Two Women and The White Rose Mission: Saving Many Young Black Womens' Lives

Victoria Earle Matthews and Maritcha Remond Lyons founded The White Rose Mission in New York City on February 11, 1897. The Mission was called The White Rose Home for Colored Working Girls and The White Rose Industrial Association. Its mission was to provide “refuge, shelter, and food” to Black women entering New York City from the Jim Crow states. It began by helping women find homes, such as live-in maids, but by 1902, it could provide its own housing, charging $1.25 per week.

Many arrived in New York City during the Great Migration, which began around 1910 and gained momentum by 1916. During this period, Black Americans left the South seeking better economic opportunities and to escape Jim Crow segregation, racial violence, and discrimination.

Victoria Earle Matthews was a formerly enslaved woman who became a prominent journalist, author, and social reformer in New York City. Her skin was so fair that she could pass for white, and she did so when it was necessary to help someone. She conducted research into the working conditions of young Black women and investigated and exposed the schemes that exploited them.

Maritcha Remond Lyons was an educator, suffragette, and civil rights activist. She helped organize volunteers to meet arriving travelers at docks, piers, and railway stations, protecting them from fraud and exploitation. Lyons’ work contributed to the growth of Black-led social welfare services in New York City.

The Mission operated at 217 East 86th Street in Manhattan. As its work grew, it later moved to 262 West 136th Street in Harlem. As it expanded, it moved to 262 West 136th Street in 1918. Over time, the organization expanded its services to include educational and community programs, becoming an important center for African American women in New York City. The organization closed in 1984.