Sadie and Mabry Oglesby information

Sadie (April 10, 1881, Concord NC - Feb 1956, Boston, MA) and Mabry Oglesby (January 14, 1870, South Carolina - May 19, 1945, Boston, MA) were early African American Baháʼís. The couple married in October 1901 and became interested in the Baháʼí Faith in 1913, subsequently joining the religion in 1917. Mabry was visible in newspaper coverage first as a Baháʼí from 1920. Mabry was a railroad Pullman porter all his life and president of the Boston chapter of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1936. Sadie went on Baháʼí pilgrimage and met Shoghi Effendi, then head of the Baháʼí Faith, in March 1927. Issues of race were a prominent part of the conversations during the pilgrimage in addition to conversations regarding Sadie taking a more engaged effort in encouraging whites toward race unity as well as blacks. Sadie was the third black pilgrim, the first black woman pilgrim, and the first black pilgrim to meet Shoghi Effendi as head of the religion. Following this experience, Sadie devoted her later years to giving talks and urging Baháʼís towards the race unity that Shoghi Effendi called for. Sadie had also worked and taught as a nurse. The Oglesbys were both elected to the Boston Spiritual Assembly where Sadie often served as secretary and occasionally as treasurer. Prominent Baháʼí Louis G. Gregory commented that the Boston Baháʼí community was integrated by 1935 with a large proportion being colored and largely through the work of Sadie.