Image by National Opera House and Jonnet Solomon
The Story of Mary Cardwell Dawson
Mary was born in 1894 in Madison North Carolina and became a Woman’s History hero, African American History Icon, and a Civil Rights activist – via the arts. Keep in mind, she did all of this at a time when women had to fight to be heard let alone noticed. As a woman of color, her battles doubled. But she was driven and nothing would keep her from the goals in her heart. Mary found a way to be seen in spite of all the challenges surrounding her and she was barely 5’ tall in heels.
However, the story also involves twists and turns with the history of the house and the incredible creativity that took place within its very walls. Even the man “William Woogie Harris” who owned this house on 7101 Apple Street and ran numbers, fills this story with more drama and speculation.
The National Negro Opera Company and Pittsburgh home base ‘Mystery Manor’
Images by National Opera House and Jonnet Solomon
If the walls could talk…
They say history repeats itself. If these walls could talk, they’d tell of a time back when things weren’t so different then they are now. It was a time of racism and division, of love and hate.
Mary Cardwell Dawson was a force to be reckoned with and was not going to allow narrow-minded folks to decide who gets to be a musician. She founded the National Negro Opera company, providing stages in major cities and a home base called Mystery Manor where black musicians could forget about discrimination, at least for a moment.
Images by National Opera House and Jonnet Solomon
Images by National Opera House and Jonnet Solomon
Be Inspired. Get Involved.
The story of Mary Dawson is an important piece of history. How one determined Black woman pushed forward with courage and grace. In the face of relentless discrimination and exclusion. Help us bring this story back to life and restore our faith in each other and protect freedom!
