Sarah Randolph Bailey

Sarah Randolph Bailey (* 1885 in Macon (Georgia) ; † 1972 ) was an American educator and school principal . In 1945 she founded the Girl Reserves group of the Young Women's Christian Association for African American girls .

life and work

Bailey graduated from the Big County Teacher Examination in 1901 and began teaching in 1902. She married Robert Bailey and adopted a daughter. After 9 years, she was called to the Maryland M. Burdell School, where she served as a teacher and principal for 35 years. After volunteering at a girls rehabilitation and detention center in Macon, it was turned into the Negro Training School for Girls at her instigation, and she ran a rehabilitation and life provision program. Today the home is known as the Youth Development Center and is administered by the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice . Since the Girl Scouts did not allow African-American groups until the 1940s, she organized the Girl Reserves group of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) for young women. In 1935 she gathered groups of African American girls and gave them the opportunity to learn life skills, similar to their white fellow Scouts. After organizing 15 Girl Reserve Troops in Georgia, they invited Girl Scouts USA to organize the first Black Girl Scouts Troop. In 1948 her group was run as the official Boy Scout group and she was appointed chairman of the Macon Girl Scouts Central Committee.

Awards

In 1961, Camp Sarah Bailey was dedicated to her in her honor. In 1994 the Macon Girl Scouts Center was renamed the Sarah Bailey Service Center. There is a permanent exhibition in her memory at the Tubman African American Museum in Macon. She was inducted into the Georgia Women's Hall of Fame and the Georgia Women of Achievement in 2012.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Bailey, Sarah Randolph
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American educator and headmistress
DATE OF BIRTH	1885
PLACE OF BIRTH	Macon (Georgia)
DATE OF DEATH	1972