the council. The Camp is still open today. Because of Holloway’s hard work, there’s now a space for Black girls and all girls in Girl Scouts.

My illustration of Josephine Holloway is available as an art print here.

I’ll be back tomorrow with another illustration and story!

-Alleanna

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Further Reading and Watching:

Article: 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Girl Scouts

Video: Behind the $800 Million Girl Scout Cookie Empire - Wall Street Journal

Sources:

Trailblazer Josephine Holloway | Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee

Josephine Holloway was instrumental in desegregating the Girl Scout Council of Cumberland Valley, known today as Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee.

Girl Scouts of Middle TN

The Unstoppable Josephine Groves Holloway

by Joyska Nunez-MedinaGirl Scout troops are groups where girls can come together to learn and grow. The Girl Scouts of America started in 1912 in Savannah, Georgia. Juliette Gordon Low, the organization’s founder, visited Britain in 1911 and learned about the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides. She thought that a similar organization in the United States could teach girls important skills and lessons.Girl Scouting was supposed to be open to all girls, but that was not the case everywhere.

TN State Museum logoKatie Yenna