Eartha Mary Magdalene White, a notable African American resident of Jacksonville, Florida, was widely known for her humanitarian and philanthropic efforts. White was born in Jacksonville, Florida on November 8, 1876. Her mother died after giving birth, and at an early age she was adopted by Lafayette and Clara English White. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayWhite began his education at the Stanton School in Jacksonville, now known as Stanton College Preparatory School. After graduating in 1893, she moved to New York City, primarily due to the yellow fever quarantine, where she attended Madam Hall Beauty School and Madame Thurber's National Conservatory of Music. The latter affiliation led to a position with the Oriental American Opera Company, the first African-American opera company. She sang soprano under the direction of J. Rosamond Johnson. After a highly successful opening on Broadway, the troupe toured the United States and Europe for a year. After returning to Florida at age twenty, White continued her education at Florida Baptist Academy in Naples, Florida, graduating in 1898 with a teaching degree. After graduation, White embarked on her first business venture. He built the first public school for black children in Bayard, Florida. he convinced Bartolo Genovar to donate the land and the timber. He taught there for sixteen years while teaching at the Stanton School in Jacksonville. White also became a successful entrepreneur, running several businesses including a dry goods store, an employment and housekeeping office, a taxi company and a steam laundry. She also became a licensed real estate agent, the first female African-American life insurance company employee in Jacksonville, and a founding member of the National Negro Business League and the Jacksonville Business League. Although she is estimated to have become a millionaire, she has donated much of her wealth to fund her humanitarian work. His works include the creation of Oakland Park, Jacksonville's first public park for blacks, and the founding of the Boy's Improvement Club; establishing an orphanage for African American children, a home for unmarried mothers, and a nursery for children of working mothers. He also worked with prisoners and founded the Colored Citizens Protective League. In 1904 Mary and her mother, Clara White, founded the Clara White Mission which fed the homeless and hungry in the Jacksonville community. After her mother's death in 1920, Mary continued the work of the mission which at one point was Jacksonville's largest employer of blacks. During World War II, White worked in the Women's National Defense Program. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay He also donated a building and provided American Red Cross services to enlisted men. In 1967, at the age of ninety-one, he founded a one hundred and twenty-five-bed nursing home called Eartha MM White Nursing Home in Jacksonville. White's many honors include an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Edward Waters College and an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the Florida Memorial Institute.