"Thyra J.Edwards"(1897-1953)

Thyra was the first born of Horace & Annabelle  Edwards her brothers and sisters were Thelma,Belle,Marian and George.She grew up in Houston Texas,and started her career there as a school teachers.Thyra moved to Gary,Indiana and later Chicago where she was employed as a social worker.She would eventually become a world lecturer,journalist,labor organizer,women's rights advocate,and civil rights activists all before her 40th birthday.By 1944 Thrya was heralded as "one the most outstanding Negro women She had an international approach to social work and viewed her journalist work,travel seminars,speaking engagements,and union organizing as a part of her role as professional in the social work arena.By the end of World War II she was the executive director of the Congress of America Women.Concerned foremost with the plight of women and children,in 1953 Thyra organized the first Jewish child care program in Rome to assist children who had been victims of the Holocaust.From her point of view social work should:advocate for disadvantaged and at-risk populations;focus on issues and problems specifically affecting the well-being of women;and demonstrate the ability to work with diverse populations.Thyra views are akin to many principles currently articulated by the council of Social Work Education her work was grounded in what modern sociologist call "work systems theory."The link between the plight of African Americans throughout the world was a cornerstone of her professional philosophy.At a time when the social work profession in the U.S. believed that African American social workers should on focus on other African Americans in America,Thyra worked with people of all races,nationalities,and ethnicities.It was that viewpoint that attracted her to the Communist Party while she was living in New York in the 1930s,Thyra publicly supported the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War and used her role as a correspondent to travel to Europe,Mexico,and the Soviet Union.Her activities with the U.S. Communists drew the attention of the FBI Thrya was monitored by the U.S. government intelligence organizations until her death.