Lugenia Burns Hope, née Burns (February 19, 1871, St. Louis, Missouri – August 14, 1947, Nashville, Tennessee) was a social reformer whose Neighborhood Union and other community service organizations improved the quality of life for blacks in Atlanta, Georgia, and served as a model for the future Civil Rights Movement.
Throughout her youth, Lugenia Hope worked for various charitable organizations, inspiring a life-long interest in social outreach work. Between 1890 and 1893 she studied at the Chicago Art Institute, the Chicago School of Design (now also part of the Art Institute of Chicago), and the Chicago Business College. Lugenia Hope married John Hope in 1897 and moved with him to Atlanta when he joined the faculty of the Atlanta Baptist College (now Morehouse College); he was later appointed the institution's president in 1906. With the help of Morehouse students, she surveyed local area residents about their needs for community development projects, which eventually led to the college providing day care, kindergarten, and recreational programs.
Learn more about Lugenia Burns Hope, free from the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
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