Jessie De Priest | |
|---|---|
 De Priest on June 12, 1929, during the "Tea Incident", taken by Addison N. Scurlock | |
| Born | Jessie Williams September 3, 1870 Rockford, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 31, 1961 (aged 90) |
| Resting place | Graceland Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | Congressional spouse, music teacher |
| Known for | Tea at the White House incident |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Jessie De Priest (née Williams; September 3, 1870 – March 31, 1961) was an American music teacher who was married to Oscar Stanton De Priest, the first African American to be elected to the United States Congress in the 20th century.[1] Jessie De Priest was the first African-American wife of a U.S. congressman elected in the 1900s.[2] She is best known for her involvement in an incident known as the "Tea at the White House". First Lady Lou Henry Hoover invited De Priest to the traditional tea along with several other congressmen's wives, resulting in racist backlash from media outlets and the public.
- ^ "Pathbreakers: Oscar Stanton DePriest and Jessie L. Williams DePriest". WHHA (en-US). Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ "DE PRIEST, Oscar Stanton | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved February 25, 2020.