Bertha Pitts Campbell (1889-1990) was a Seattle civil rights activist. She was born in Kansas and grew up in Colorado. During her studies at Howard University, Campbell founded the Delta Sigma Theta sorority with 21 other women. Delta Sigma Theta is a historically Black sorority and it advocates for civil rights, especially educational opportunities for Black people. Campbell moved to Seattle in 1923 and was an active volunteer in the community. She helped organize the Seattle Urban League and served on the first iteration of its board. She worked with the YWCA and was the first Black woman to vote as a member of a YWCA board of directors. Campbell served four terms as the chairperson of the East Cherry YWCA branch. Campbell also cofounded the Christian Friends for Racial Equality, which fought against discrimination in access to healthcare and housing. In 1987, both the Washington House of Representatives and the City of Seattle honored Campbell for her work. Her 100th birthday was declared Bertha Pitts Campbell Day across King County.

This image shows Bertha Pitts Campbell in January 1981, when she was interviewed about her civil rights work. When asked if she was satisfied with her work, Campbell said no - she felt that racial equality had regressed in the areas of education and employment. She also expressed fear of the incoming Reagan presidency.

Caption information source: “Campbell, Bertha Pitts (1889-1990) by Mary T. Henry, HistoryLink, retrieved from https://www.historylink.org/File/28.
Caption information source: “She’s into sixth decade of civil rights work,” by Merry Nye, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 18, 1981, page C2.