Helen Noble Curtis was born in
New Orleans on October 10, 1874. She graduated from
Southern University at New Orleans in 1900, and during her time at the school, spent a year or more in
Paris, France, where she learned to make dresses and
corsets. She went on to teach
dressmaking at the
YWCA in 1909. In 1912, she started a
Camp Fire Girls club. On October 24, 1917, her husband died after a medical
operation in
Freetown, Sierra Leone. After his death, due to wartime shortages, it was difficult to bring his body home in a
coffin. In May 1918, she went to France as a representative of the YMCA. Curtis, who was fluent in
French, was the first to arrive in France, landing on December 31. Her work there was successful and she was joined later by
Addie W. Hunton. Curtis and Hunton, who were also joined by
Kathyrn M. Johnson, worked in the
segregated areas that served the Black soldiers. During the war, many Black soldiers faced discrimination from the
American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and Curtis worked to fight against racism. She wrote about the sacrifices and bravery of the Black soldiers fighting in France and also related "firsthand accounts of black women's sacrifices, perseverance, and protests." When a
brothel was set up at one of the Black camps, she fought against the endorsed
prostitution, even through it angered her white supervisors. Her complaints caused the camp commander to notify
Military Intelligence Division (MID) that she was "guilty of negro-subversion." After around six months of spurious investigations, it was finally ended by E. C. Carter, the top YMCA official in Paris, who exonerated Curtis. After the investigation, Curtis continued to work in the canteen, supporting and teaching soldiers. After the war, she was chosen by
Jane Addams to be a delegate to the
League of Peace and Freedom. After the congress, Curtis worked and traveled through France, Italy, and Spain with
Mary B. Talbert, networking and spreading information about Black women and their work. Curtis translated Talbert's writing and speeches into French in order to reach as many Black women as possible around the world. Curtis returned to the United States in August 1919. She talked about her wartime experiences, always emphasizing the bravery of Black soldiers and the hard work that African Americans did during the war. In this way, she was able to help combat racist
propaganda. Later that year, she was one of the hosts for the wife of Liberian president-elect
Charles D. B. King, Cecelia Adelaide Cooper King, upon their visit to the U.S. During the
Second Pan-African Congress, Curtis "acted as the sole representative of the country of Liberia." In 1921 she was honored in
Washington, D.C. as part of an
Armistice Day Celebration sponsored by the Over-Seas Women of the YMCA. Earlier that year, she was part of a protest at the
Capitol Theatre against the showing of
The Birth of a Nation. In 1922, she led a women's
anti-lynching movement, working with the
NAACP. Curtis and Talbert founded the
Anti-Lynching Crusaders. The group published an anti-lynching pamphlet in October 1922 called
A Terrible Blot on American Civilization. The group had a
feminist critique of lynching and brought both white and Black women together in this issue. In 1924, Curtis went back to Liberia. Curtis served as a
missionary for six years in Liberia, where she worked for the
African Methodist Episcopal Church to build a
playground, bred
chickens, and taught sewing classes at Monrovia College. Both she and Du Bois were skeptical of the
UNIA, headed by
Marcus Garvey, and convinced Liberians to reject the UNIA plans of mass migration to the country. When she returned to her home in New York, she brought four children with her who grew up in her home. Not only did she volunteer with the Civilian Defense Office, she also hosted sewing classes for the
Red Cross at her home. The place provided entertainment and refreshments for between 700 and 800 soldiers every week. Later, in 1947, she attended the
centennial anniversary of Liberia, where she was a guest of the government. In 1948, the
National Council of Negro Women honored her as one of their "Outstanding Women of the Year." When Liberian President
William V. S. Tubman visited New York in 1954, Curtis was in attendance at the state
luncheon held for him and other dignitaries at the
Waldorf Astoria on November 4. Along with her connection to Liberia, Curtis remained active in various endeavors, including recruiting
blood donors for the Red Cross. Curtis died after a long illness in
New York City on December 2, 1961. == References ==