Home - Frances J Bright Woman's Club Charitable Foundation Inc.

Mrs. Frances Jane Bright

Frances Jane Bright was a dedicated teacher and community leader, especially for Delray Beach women. Mrs. Bright was the first African American teacher in Delray Beach. She taught elementary school, School Number 4, until she became partially blind. She provided housing in Delray for girls who "came off the Glades" because there were no schools where they lived. She encouraged students to excel in academics, sports, art, and music.

In approximately 1903, she married farmer Cornell Bright, and often helped him on the farm.

She supported Delray Beach in numerous ways. Around 1936, she formed a women’s club to empower Black women. Bright was also deeply religious and attended Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church. She was known for allegedly going into local bars on Saturday nights to collect offerings from men she knew would not make it to church on Sunday morning. The men were reportedly always eager to give to the church and then get her out of the bar!

In 1959, a group of Delray women, inspired by Frances’ love and service to her community, founded the Frances J. Bright Woman’s Club. The organization continues to support young women through scholarships, leadership, and community service.

Source: Jeff Davies, Florida: A History In Pictures (2025)

The Frances J. Bright Woman's Club Charitable Foundation, Inc. is built on the belief that service, education, and community responsibility go hand in hand. We work to prepare young women for academic achievement while encouraging leadership grounded in purpose and service.

Over the years, our scholarship program has awarded countless high school senior ladies and gentlemen across the community to support their pursuit of higher education and long-term success. These scholarship awards reflect our commitment to recognizing hard work, dedication, and promise while helping to remove financial barriers to postsecondary education.

Community support through our annual Debutante Cotillion, scholarship raffles and brunch, and other fundraising efforts allows us to continue serving the greater Delray Beach area. With the community's unwavering support, we are able to sustain our programs and initiatives that encourage individual achievement and reinforce our collective mission.

We are grateful to all who help us uphold our guiding principle: Dedicated to Service.