Dorothy Burnham (née Challenor; born March 22, 1915) is an American civil rights activist, educator and supercentenarian. She is the widow of activist and journalist Louis E. Burnham.
Early life and career
Burnham was born on March 22, 1915, in
Brooklyn, to Barbadian immigrants Aletha Dowridge and Frederick Challenor.
Her sister was Elise Challenor Rollock, one of New York's earliest black school principals. She attended Girls' High School, then
Brooklyn College, from 1932 to 1936 or 1937, graduating with a bachelor's microbiology degree. She planned to become a doctor, but practiced activism due to a lack of financial stability, which she was encouraged to do by Jessie Campbell, a professor of Burnham. While attending Brooklyn College, she was a member of the Southern Negro Youth Congress (SNYC), which is how she met Louis E. Burnham; they married in 1941
and moved to Birmingham, Alabama for SNYC activities.
In 1936, she joined the Communist Party USA, with encouragement from
Claudia Jones.
As a member, she encouraged
Mildred McAdory to join.
After her husband's death in 1960, she was an active leader in the Sisters Against South African Apartheid, Genes and Gender, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and the national organization Women for Racial and Economic Equality. She served on the board of the cultural journal Freedomways
As an educator, she began working for Empire State University in 1977, later becoming Professor Emeritus. She taught at Hostos Community College and later taught biology and related subjects at City University of New York,
Personal life
With her husband, Louis, Burnham had four children: Claudia,
Margaret Burnham,
Linda Burnham, and Charles.
Her
Supercentenarian was celebrated in the Loring–Greenough House. She is part of the New England Centenarian Study and is its oldest member.
In her later years, she spent much time travelling, including annual summer vacations in Africa for many years. She also owns a summer home in Martha's Vineyard.
