Biography on lyda d newman family
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According to official census records, she was born in Ohio around 1885.
Both terms were often used interchangeably for persons of mixed race heritage on censuses of the time, so it's likely that she was biracial. Newman used synthetic fibers which were more durable and easier to clean. Lastly, Lyda's marriage status was listed as single from 1905-1925, so it appears she never married, which was uncommon for a woman in the early 1900's.
The brush contained evenly spaced rows of bristles with open slots to clear debris away from the hair into a recessed compartment. Prominent white suffragists of the Woman Suffrage Party worked with Newman's group, hoping to bring voting rights to all of New York's female residents.
The records of government censuses of 1920 and 1925 confirm that Newman, then in her 30s, was living in an apartment building on Manhattan's West Side and was working as the hairdresser to a private family.
- Name: Lyda Newman
- Birth Year: 1885
- Birth State: Ohio
- Birth Country: United States
- Gender: Male
- Best Known For: African-American hairdresser and inventor Lyda Newman patented an improved hairbrush design in New York City in 1898.
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- Article Title: Lyda Newman Biography
- Author: Biography.com Editors
- Website Name: The Biography.com website
- Url: https://www.biography.com/activists/lyda-newman
- Access Date:
- Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
- Last Updated: June 23, 2019
- Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
Lyda Newman
Biographical Database of Black Women Suffragists
Biography of Lyda, Newman, 1885-?
By Megan Lounsberry, Electronic Resources Librarian, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Suffragist, inventor, community organizer, African American woman
Born in Ohio between 1865 and 1885, Lyda Newman was an African American suffragist and inventor.
It had evenly spaced rows of bristles, with open slots to guide debris away from the hair into a recessed compartment, and a back that could be opened at the touch of a button for cleaning out the compartment.
Women's Rights Activist
In 1915, Newman was mentioned in local newspapers for her suffrage work. While the vote ultimately failed that year, women's suffrage was finally achieved two years later in 1917, and Lyda appears on the 1924 voter list for the 51st Election District of New York City.
Census records show that Lyda lived in a historically black neighborhood known as San Juan Hill.
Walker," and Marjorie Joyner.
Beyond inventing, Newman was also recognized for her involvement in the women’s suffrage movement of the early 20th century. This issue persisted in commercial models, where fixed bristle plates hindered maintenance, leading to bacterial buildup and reduced longevity in daily use, particularly for individuals with thicker or coarser hair textures.
Her lifelong occupation was hair care as she listed “hair specialist” or “hairdresser” as her profession for each census obtained. She is also known for her activism in the women’s voting rights movement of the early 20th century.
Lyda Newman was born in Ohio sometime between 1865 and 1885. Working on behalf of her fellow African-American women in New York, Newman canvassed her neighborhood to raise awareness of the cause and organized suffrage meetings in her voting district.
She also fought for women's right to vote, working with well-known women's suffrage activists. Lyda played a vital role in organizing her community and canvassing the neighborhood to rally support for the cause. She was a key organizer of a Black branch of the Woman Suffrage Party, which was trying to give women the legal right to vote.
In 1915, New York held its first vote on the issue of women's suffrage.
She was one of the organizers of an African-American branch of the Woman Suffrage Party, which was fighting to give women the legal right to vote. She is the third Black woman to ever receive a patent. Claims emphasized the structural integration of these elements, distinguishing it from prior fixed-brush constructions lacking such modularity.[1]
Activism
Involvement in Women's Suffrage
Lyda D.Newman actively participated in the women's suffrage movement in New York City during the early 20th century, focusing on outreach within African American communities.[2] She organized efforts to promote voting rights for women, including canvassing neighborhoods and hosting street meetings to educate residents on the issue.[3] These activities aligned with broader campaigns leading up to New York's 1915 referendum on woman suffrage, where she played a role in mobilizing support through community organization.[4]Newman was instrumental in establishing a dedicated space for suffrage advocacy among Black New Yorkers, taking charge of the newly opened Negro Suffrage Headquarters as reported in contemporary accounts.[11] Under her leadership, the headquarters featured suffrage decorations and served as a hub for engaging colored women in the cause, with Newman recognized for her effective work in this demographic.[11] She contributed to the formation of an African American branch of the Woman Suffrage Party, which advocated for legal voting rights for women amid the national push that culminated in the 19th Amendment's ratification on August 18, 1920.[3] Her efforts emphasized grassroots engagement rather than prominent leadership, reflecting the challenges faced by Black suffragists in integrating racial justice with gender advocacy during this era.[2]
Legacy and Impact
Commercialization and Adoption
Newman did not establish records of mass production or commercial ventures for her patented hairbrush design (U.S.Specific details about her personal life are sparse since so little was recorded about the lives of African American women in the early 20th century, but much can be ascertained about her in census and voter records, newspapers, and a study of the neighborhood in which she lived.
Most of the existing information on the internet about Lyda states that she was born in 1885; however, census records ranging from 1905-1925 show an inconsistency in her age.
However, census records show that she spent most of her life living in New York City, working as a hairdresser.
Newman’s decision to improve the design of the hairbrush derived from her own experience as a Black woman and as a hairdresser. The 1905 census shows that Lyda lived with a family from Barbados, and by 1910, she was living with the Episcopal missionary and priest, John W.
Johnson, who founded St. Cyprian Church, a church that served the needs of the immigrant community and worked towards the racial uplift of the black community. Most hairbrushes at the time were made using animal hair, but the material was too soft to effectively treat the thicker texture of African American hair.