Self-Denial Saving Club minute book
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Self-Denial Saving Club minute book
- Date
- 1924-1927 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.1 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- African American women -- Kentucky
- Banks and banking -- Kentucky.
- Graves County (Ky.)
- Mayfield (Ky.)
- Money.
- Women's and gender history
- Self-Denial Saving Club (Mayfield, Ky.)
- Preferred Citation
- 2019ms033 : [identification of item], Self-Denial Savings Club minute book, 1924-1927, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- The Self-Denial Saving club has its origins in the western African tradition of Sou-Sou (also spelled susu; derived from the Yoruba term "esusu") which is an informal arrangement between a small group of people who make standard monetary contributions to a common fund at regular intervals whereby each member recieves their contributions in the form of a lump sum on a rotating basis. Similar saving practices can be found all over the world especially in marginalized communities where they have been traditionally used to circumvent late-fees, penalties, interest charged, and mistrust associated with institutional banking systems. Today these savings arrangements are still popular especially among African, Caribbean, Latino, and Asian communities. They have helped generations of people achieve their financial goals like starting businesses, saving for gifts, down payments on properties, and education for their children.
- Scope and Content
- The Self-Denial Saving Club minute book (dated 1924-1927; 0.1 cubic feet; 1 item) comprises a minute book with ledger that documents an organization of African-American women in Mayfield, Kentucky, in the 1920s who intentionally denied themselves small purchases throughout the year to recieve a larger sum of money from the collective fund for holiday purchases. Included in the minute book are a membership roll that lists 22 women on the board with roles of president, vice-president, financial secretary, and chaplain; description of the proceedings of each weekly meeting; and a set of by-laws which are incorporated into the minutes of the second meeting. Each meeting generally followed a pattern: call to order by the president, prayer or scripture reading by the chaplain, song by the group, roll call by the financial secretary, with quotations and dues payments noted, often with a contribution total recorded, brief notes on business and the evening's program, variously a guest speaker, a game, a thanks to the evening's host, and announcements for the next meeting.
- The women listed as members of the Self-Denial Saving Club are Rosie Andrews, Willie May Davis, Laura Lernard, Alma Johnson, Pandora Emerson, Ida Hail, Erlie Bell Gleeson, Mattie L. Jones, Mary Hutcherson, Laura Wilkerson, Rinnie Williams, Sister Fox, Mollie Stunson, Tommie Flowers, Harriet Lewis, Ludora Henderson, Maggie Ross, Addie Walls, Lillie M. Cooper, Prudie Vance, Manismo Utterback, and Ellen Foster
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Self-Denial Saving Club minute book, 1924-1927
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
