The Girl Friends, Inc.
*The Girl Friends, Inc., is celebrated on this date in 1927. It is one of the oldest social organizations for African American women in the United States.
It was founded in New York City by Eunice Shreeves, a Cheyney Normal School for Teachers student. It was her idea to “stay in touch” with her close friends while away in college and entering adulthood. She invited four friends to her house to share a “pot of stew”: Lillie Mae Riddick, also a student at Cheyney; Henri and Elnorist Younge, sisters and students at Howard University; and Thelma Whittaker, a student at New York’s Wadleigh High School.
Riddick suggested they call the group The Girl Friends, taking the name from a popular era song. They selected club colors of apple green and emerald, green, and the yellow tea rose as the club flower. The first Conclave was held in 1933 in New York City with 28 members in attendance. The organization was incorporated in 1938 under the legal guidance of Thurgood Marshall.
The organization’s primary purpose is to:
· To Promote Friendship
· To Provide Social Activities
· To Perform Civic Services in local communities
· To Support National Projects
Over the years, the chain of friendship spread to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, New Jersey, and New Haven. Today, there are 48 Girl Friend chapters nationwide with 1,800+ members.
