Mrs. Vanita Crawford, born in Washington, Texas, in 1900, moved to Houston in 1911 and became a member of the city's oldest surviving black church, Antioch Baptist, two years later. In the decades that followed she was a leader in many church activities, most importantly as the President of the Mission Society from the 1940s until the 1960s. She was also active in the Band organizations of the church, whose membership was initially limited to women but later opened to men as well. Band members visited those who were infirm or ill, ran sewing classes, provided food and clothing to those in need, and in general tried to be helpmates to people who required assistance. At the same time as Mrs. Crawford gave unstintingly of her time to the church, she earned her livelihood as a caterer, while her husband, R.H. Crawford, worked for over 50 years as an employee of the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
From the guide to the The Vanita E. Crawford Antioch Baptist Church Collection MSS 0192., 1940-1969, (Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library)
