Albreta Moore Smith

Albreta Moore Smith
Born
Albreta Moore

c. 1875
Illinois, United States
DiedSeptember 7, 1957
Burial placeOak Woods Cemetery,
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other namesAlberta Moore Smith, Alberta Moore–Smith, Alberta Moore Covington, Alberta Covington
OccupationsWriter, stenographer, club woman
SpouseChristopher C. Covington (m. 1922–)

Albreta Moore Smith (née Albreta Moore; c. 1875 – September 7, 1957)[1] was an American writer, stenographer, and club woman.[2] Smith founded the Colored Women's Business Club of Chicago, the first incorporated African American women's business club. She was also known as Albreta Moore–Smith, Alberta Moore Smith,[3] Albreta Covington,[4] and Alberta Covington.

Life and career

Albreta Moore was born c. 1875 in Illinois. She was a correspondent in the early 20th century for The Colored American Magazine.[5] She had also published work in Chicago newspapers.[5]

Smith founded the first incorporated African American women's business club in 1900, the Colored Women's Business Club of Chicago.[3][6][7] Smith served as an officer of the National Negro Business League, founded by Booker T. Washington. She was the president of the South End Children's Aid Society in Chicago;[8] and also president of The Women's Service League.[9][10]

In her later life, Smith worked as a probation officer, retiring in 1941.[11][12][4]

Publications

  • Smith, Alberta M. (December 1900). "Chicago Notes" (PDF). The Colored American. Vol. 2, no. 2. pp. 147–148. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 19, 2025.
  • Moore–Smith, Albreta (March 1902). "Woman's Development in Business" (PDF). The Colored American Magazine. Vol. 4, no. 4. pp. 323–326. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2025.
  • Moore–Smith, Alberta (March 1903). "An Answer to "Mr. Roosevelt's Negro Policy"" (PDF). The Colored American. Vol. 6, no. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 19, 2024.
  • Moore–Smith, Albreta (July 1903). "Noted Business Women of Chicago: Mrs. Hattie Hicks" (PDF). The Colored American. Vol. 6, no. 7. pp. 507–509. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2025.

References

  1. ^ "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871–1998; Entry for Alberta Covington, 07 Sept 1957". FamilySearch.org. September 7, 1957.
  2. ^ "Mrs. Chris C. Covington Delightfully Entertains". The Chicago Defender. March 24, 1928. p. 22. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Alberta Moore Smith, The Times (Philly) July 1900". The Philadelphia Times. July 29, 1900. p. 19. Retrieved September 17, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Dinner Honors Retiring Official". The Chicago Defender. December 6, 1941. p. 19. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Moore Smith, Albreta (Alberta)". The Digital Colored American Magazine. February 18, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  6. ^ "1900 to 1949". Oxford African American Studies Center. Oxford University Press. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  7. ^ Walker, Juliet E. (May 19, 2005), "Entrepreneurs", African American Studies Center, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.44134, ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1
  8. ^ "Club notes". The Broad Ax. January 16, 1915. p. 4. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "League Dinner a Success". The Chicago Defender. January 10, 1920. p. 11. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Service League Holds Election". The Chicago Defender. December 20, 1919. p. 17. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Splendid Work of Probation Officers". The Chicago Defender. March 20, 1915. p. 1. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Official Statement of the Committee on Children's Christmas Party". The Broad Ax. January 6, 1912. p. 2. Retrieved September 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.