28 BECOMING KING founded in 1888 to support racial uplift and philanthropy. Anna Duncan established another prominent black women’s club in 1897. The Twenti- eth Century Club, which was later renamed the Anna M. Duncan Club, focused on supporting African American culture and engaging in philan- thropic efforts. Soon after its founding, the group became a significant organizing force for the National Association of Colored Women. The organization’s club song includes the following lyrics: “Our race must be enlightened, we must earn our daily bread, we must give our time and talent and the hungry must be fed.” The song’s closing solidifies the uplift ideology that fueled the club in its early years: “Lifting others is our motto, We’re lifting as we climb.” The Women’s Political Council hoped to build on the rich history of the more established black women’s clubs 40 in the community by adopting a more politically engaged approach. Burks’s vision for a new women’s organization struck a chord in the community, particularly given the refusal of Montgomery’s League of Women Voters to accept African American members. Forty women at- tended the inaugural meeting and most backed the idea with great en- thusiasm. The newly formed organization settled on a three-pronged approach. First, they would pursue political action, including voter reg- istration and evaluating candidates. Second, they would seek to remedy abuses on city buses and segregation in the city park system. Third, they would set their sights on education, including helping high school stu- dents better understand democracy and teaching literacy to adults so their 41 language would be proficient enough to be able to register to vote. The formation of the WPC reveals that not all ASC professors cow- ered in fear. The organization’s most influential base was near the Ala- bama State campus, which served as the location for the group’s original chapter. The charter member Thelma Glass confirmed that it was “made up of persons like me who were in at the University and school teachers and others in the city and what not—and some outstanding religious leaders—women who had always shown interest in making things bet- ter.” Another early member was Mrs. Irene West, who was a graduate of Alabama State Normal School and the widow of a dentist. One of the older women involved in the organization, West brought them instant credibility with many in the city’s African American community. Local pastor Solomon Seay described West as “a fearless woman who was in-