National women’s church networks disseminated new reform techniques to local communities

Evidence

Nannie Burroughs referred to the informative programs of the WC’s annual meetings as “schools of methods” for local communities: “Women come up here, get new ideas, new material, new spirit, and go home and infuse and enthuse their sisters. The thousands of workers in local churches who have never been to one of our annual meetings have had the meetings brought to them. A month after we close our Convention, the speeches, reports, songs and suggestions are heard at every crossroad.”® After 1910 the Woman’s Convention increasingly depicted its role as an “institute” for the study of modern reform methods. Through the convention, a national network of communication and cooperation identified women with expertise, collected data, and introduced new methods. — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent, 811

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: State women’s conventions elevated ordinary, previously unknown rural and urban women into public roles — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent: The Women’s…, 364; Female missionary memberships powered religious education societies into national organizations — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent: The Women’s…, 428; Black Baptist women leaders bridged church and secular reform networks — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent: The Women’s…, 829 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Cross-denominational church societies trained black women as community leaders. #exemplifies (0.88) — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent, 107
• Black Baptist women leaders bridged church and secular reform networks #expands (0.82) — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent, 829
• Movements grounded in preexisting churches mobilize better than those without social infrastructure #exemplifies (0.78) — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 503
• Black church women were central to the church’s public role as racial self-help #expands (0.74) — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent, 37
• Reform movements succeed by marrying their cause to prevailing religious currents #qualifies (0.72) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 409