Episode 11: Black Beginnings

A 1923 homecoming article in the Rice Thresher introduces us to an African American woman who worked on campus during the earliest days of the Rice Institute. And another article from the same year features a student performance of Eugene O’Neill’s short play The Dreamy Kid, raising questions about portrayals of Black characters on stage at the Institute.

Supporting Documents:

• Rice Thresher, November 29, 1923
• Jennie Pettit's Household in 1920 United States Census
• Rice Thresher, January 26, 1923
• Rice Campanile (1923)