Early life experiences:
When she was 14 or 15, she learned about the essential injustice of racism from lectures and discussions given by Dr. Faulkner of Fisk University.
Quaker and Central America related activities:
Became a Quaker in Des Moines, Iowa Monthly Meeting of Friends in 1963.
Leonard worked for North Central Region of the American Friends Service Committee.
In 1968, began attending St. Louis (Rock Hill) meeting.
In 1973, helped start Dayton Monthly Meeting. Dad was Executive Secretary of Dayton Region AFSC.
In 1979 mom founded the Costal Bend Friends Meeting in her home in Corpus Christi.
Active in South Central Yearly Meeting of Friends, clerk of Peace and Justice Committee.
Involved with Southwest Texas Quarterly Meeting since its beginning about 1985.
Served on Peace Committee of AFSC-TAO (American Friends Service Committee--Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma), starting 1984.
The Public Sanctuary of Coastal Bend Friends Meeting since 1985. Sanctuary given to Salvadorans and Guatemalans from 1982 on.
Started Committee for Justice in El Salvador in 1982, it became CAUSA de PAZ.
Member of Texas-Oklahoma Sanctuary Network.
Board of Refugio del Rio Grande, Harlingen, Texas since it began in 1986.
Traveled to El Salvador with Christian Education Seminars (CRISPAZ), San Antonio, 1984 & 1986..
Official observer of 1984 presidential election, El Salvador.
In 1987, 1988, 1989 studied Spanish at NICA School, Esteli, Nicaragua, living with local families.
In 1988, traveled overland from Nicaragua to US.
Official observer of 1990 Nicaraguan election with IFCO (Pastors for Peace) in Juigalpa.
Presented hundreds of slide shows of her experiences once back home.
1991[?] drove with small group overland from Missouri to Nicaragua to deliver sewing machines.
(This only a few weeks after having suffered 2 broken ribs in a fall at home. She would not be talked out of going.)
Professional work was as a psychologist and teacher of psychology and peace studies.
Ph.D., Iowa State U., MA, Northwestern U., BA, Vanderbilt School of Religion, Scarritt College, Nashville. (Helped organize multi-racial gatherings, 1942). Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston, Illinois (winner of Methodist Student Movement Scholarship from Heil Bollinger. Joined Evanston African Methodist Church.
Director of Wesley Foundation in Kingsville texas, [1945?]. Joined NAACP.
Married June 11, 1945.
Worked against housing and swimming pool restrictions in both Atlantic and Des Moines.
Went to Ruleville in 1964. Got arrested in a white church.
Taught in high schools, universities, a medical school. Director of psychological services in an Ohio prison.
Worked in poverty areas in Des Moines, Dayton, St. Louis as a counsellor. Helped to set up mental health services in impoverished areas of Des Moines.
Worked with many homeless people, often providing hospitality in her own home.
Democratic Party chair for 8 years in her precinct in Corpus Christi. fMember of Black Democratic Coalition, LULAC, Ground Zero, Sane/Freeze, Pax Christi, Coalition for the Environment, more...
Researched militaristic personality traits with Dr. Wm. Eckhardt. Contributed articles to "Working for Peace", presented papers to national APA and AOA conferences.