ant ▁Hill , ▁a ▁historic ▁African - American ▁community ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Fort ▁W orth ' s ▁hospital ▁district , ▁and ▁was ▁bapt ized ▁at ▁South side ▁Bapt ist ▁Church ▁on ▁E aster ▁Sunday ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁she ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁famous ▁I . M . ▁Ter rell ▁High ▁School , ▁the ▁first ▁public ▁school ▁for ▁black s ▁in ▁Fort ▁W orth . ▁She ▁continued ▁to ▁work ▁there ▁as ▁a ▁substitute ▁teacher , ▁taking ▁correspond ence ▁classes ▁at ▁histor ically ▁black ▁Pra irie ▁View ▁A & M ▁College ▁and ▁Bishop ▁College . ▁She ▁completed ▁a ▁mathematics ▁degree ▁at ▁Alc orn ▁College ▁in ▁Mississippi , ▁and ▁attended ▁Howard ▁University ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁ ▁Career ▁▁ ▁Rol la ▁supported ▁herself ▁by ▁taking ▁in ▁se wing ▁and ▁working ▁at ▁her ▁uncle ' s ▁ins urance ▁business , ▁an ▁industry ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁worked ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁During ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁she ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁proof reader ▁at ▁the ▁Fort ▁W orth ▁Mind , ▁a ▁local ▁African - American ▁newspaper . ▁She ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁settlement ▁house ▁movement , ▁an ▁anti - p over ty ▁social ▁movement ▁that ▁was ▁still ▁subject ▁to ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation . ▁She ▁had