No part of black history should be forgotten and two University of Chicago (U of C) seniors have done their part to make sure of that.
Dr. Georgiana Simpson was the first woman to earn a doctorate degree from U of C, which she earned in 1919. Now, according to CBS Chicago, she has a statue in her image to honor her legacy. The statue was unveiled in the university's dining hall, which is referred to “White Men Only” hall due to the line of portraits featuring white men.
The faces of white men line the walls at the University of Chicago.
Today, a black woman joins the ranks. Dr. Georgiana Simpson was one of the first African American women to receive a PhD in the US.
A bust of her now sits in what once was a “White Men Only” hall. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/JLIdgT08IC— Audrina Bigos (@AudrinaBigos) November 29, 2017
So, how did this all come to be? U of C seniors Shae Omonijo and Asya Akca dug through the university's archives and revealed several untold stories of trailblazing women.
“May the permanent fixture of Dr. Simpson’s legacy remain an inspiration,” said Omonijo during the unveiling ceremony.
“With her resilience, she continued, and that academic inquiry and drive is what motivated us,” said Akca.
In an intentional plot twist, Simpson's statue sits directly across from a picture former University President Harry Judson who insisted that Simpson live off campus due to her skin color when Dean of Women, Marion Talbot allowed Simpson to move into a campus dorm.
Carol Moseley Braun, who is the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate, cites Simpson as her inspiration. “Dr. Simpson had to persevere. I mean, think about what she had to go through — the turn of the last century, they were hanging people from trees in those days," said Braun.
Congratulations to Dr. Simpson. May her legacy live on forever.
