Maryland DAR names first statewide black officer

She hopes group can boost image on diversity

The Maryland State Society Daughters of the American Revolution elected its first black officer last week, the predominantly white organization announced.

Reisha Raney, a distant relative of Thomas Jefferson’s aunt, is the first black officer in the DAR’s Maryland branch and one of only four black people ever named a state officer in the organization, according to Raney and Bren Landon, DAR public relations director.

“It was an emotional day. I feel like I’ve worked so hard with the organization,” Raney said. “Also, to honor my ancestors who fought for this country was very rewarding.”

Raney, a systems engineer and mathematician, first served as head, or “regent,” of her local chapter in Fort Washington, Md. She raised participation rates in her chapter from 13 percent in 2012 to 70 percent in 2016 in her four years as regent.

The DAR is a historical and charitable organization whose members must be a descendant of an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War. Raney is a descendant of William Turpin, who was the son of Mary Jefferson, President Thomas Jefferson’s aunt. The couple had a grandson who married a slave.

The DAR’s history with race

Today, membership in the DAR is open to people of all races and religions, but the organization has struggled to overcome its past with racism. In 1939, the DAR refused to allow Marian Anderson, a black opera singer, to perform at DAR Constitution Hall. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt famously resigned from the organization in protest of the decision.

In 1984, Lena Lorraine Santos Ferguson gained national coverage after being denied admission to a Washington, D.C., chapter of the DAR because she was black, though the organization denied the charges and ultimately admitted her, according to The Washington Post.

Raney is also a research fellow at Harvard University working under Henry Louis Gates Jr.. She said the DAR struggles to move past its racist reputation, despite having programs for over two decades to identify veterans of color from the Revolutionary War.

Raney is doing research on the DAR’s history with race, investigating the stories of women of color in the organization as well as white members who have ancestors of color who fought in the Revolutionary War.

“I think it’s important for me to collect these narratives to educate the public and society in general about how different the Daughters of the American Revolution is today compared to what they have been known for in the past,” Raney said.

A more diverse future

Karen Batchelor joined the organization in 1977 as its first black member. She said she is proud that the DAR is embracing diversity among its ranks, especially through Raney’s election.

“It’s a great thing and shows the progress of this organization over the years,” Batchelor said. “I think change takes time, but for me to hear about a black daughter becoming a state officer is great.”

Batchelor said she hopes Raney’s leadership position will inspire other women of color to investigate whether they could qualify to join the DAR.

Raney is the 44-year-old president of Encyde Corp. and a graduate of Spelman College and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

As the state’s organizing secretary, Raney is responsible for the engagement of the 46 DAR chapters in Maryland, creating new chapters, revitalizing chapters with low membership, and disbanding defunct chapters, though Raney said the latter will not be happening on her watch.