Vera Mae Green

Vera Mae Green

Born: September 6,1928 in Chicago, IL

Died: January 16, 1982 in Princeton, NJ

About

Dr. Vera Mae Green was an influential anthropologist, accomplished author, and associate professor of anthropology at Rutgers University (from 1974 until her death in 1982)[1]. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, before receiving her Bachelor's of Arts in Sociology from Roosevelt University in 1952, then going on to receive her Master's in Anthropology from Columbia University in 1955 and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1969 [3]. In 1980, Dr. Green was one of less than 100 African Americans with a Master's or Ph.D. in anthropology[4]. Dr. Green's dissertation was entitled "Aspects of Interethnic Integration in Aruba, Netherlands Antilles". She was also a member of the Friends General Conference, a Quaker group that works towards humanitarian causes through the lens of the Quaker faith. She conducted a study for them in 1973 to figure out why Black membership amongst Quakers is so low and how they could perform more effective outreach[3].

During her career, Dr. Green served as a fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, received the Service Award for Outstanding Contribution to Anthropology in 1980, and served as the first president of the Association of Black Anthropologists (ABA)- where she worked on making a directory of black anthropologists. Her areas of interest within her work included exploring interethnic relations through cultural and applied anthropology, diversity and family studies within black communities, studying poverty, Dutch-Caribbean culture (Dr. Green was the first African American "Caribeannist"), and cultures within Mexico (Mestizos), Isreal, and India.

The small highlighted portion shows the announcement of Dr. Green's death in the New York Times January 18, 1982, Section D, Page 10 [1]. It reads:

"Dr. Vera Mae Green, an associate professor of anthropology at Rutgers University, died Saturday at the Princeton (N.J.) Medical Center after a long illness.

She was 53 years old and lived in New Brunswick, N.J.

Dr. Green, who had been at Rutgers since 1974, received her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 1969. She was a former president of the Association of Black Anthropologists and a fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

She had done research in India, the Caribbean and the southern United States, and recently had been preparing a work on the cultural diversity of blacks in America."

Impact on Anthropology & Legacy

One of Dr. Green's most influential accomplishments was the development of a "methodology for the study of African American Anthropology", which emphasized the diversities of black cultures, communities, and within families[2]. She was devoted to international human rights.

Beyond her academic contributions to the field, Dr. Green was dedicated to creating a culture of empowerment for people of color, and frequently was found encouraging students of color from around the world to pursue anthropology[3]. Her work was an excellent example of the uses of applied anthropology, as much of her work after she graduated with her postgrad degree in anthropology was focused on international community development and uplifting communities in need. Her passion and interest in black communities led to advanced studies on black families and interethnic studies in general[3]. She was devoted to studying and illuminating the diversity within often-overlooked communities.

After her death, Dr. Green continued to give back to the communities she cared for and studied. She had no children, and so upon her death, she arranged for all of her works of Caribbean artwork to be auctioned off, with the proceeds being used for scholarships for black and Puerto Rican students in need at Rutgers University and William Penn College[4].

"[She was] committed to the betterment of the human condition"