Barbara Clark Elam
African American community activist, advocate, and librarian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barbara Aileen Clark Elam was born in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, MA.[1] She earned her master's degree from Simmons College in 1949 and became a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Omega Chapter.[2]
Barbara Clark Elam | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 10, 1929 |
| Died | May 7, 2017 (aged 88) |
Career
Elam worked in literacy and education as a librarian at the New York Public Library, the Boston Public Library and as a member of the Massachusetts Black Librarians Association.[3] She was Librarian-in-charge of the Boston Public Schools Library Program in Dorchester.[4] She was elected as a voting library delegate from Massachusetts to the White House Conference on Library and Information Science.[4]
As a member of Freedom House, she promoted educational equity and economic opportunities for Black, Brown, and immigrant youth across Boston.[5] An advocate for mental health, she served as president of the Massachusetts Mental Health Association, advocating for the establishment of the Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Center.[6]
Elam was also involved in the Boston Women's Heritage Trail, which celebrated the contributions of women throughout history.[7]
In 2023, she was recognized as one of "Boston’s most admired, beloved, and successful Black Women leaders" by the Black Women Lead project.[8][9]