Overview

The Lena O. Smith House was the home of a prominent female African American civil rights attorney and activist.  

• Location: 3905 5th Avenue South 
• Neighborhood: Bryant

Historic profile

The Lena O. Smith House was the home of a prominent female African American civil rights attorney and activist. She lived here from about 1925 to 1958. 

Lena moved to Minneapolis in 1907 with her mother, sister, and brother. She co-owned a hair salon, called Olive Hair Store, and became a realtor. After observing racism in real estate, she attended Northwestern College of Law in Minneapolis. She passed the Minnesota bar exam in 1921. She was the first African American woman licensed to practice law in Minnesota. She was the only female African American lawyer in the Twin Cities in the 1920s and 1930s. 

In 1925, Lena became a founding member of the Minneapolis Urban League. Five years later, she was elected the first woman president of the Minneapolis chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Both organizations advocated for the civil rights of its members. In 1939, she became chair of the joint Legal Redress committee of the Minneapolis and St. Paul NAACP. 

She handled many significant civil rights lawsuits. In 1931, she represented Arthur and Edith Lee, an African American couple fighting to keep their house. They had bought a house at 4600 Columbus Ave in an all-white neighborhood. The neighbors reacted with violent protests and tried to force them to leave. She also worked on a lawsuit to gain equal access to public accommodations at the Nicollet Hotel. She helped end the policy of segregation in the balcony at the Pantages Theatre. 

Lena remained active in her practice until she died in 1966 at the age of 81. She played an essential role in defending civil rights for African Americans.