Black History Month 2012: Thomas L. Jennings

Today we honor and celebrate a sadly little-known figure in American history, inventor and abolitionist Thomas L. Jennings. Born a free black in New York City in 1791, he began his career as a tailor. After a few years, he began work as a cleaner. He created a process which he called dry-scouring, a precursor to modern dry cleaning.

Jennings applied for and was granted a patent for his work in 1821, becoming the first African-American to be awarded a U.S. Patent. This move caused considerable controversy, as the patent laws clearly included a color bias. Because the language specifcially excluded slaves from holding patents, however, Jennings’ status as a free man provided a legal loophole and the award held.

He used the proceeds from his invention and business to buy the freedom of many of his family members. He also contributed time and money to other abolitionsist causes. In 1831, he served as assistant secretary of the First Annual Convention of the People of Color in Philadelphia. Little else is known about this pioneer. He died in New York in 1856.

Celebrating Ann Wager and Prudence Crandall

Prudence Crandall

Today is a very wonderful day in history that I feel needs to be celebrated. Ann Wager was the Founding Head of School “Mistress” of  the Bray School in Williamsburg, VA.  The Bray School was created “for the Instruction of Negro Children in the Principles of the Christian Religion.”  Wager opened the school on September 27, 1760, before the United States existed and before the Abolitionist Movement had a strong foundation.

During her 14 years at the Bray School, Wager taught over 30 enslaved and free black children.  Wager died in 1774, just two years before the colonies declared their independence from England.

I also have to tip my hat here to one of my heroes, Prudence Crandall.  Crandall was also a “Mistress” of a school that firmly believed in educating students regardless of race. Upon admitting 17-year-old African-American to her girls’ school, the white families pulled their daughters.  Crandall, a Quaker, was not deterred. She kept her school open and decided she would have a school exclusively for black girls.

Of course, America, not exactly known for our progressive views, imprisoned Crandall in July of 1883, after the state of Connecticut instated  ”The Black Law” prohibiting black students from going to school, without a town or state’s permission. Let’s hear it for women like Wager and Crandall who did the right thing regardless of the personal risk. I am honored to have as a friend, Patty Crone, who continues to fight for racial equality and civil rights in education. We need more champions like this today.

Women’s History: May 24

Happy Birthday, Queen Victoria

Happy Birthday, Queen Victoria.  Queen Victoria was the longest ruling monarch of Great Britain, ruling from June 20, 1837 to January 22, 1901.  Our Elizabeth II is catching up, and may usurp Victoria’s title in four years and 100 days, but who’s counting?After reining for 63 years, it seemed most fitting to give Vicky her own era, The Victorian Era–a time known for great repression, “stiff upper lip”.

Most people are familiar with her marriage to her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.  Victoria and Albert had nine children.  Most of their children and grandchildren married into other royal families across Europe, thus earning Victoria the nickname,  ”the grandmother of Europe”.  The irony of Queen Victoria is that while she held rather provincial views as to the role of women and mothers, she herself held a domineering presence, albeit the monarch’s status even at this point was more figurehead than actual policy maker.  While Albert was alive, Victoria deferred to her husband and promoted his activity within government.  Prince Albert was an abolitionist and worked to end slavery in Great Britain.  Adding to the irony, Victoria was none too happy to have “Mother” living with her, but by law, she was not allowed to live alone as Queen.  In order to remedy the problem of “Mother” Victoria would have to marry, as reported by her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, to which she replied: “…schocking [sic] alternative”.  Victoria was very much in love with Albert, if we are to believe what she recorded in her journals:

I NEVER, NEVER spent such an evening!!! MY DEAREST DEAREST DEAR Albert … his excessive love & affection gave me feelings of heavenly love & happiness I never could have hoped to have felt before! He clasped me in his arms, & we kissed each other again & again! His beauty, his sweetness & gentleness – really how can I ever be thankful enough to have such a Husband! … to be called by names of tenderness, I have never yet heard used to me before – was bliss beyond belief! Oh! This was the happiest day of my life!

Being the eternal Anglophile that I am, I have always been fascinated by Queen Victoria and the British Monarchy.  Click here to learn more about Queen Victoria.

Women’s History: May 23

Happy Birthday, Margaret Fuller.  Fuller was best known for her work as a social reformer, educator, women’s rights advocate, and played a significant role in the American Transcendentalism Movement.  Fuller’s book, Woman in the Nineteenth Century, is regarded as the first proto-feminist work.  I say proto-feminist because the word feminist did not exist in the early and mid 19th century.  Fuller addresses head-on the issues of equality between the sexes in Woman in the Nineteenth Century.  Fuller’s book also tackles racism as well as gender parity:

America has been hindered from reaching equality because it inherited depravity from Europe, hence its treatment of [Native] and [African Americans].  All people are equal and bound to each other; those who infringe on others’ rights are condemned, but the biggest sin is hypocrisy. Man needs to practice divine love as well as feel it. Among those who practice it are the abolitionists because they act on their love of humanity; many women are part of this group.

While I am in awe of Ms. Fuller and her social activism, I am saddened that over 150 years later, we are still fighting the same battles of racism, misogyny, and now homophobia.  Our work is not yet done. “We who believe in Freedom cannot rest.“

Women’s History: May 10

May 10, 1840, Elizabeth Cady marries Henry Stanton, becoming Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  Upon marrying Henry Stanton, Elizabeth had the word “obey” removed  from her wedding vows.  Stanton is best known for her work as a suffragist and abolitionist.   Stanton also helped to organize the 1848 Seneca Falls convention, the first women’s rights convention. Stanton was the chief author of the Declaration of Sentiments.  Initially, Stanton was a supporter of Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for President,  Stanton’s support wanted when Woodhull published articles in her paper exposing the affair between Elizabeth Tilton and Reverend Henry Ward Beecher. Stanton and other suffragist felt that  Woodhull had pushed the envelope too far with some of her views on sex and “free love,” a phrase Woodhull coined.

May 10, 1872, Victoria Woodhull is nominated as the first woman candidate for U.S. president for the Equal Rights Party.

Women’s History: May 5

Happy Birthday, Del Martin

Happy Birthday, Del Martin.  Martin was probably best known as the first lesbian wedding in California, in 2004, to her spouse/partner  Phyllis Lyon.  Martin and Lyon had been together for 55 years, until Martin passed away in 2008.  Martin had a long history as a lesbian and equal rights activist.  Martin published several books on sexuality: Lesbian/Woman, Lesbian Love and Liberation, and Battered Lives.  Unfortunately, Martin’s marriage in 2004 to Lyon was declared invalid.  There were married again before Martin’s death on June 16, 2008.  We shall see what the courts will do with Prop 8.

Happy Birthday, Lucia True Ames.  Ames was a social reformer, pacifist,suffragist, and abolitionist.  She is best known for starting what is now known as the American Peace Movement.   In addition to serving as president of the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association (1903-1909), Ames was also active in the NAACP, and the ACLU.

Women’s History: April 17

Anna Garlin Spencer

Happy Birthday, Anna Garlin Spencer.  Spencer was a social reformer, suffragist, and Unitarian minister. She was a social worker before there was such a thing.  Spencer was the first woman ordained in the state of Rhode Island.  Spencer was a pacifist who took on a role in the Peace Movement as well as the Women’s Suffragist Movement. She wrote one of the first social work text books adopted by Columbia University. Two of her books are: Woman’s Share in Social Culture and The Family and Its Members. Spencer was also one of the voices that helped to start the NAACP. To learn more about this do-gooder, Anna Garlin Spencer, click here.

Quote of the day:

 A successful woman preacher was once asked “what special obstacles have you met as a woman in the ministry?” “Not one,” she answered, “except the lack of a minister’s wife.”–Anna Garlin Spencer

Women’s History: April 11

Happy Birthday, Mary White Ovington

Happy Birthday, Mary White Ovington.  Ovington was best known as a suffragist, socialist, abolitionist, and co-founder of the NAACP. Ovington became a strong and vocal abolitionist after hearing Frederick Douglass speak in New York. To me, Ovington represents a real do-gooder–a social reformer working for equality and abolishing the class system of haves and have nots.  She joined the Socialist Party in 1905.  She was influenced by people like Jack London and Asa Philip who were able to see the connection between race and class.  In 1909, Ovington and others such as Ida Wells-Barnett, Fanny Garrison Villard, Jane Addams, and William Du Bois had formed the National Negro Committee which became the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) in 1910. For those of you that follow TSM with any regularity, you see how perfect a fit Mary White Ovington is for me and the blog. I wonder what it must feel like to be a history maker–allow me to qualify, a history maker on the right side of history.  To learn more about Mary White Ovington, click here.

Celebrating Black History Month: February 24

Honoring Sojourner Truth

Today I would like to honor and pay tribute to Sojourner Truth (Isabella Baumfree).  Truth was born a slave onto Hardenbergh Plantation, in upstate New York. At age nine she was sold to a new master and was taken from her family. In 1826, Truth finally escaped from her latest owner/master with her daughter Sophia. The State of New York would start its own emancipation of slaves in 1827. In 1851, Truth was to give one of her most famous speeches in Akron, Ohio. Her Ain’t I a Woman speech was delivered at the Women’s Rights Convention. Here is just a delicious bit from her powerful speech off the cuff:

I am a woman’s rights. I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man. I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that? I have heard much about the sexes being equal. I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too, if I can get it. I am as strong as any man that is now. As for intellect, all I can say is, if a woman have a pint, and a man a quart – why can’t she have her little pint full?

Our William Lloyd Garrison published her speech in The Liberator. During the Civil War, Truth helped to recruit black soldiers for the Union Army. For more information on this national treasure, click here.

Here are two beautiful poems that were submitted to TSM:

The Legacy of an Extraordinary Woman
By: Omarr RaSharjd Lee

From the breath of my lungs,
To the depths of my soul,
On this day,
We celebrate the life,
Of a great woman, therefore
Poetry is told;
During her time on earth,
Her courage gave light,
To very dark days,
She chose to travel and preach, and
This was inspiring,
In so many remarkable ways,
Because of her strong-will, and
Outspoken temperament,
Her legacy will live forever,
Always believe that you can achieve;
Always think before you do; and
Always wish upon a star, because
That star could take you to a phenomenal height,
As a poet writes,
A phenomenal verse,
A phenomenal phrase,
For a (simply) phenomenal woman named,
Sojourner Truth.

A Phenomenal Poet Named Maya Angelou
By: Omarr RaSharjd Lee

One of the best poets to ever live,
One of the best poets to ever write,
Her words (simply) lift your self-esteem and your dreams,
To a phenomenal height,
Her poetry is unquestionably,
One of the greatest works of art,
Each verse comes straight from her heart, therefore
Each phrase must come from her soul,
Her poetry is as precious as gold, therefore
She will always be,
A phenomenal woman,
Phenomenally.

Women’s History: February 20

Angelina Grimke: Abolitionist/Suffragist

Happy Birthday, Angelina Grimke. Although Angelina and her sister Sarah were born into a slave holding family, the sisters did not share the same aberrant views as their father, a judge in South Carolina. Grimke escaped and joined the Society of Friends. In 1835, Grimke was dissatisfied with the pace at which her Quaker society was moving to fight slavery, so she joined forces with William Lloyd Garrison. It was Garrison that published Grimke’s letter about  issues of abolitionism and mob violence, in The Liberator. Of course, Grimke is probably best known for her pamphlet, An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South. In this open letter, Grimke tries to appeal to Christian women to become part of the abolitionist movement. Not a big surprise, the pamphlet was burned in the state of South Carolina, current home of Rep. Jim DeMint, who would still uphold Dred Scott if he could. I often worry that the Grimke Sisters are overlooked and under appreciated.