Dorothy Burnham
Dorothy Burnham | |
|---|---|
Burnham's Brooklyn College yearbook photo, 1936 | |
| Born | Dorothy Challenor March 22, 1915 (age 110 years, 279 days) Brooklyn, New York, US |
| Alma mater | Brooklyn College |
| Occupations | Activist, educator |
| Organization | Southern Negro Youth Congress |
| Political party | Communist Party USA |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Margaret, Linda, and Charles |
Dorothy Burnham (née Challenor; born March 22, 1915) is an American civil rights activist, educator, and supercentenarian. She is the widow of activist and journalist Louis E. Burnham.
Early life and career
Burnham was born on March 22, 1915, in Brooklyn, New York, to Barbadian immigrants Aletha Dowridge and Frederick Challenor.[1] Her sister was Elise Challenor Rollock, one of New York's earliest black school principals. She attended Girls' High School, then Brooklyn College, from 1932 to 1936 or 1937, graduating with a bachelor's microbiology degree. She planned to become a doctor, but practiced activism due to a lack of financial stability, which she was encouraged to do by Jessie Campbell, a professor of Burnham. While attending Brooklyn College, she was a member of the Southern Negro Youth Congress (SNYC), which is how she met Louis E. Burnham; they married in 1941[2] and moved to Birmingham, Alabama for SNYC activities.[3] In 1936, she joined the Communist Party USA, with encouragement from Claudia Jones.[4] As a member, she encourged Mildred McAdory to join.[5]
After her husband's death in 1960, she was an active leader in the Sisters Against South African Apartheid, Genes and Gender, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and the national organization Women for Racial and Economic Equality. She served on the board of the cultural journal Freedomways[6] and wrote for it.[7]
As an educator, she began working for Empire State University in 1977, later becoming Professor Emeritus. She taught at Hostos Community College and later taught biology and related subjects at City University of New York,[8] as well as working at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.[3] In 2023, Empire State created the Dorothy Burnham scholarship, named for her.[9]
Personal life
With her husband, Louis, Burnham had four children: Claudia, Margaret, Linda, and Charles.[3] Her 110th birthday was celebrated in the Loring–Greenough House. She is part of the New England Centenarian Study and is its oldest member.[3] In her later years, she spent much time travelling, including annual summer vacations in Africa for many years. She also owns a summer home in Martha's Vineyard.[3]
References
- ^ Boyd, Herb (March 10, 2022). "On March 22, the indomitable Dorothy Burnham turns 107 years young". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ Gellman, Erik S. (February 1, 2012). Death Blow to Jim Crow: The National Negro Congress and the Rise of Militant Civil Rights. Univ of North Carolina Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-8078-6993-2.
- ^ a b c d e Mesdijan, Sarah (March 22, 2025). "A civil rights activist turns 110 in Boston and reflects on a life of love, service, and education - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
- ^ Blain, Keisha N. (September 16, 2025). Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-88230-8.
- ^ Lieberman, Robbie; Lang, Clarence (April 27, 2009). Anticommunism and the African American Freedom Movement: Another Side of the Story. Springer. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-230-62074-2.
- ^ Montgomery, Velmanette (2011). "Legislative Resolution honoring Dorothy Burnham". Open Legislation. New York State Senate. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ Burnham, Dorothy (1979). "Children of the Slave Community in the United States". Freedomways. 19 (2): 75–81 (14–20). Retrieved March 27, 2022.
- ^ "Dorothy Burnham Biography". The HistoryMakers. November 15, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Williams, Riis (July 28, 2023). "A Passion for Making Art Continues At 108 Years Old". The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News. Retrieved September 28, 2025.