Anna W. Hilton Monroe

Oct 17, 2025

in 1870-1889 (Born), African Americans, Born or raised in Newark (high school or before), Social Work, Civic and Philanthropy

1878-1973

Anna Monroe was active in Black social and civic organizations in Newark for many years. She was a founding member of the Urban League, president of the Newark Branch of the NAACP, and financial chairman for the Sojourner Truth Branch of the YWCA and the NJ State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. Price’s Freedom Not Far Distant calls her “one of the early Black community workers in Newark”.

In the Urban League, Anna was one of the founders of the Phyllis Wheatley home for Girls at 212 Bank, which in 1931 provided over 8,000 nights of housing for 158 girls. She was a charter member of the Urban League and the first volunteer social worker. She was honored by the Urban League in 1971.

With the National Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, Anna attended their convention in 1958 and was financial secretary from the 1940s-1960s. In 1968, she won the Mary Church Terrell Award for service to the Federation. She was also President of the Essex County Civic Club, the oldest continuous Black Women’s Organization in the state of New Jersey, which is affiliated with the Colored Women’s Clubs.

At the Sojourner Truth branch of the YMCA, Anna was Chairman of the Nominating Committee, Chairman of the Industrial Dept and Chairman of Finance.

Anna was also President of the Newark NAACP Branch in the 1930s, and an advisor to the Vogue Club.

At Bethany Baptist Church, Anna was Missionary Society Secretary, Anniversary program chairman, chairman of the Ladie’s Union, and their oldest member upon her death. She was also a special Advisor at the Bethany Community School.

In 1970, she was recorded by Miriam Studley and others for an oral history project on Black history but whether the tape is still in existence is unknown.

Outside of her civic work, Anna was a dressmaker and a member of International Garmet Workers Union.

According to the NJ Historical Society Anna moved to Newark from Virginia around 1895, and attended Newark High School (later Barringer). She appears on the 1895 Newark census as “Ann Hilton” with parents and siblings and in 1900 as “Mary A Hilton”, at 186 Parker St. with her brother. She was married to Marius Monroe in 1903; he died in 1954.