Victoria Earle Matthews | |
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| Born | Ella Victoria Smith May 27, 1861 Fort Valley, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | March 10, 1907 (aged 45) New York City, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, activist |
Victoria Earle Matthews (née Ella Victoria Smith, May 27, 1861 – March 10, 1907) was an American author, essayist, newspaperwoman, settlement worker, and activist.[1] She was born into slavery in Fort Valley, Georgia, and moved to New York City with her family after emancipation. There, she briefly attended school and worked as a domestic servant to help her family.
As a married woman, Matthews became involved in women's clubs and social work, at a time when the settlement movement started in Great Britain in 1884 and was influencing American social work in major cities. In 1897, Matthews founded the White Rose Industrial Home for Working Class Negro Girls, also known as the White Rose Mission, a settlement house for young Black Women, to provide them with safe housing, education, and life and job skills.