Know Your History

Irene Diggs Was More Than W.E.B. DuBois’s Assistant

The anthropologist’s storied career extended far beyond her work alongside men.

Office of the NAACP’ S Crisis Magazine where Irene Diggs worked, 1910. Photo: George Rinhart/Getty Images

On the east side of Baltimore City, Morgan State University stands as a pillar of Black history and culture with a legacy spanning over 150 years. The university began as Centenary Biblical Institute before being renamed Morgan College in 1890 with the status of university granted in 1975. Home to the infamous Morgan State Bears, the university overflows with the names of iconic Black figures such as James Baldwin, Harriet Tubman, and Benjamin Banneker. Amidst the rapid gentrification facing Baltimore’s historic east side, Morgan State University stands out as a reminder that Black life has been and always will be the heartbeat of the city.

Beyond the university’s physical structure, its library showcases the beauty of Black history and literature. Each floor holds a vast history of Black excellence. Tucked away on the third floor of the library you will find the Davis Room archives. Inside, archivist Ida Jones and others work to document Baltimore’s long history, including the record of Black feminism in Baltimore. Scholars like Jones chronicle the Black feminist history of Baltimore and combat the ongoing omission of Black women. Routinely…