Bettye Gillespie was a civil rights activist who dedicated her life to creating equality for African Americans and women.
In Short
Gillespie made a difference in Utah and brought many talents to the table. For example, she was on the board of trustees for the University of Utah and a League of Women Voters member. For more than forty years, Gillespie worked to break down racial, economic, and gender inequality in Utah and across the country.
More of the Story
Gillespie moved to Utah when she was in elementary school because her father got a job working for the Union Pacific Railroad. She went to Ogden High School and graduated when she was fifteen years old! Gillespie earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Howard University. She worked as the Director of Equal Employment Opportunity at Hill Air Force base for many years. During her life, she served on many boards and committees, organized voter registration drives, and went door to door to encourage people to register to vote.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Gillespie and her husband were both civil rights activists. They joined Utah’s branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where they held various roles throughout their lives. Her husband, Jim, was the vice president and then the president of the Ogden chapter of the NAACP. Gillespie worked as the youth director for the group, and she wrote all the speeches that her husband delivered while NAACP was president. That meant that when Jim delivered an address, the people heard Bettye’s words! Her work for the NAACP influenced many of Utah’s youth and adults throughout the years.
Facing and Challenging Discrimination
Gillespie started standing up for her rights when she was a young girl. One day she went to a small store near her junior high school in Ogden, Utah, to buy some candy. The owner refused to sell to her because she was Black. Gillespie told the principal of her school, Mr. Junk, that the owner would not sell candy to her. Mr. Junk and Gillespie went back to the store, and Mr. Junk told the owner that if he did not sell to African Americans, no students from his school would buy from the owner’s store again. The owner did not want to lose business, so he sold the candy to Gillespie. She said that she would never forget Mr. Junk.
Gillespie believed it was not okay to exclude a person just because of their race or gender. She did not let discrimination and meanness stop her from fighting for the rights of herself and others.
A Life-Long Activist
Gillespie dedicated her life to challenging inequality. She earned many awards for activism, including the Black Pioneers in Utah Award, the Ogden Area Community Action Agency, the Juneteenth Legacy of Freedom Award, and the NAACP Rosa Parks Award. Her work and influence made Utah and the rest of the United States better places to live.
Information from the Bettye Gillespie oral history record. Gillespie, Bettye, an oral history by Rebecca Ory Hernandez, July 11, 2012, WSU Steward Library Oral History Program, University Archives, Steward Library, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah.
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