SHARING THE ACCOMPLIHMENTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN NORTHERN NEVADA HISTORY

Bertha Woodard

One of the most popular hymns sung throughout the years in some African American churches contains the words “May the work I’ve done speak for me.” Bertha S Woodard was a humanitarian who worked to better the lives of not only those who lived in Northern Nevada but also for those who lived across the nation. Dedication, enthusiasm, determination, commitment, and proper conduct were some of the codes she conducted her life and work by. She would often say that “Right is right” and “If you are going to do something, do it well”.


Her efforts could be felt throughout the community as she dedicated much of her time to nursing and fighting racial and social injustices.


Her accomplishments, which were many, included:


- participation in the 1950s protest in front of the Overland Hotel and Harold’s Club in Reno for blacks to be accepted as customers at most downtown establishments.

- helped organize a protest against the El Capitan Casino in Hawthorne, NV.

petitioned the Reno City Council in 1959 to lift a ban on minorities in local casinos.

- attended the Governor Sawyer signing of Nevada’s first civil-rights law in 1961.

was considered by some as the matriarch of the Reno-Sparks branch of the NAACP and served as its local president from 1971 to 1976.



Bertha Woodard continued to work through out the years as a human rights advocate for all races through many local organizations and was appointed on a variety of state advisory boards. She served this community until her death on September 16, 1999 in Sparks, NV at the age of 83. She was not only a positive force for the African Americans in Reno Nevada but a passionate friend of all races and walks of life. Her unwavering support of positive progression of Northern Nevadans at large is the reason her works continues to inspire and motivate many to keep pushing toward a better community and nation.
Share by: