Salem Women's History Day: Doreen Wade Interview

Salem Women's History Day is celebrated in March every year during Women's History Month. It is a time to honor the remarkable work of women and give a voice to stories that haven't always been heard.

In the interview transcribed below, we spoke with Doreen Wade, President of Salem United, Inc. to learn more about her organization's role in preserving women's history.

• Salem Women's History Day: Doreen Wade Interview

  
  

  An interview with Doreen Wade, President of Salem United Inc. for Salem Women's History Day.

  Date created:

  03/25/2022

  Audio Transcript

  We’re here at Salem Maritime National Historic Site speaking with Doreen Wade for Salem Women’s History Day.

  What is your name and job title? My name is Doreen Wade and I am the president of an organization called Salem United Inc.

  Please tell us briefly about Salem United, Inc. and the organization's importance to Salem women's history. Salem United Inc. is a nonprofit organization that was started in 2016 by three women—myself, my mother, and a very good friend of mine. We decided that we were going to start this organization because the city of Salem asked us if we would take on a project for them. Negro Election Day, which is actually what the event is called, has been going on—this year will be 282 years. However, when I took it over in 2016, it was slowly diminishing. A lot of people were not coming. It was very quiet. There was nothing going on. In accepting the city’s offer, we learned that the history was the first black voting system. When we started the research we thought it was 1880, but now we’re finding out in 1868, this event was actually being held in Salem. The significance of rich Black history being in Salem for so long, that is what we think is of value and importance.

  What is your role in the organization? My role is the organization is as the president. I actually serve in every capacity. I serve in preserving, protecting, and building the history—Black history—and specifically this Negro Election Day Black history. I have been very active in making it a state holiday. I organize the board. I gather up everyone; we have our monthly meetings. We also are expanding and I’m taking on the role of a film producer because we’re putting this history to film. I also am taking on the role as an author because we are taking and writing it as a book. But the day-to-day activities, I do. For example, in order to hold the event, we have to get a license and a permit. I attend those meetings. I speak to the city officials. I work on making sure that we get all our permits and everything else that we need for the day. That particular day consists of flag raising, parade, vendors, entertainers, and direct communication with the public. That is what I do, basically, on a day-to-day basis. Once the event stops, I start it all again.

  Who or what inspired you to become an advocate for women's history? First my mother because to see her at 86 years old still working with her daughter, taking on such visibility in a city and in a state—and this is something she has taught me since I was a little girl. Also, growing up and going to Catholic schools I learned very little about women’s history and Black history, and putting it together, Black women’s history. Once I got into college, it became something that was very valuable to me. Then, working in media, I also noticed a lack of women’s history and—inclusive of women—Black women, especially. Through the years of my growing up and developing, and I have to say I’m a proud woman in my 60s, so from there to now it has molded me into really working very diligently and very hard to make sure women’s history and women’s Black history is very prominent in our communities.

  What has been a challenge you have encountered as a woman in this line of work? Well, being very blunt, I have two challenges—I am a woman, and I am a woman of color. My challenges are, especially in today’s day and age, a lot of people do not want history, especially Black history told and they definitely don’t want it told by a Black woman. My challenges are number one to break through the barriers of old, white, male network. Then, once I get through that issue, then it is, “Well, why do you want to do this? What is the value of it?” I’ll give you examples, actual real examples. I was basically told that my business—and that’s how it was discussed—my business would be best served in the minority community. Now I know if I was a white man, I would have never been told that and I know if I was not a woman, I would not have been told that. Another example—I have been told is, “Well, how do we know that everything you’re researching and everything that you’re doing is real?” I need to have acceptance, not just in a white world, but in a male white world. So, everyday I fight harder and harder and harder to get people to listen to me and accept what I am putting in front of them. It does get easier, but there’s always that time when you take one step forward and then you take two steps backwards.

  How have you seen the role of women shift in preserving women's history in Salem? I have been blessed to meet many women of all races, creeds, and colors in the city of Salem who have been extremely accepting and willing to work with me. I can even say between 2016 and 2022, that has really changed because in 2015 many of us women—I believe—were what I want to call the ‘mirrors.’ We did the work, but we were not seen. As time is going on, I’m noticing that there are more and more women in Salem on the front lines. I actually see them. I actually communicate with them. They are making the decisions. That is a wonderful change. Of course, I’m actually taking in the art world because that’s the world that I’m interacting in—the art world and the politics. That’s where I’m seeing the greatest change.

  What advice would you share with younger adult women who are considering coming into this type of work? I would tell them to have a lot of patience. You need an extreme amount of patience and strength. It is very easy to go to college, to graduate, to say, “I want to be an activist” or “I want to be a historian,” but it is very difficult when you are out in that world and you have to do these things. And the people you have to go through, you need strength and you need persistence. Many people are going to tell you no. “No you can’t do this. No you are not going to succeed at that.” It takes strength to be able to say, “You may tell me I’m not going to succeed, but I am going to make it.” You have to have thick skin because, for many women, we are told, “Well, you’re pretty and everything but you have to let a man help you.” If you’re a Black woman, you hear, “You’re pretty and all, but are you sure you’re smart enough, that you have the right education to do this?” And then it’s always, “Why don’t you let a white person be in the front and you just sell everything through them?” That is one of the reasons I tell a lot of women we are not competing. There is no competition out here between us. We need to work together. We need to make sure that people do not tear us apart and we cannot be taken by the almighty dollar because somebody will offer you money, and you accept that money, and then comes the return factor. So go out there, be strong, fight. If I can do it, I tell everyone that they can definitely do this.

  What is a parting thought you can share about the importance of women in Salem's history? The importance of women in Salem’s history is very strong, and it’s very vast and extremely real. The kings were the heroes, but the queens were the ones that were doing the work because the women had access to everything. I’ve noticed especially in writing my short film, that when you have the politicians and the presidents and everybody else, the women were sitting behind the scenes, and they were advising and guiding their husbands. So, if you look deep into the history of Salem, there’s always the women who were actually the voice behind the voice.

  What would you like women to take away from this interview? One thought that I want to tell a lot of women is, we can’t let anyone stop us. You have women running in many seats and many offices within Salem and all across Massachusetts. Learn from these women. Take the time out to watch them. If you’re a young woman, go get an internship and intern under women because we are making fabulous strides in society today. We’re not going to get there if we don’t learn from them and if we don’t uplift them as we are uplifting ourselves. That is really what I would like everyone to take away from this interview today.

  Thank you, Doreen, for your time today. We look forward to speaking with you again for Salem Ancestry Days. To learn more about Doreen’s work, please visit www.salemunitedinc.org.

Please tell us briefly about Salem United, Inc. and the organization's importance to Salem women's history.

Salem United Inc. is a nonprofit organization that was started in 2016 by three women—myself, my mother, and a very good friend of mine. We decided that we were going to start this organization because the city of Salem asked us if we would take on a project for them.

Negro Election Day, which is actually what the event is called, has been going on—this year will be 282 years. However, when I took it over in 2016, it was slowly diminishing. A lot of people were not coming. It was very quiet. There was nothing going on. In accepting the city’s offer, we learned that the history was the first Black voting system. When we started the research we thought it was 1880, but now we’re finding out in 1868, this event was actually being held in Salem. The significance of rich Black history being in Salem for so long, that is what we think is of value and importance.

What is your role in the organization?

My role is the organization is as the president. I actually serve in every capacity. I serve in preserving, protecting, and building the history—Black history—and specifically this Negro Election Day Black history. I have been very active in making it a state holiday. I organize the board. I gather up everyone; we have our monthly meetings. We also are expanding and I’m taking on the role of a film producer because we’re putting this history to film. I also am taking on the role as an author because we are taking and writing it as a book.

But the day-to-day activities, I do. For example, in order to hold the event, we have to get a license and a permit. I attend those meetings. I speak to the city officials. I work on making sure that we get all our permits and everything else that we need for the day. That particular day consists of flag raising, parade, vendors, entertainers, and direct communication with the public. That is what I do, basically, on a day-to-day basis. Once the event stops, I start it all again.

Who or what inspired you to become an advocate for women's history?

First my mother because to see her at 86 years old still working with her daughter, taking on such visibility in a city and in a state—and this is something she has taught me since I was a little girl.

Also, growing up and going to Catholic schools I learned very little about women’s history and Black history, and putting it together, Black women’s history. Once I got into college, it became something that was very valuable to me. Then, working in media, I also noticed a lack of women’s history and—inclusive of women—Black women, especially.

Through the years of my growing up and developing, and I have to say I’m a proud woman in my 60s, so from there to now it has molded me into really working very diligently and very hard to make sure women’s history and women’s Black history is very prominent in our communities.

What has been a challenge you have encountered as a woman in this line of work?

Well, being very blunt, I have two challenges—I am a woman, and I am a woman of color. My challenges are, especially in today’s day and age, a lot of people do not want history, especially Black history told and they definitely don’t want it told by a Black woman. My challenges are number one to break through the barriers of old, white, male network. Then, once I get through that issue, then it is, “Well, why do you want to do this? What is the value of it?”

I’ll give you examples, actual real examples. I was basically told that my business—and that’s how it was discussed—my business would be best served in the minority community. Now I know if I was a white man, I would have never been told that and I know if I was not a woman, I would not have been told that. Another example—I have been told is, “Well, how do we know that everything you’re researching and everything that you’re doing is real?”

I need to have acceptance, not just in a white world, but in a male white world. So, everyday I fight harder and harder and harder to get people to listen to me and accept what I am putting in front of them. It does get easier, but there’s always that time when you take one step forward and then you take two steps backwards.

How have you seen the role of women shift in preserving women's history in Salem?

I have been blessed to meet many women of all races, creeds, and colors in the city of Salem who have been extremely accepting and willing to work with me. I can even say between 2016 and 2022, that has really changed because in 2015 many of us women—I believe—were what I want to call the ‘mirrors.’ We did the work, but we were not seen.

As time is going on, I’m noticing that there are more and more women in Salem on the front lines. I actually see them. I actually communicate with them. They are making the decisions. That is a wonderful change. Of course, I’m actually taking in the art world because that’s the world that I’m interacting in—the art world and the politics. That’s where I’m seeing the greatest change.

What advice would you share with younger adult women who are considering coming into this type of work?

I would tell them to have a lot of patience. You need an extreme amount of patience and strength. It is very easy to go to college, to graduate, to say, “I want to be an activist” or “I want to be a historian,” but it is very difficult when you are out in that world and you have to do these things. And the people you have to go through, you need strength and you need persistence. Many people are going to tell you no. “No you can’t do this. No you are not going to succeed at that.” It takes strength to be able to say, “You may tell me I’m not going to succeed, but I am going to make it.”

You have to have thick skin because, for many women, we are told, “Well, you’re pretty and everything but you have to let a man help you.” If you’re a Black woman, you hear, “You’re pretty and all, but are you sure you’re smart enough, that you have the right education to do this?” And then it’s always, “Why don’t you let a white person be in the front and you just sell everything through them?”

That is one of the reasons I tell a lot of women we are not competing. There is no competition out here between us. We need to work together. We need to make sure that people do not tear us apart and we cannot be taken by the almighty dollar because somebody will offer you money, and you accept that money, and then comes the return factor. So go out there, be strong, fight. If I can do it, I tell everyone that they can definitely do this.

What is a parting thought you can share about the importance of women in Salem's history?

The importance of women in Salem’s history is very strong, and it’s very vast and extremely real. The kings were the heroes, but the queens were the ones that were doing the work because the women had access to everything.

I’ve noticed especially in writing my short film, that when you have the politicians and the presidents and everybody else, the women were sitting behind the scenes, and they were advising and guiding their husbands. So, if you look deep into the history of Salem, there’s always the women who were actually the voice behind the voice.

What would you like women to take away from this interview?

One thought that I want to tell a lot of women is, we can’t let anyone stop us. You have women running in many seats and many offices within Salem and all across Massachusetts. Learn from these women. Take the time out to watch them. If you’re a young woman, go get an internship and intern under women because we are making fabulous strides in society today. We’re not going to get there if we don’t learn from them and if we don’t uplift them as we are uplifting ourselves. That is really what I would like everyone to take away from this interview today.