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Cecelia Cabaniss Saunders

1879–1966

United States

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Biography

Cecelia Cabaniss Saunders (1879 – February 23, 1966) sometimes written as Cecilia Cabaniss Saunders, was an African-American civil rights leader, and executive director of the Harlem, New York YWCA. She is best known for working against racial discrimination in wartime employment during World War II, for broader work training and opportunities for African-American women, and against police violence in Harlem.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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