Bozeman Library

Extreme History

The Sweet Pea Study Club and the Power of Women’s Networks

The Sweet Pea Study Club and the Power of Women’s Networks in Bozeman explores the remarkable story of a little-known but deeply influential group of Black women who helped shaped Bozeman.

Learn about the Sweet Pea Study Club and Women’s Networks in Bozeman.

The Sweet Pea Study Club and the Power of Women’s Networks in Bozeman explores the remarkable story of a little-known but deeply influential group of Black women who helped shape community life in Bozeman during the 1920s and 1930s. As a chapter of the Montana Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, the Sweet Pea Study Club fostered education, civic engagement, and mutual support at a time when African American women faced significant social and institutional barriers. This presentation will be delivered by Crystal Alegria, Director of The Extreme History Project, and highlights the club’s role in building community, advancing social reform, and creating networks of care and leadership that extended well beyond Bozeman. Through historical records and local stories, the talk illuminates how women’s grassroots organizing helped shape Montana’s cultural and civic landscape and why their legacy still matters today.

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