The First Black Girl Scout Troop

Isn’t it fitting that the one hundredth anniversary of the Girl Scouts, which is today, falls during Women’s Appreciation month? How kismet! If you were never a part of a Girl Scout Troop, do know that the organization has made significant strides throughout its 100 year history to include girls of various races and backgrounds (including disabled girls, girls with mothers in prison and most recently a transgender girl). The Girl Scouts has also sought to empower young girls to eventually become well rounded, self sufficient women. Even when the organization was started in 1912, girls around the country had the opportunity to explore arenas that had previously been “off limits” to us double X types.

Seeing that organization got it’s start at a time when our country was still largely segregated, the first Girl Scout Troops were made up of white girls only. But in 1917, five years after its inception, the first troop of African American girls was formed. From there Native American girls formed a troop in New York in 1921, Mexican-American girls formed a troop in Texas. By the 1950s, the organization made a national push to desegregate its troops, eliciting praise from Martin Luther King Jr for helping to end segregation in other organizations across the nation.

By 1975, the Girl Scouts had elected their first African American woman, Dr. Gloria D. Scott, to serve as the National President for the organization.

In honor of a great organization and its 100th anniversary, find your local girl scout and buy a box of cookies or three. You can rationalize that it’s going to a worthy cause. 😉

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