Anna Julia Cooper
Also known as Anna J. Cooper, Anna Julia Haywood
American educator and writer (1858–1964), born enslaved; her A Voice from the South is an early work of Black feminism.
At a glance
Main ideas
Black women's progress lifts the community, Higher education for women, Classical, not only vocational, schooling …
See all 5Books to start with
A Voice from the South: By a Black Woman of the South, L'attitude de la France à l'égard de l'esclavage pendant la révolution
See all 2Connections
W. E. B. Du Bois and A Voice from the South
See all 2
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Cooper was born enslaved in Raleigh, North Carolina, and became an author, educator and activist.
- She studied at Oberlin College, taught and was principal at M Street High School in Washington, D.C., and earned a doctorate from the University of Paris in 1925.
- Her 1892 book A Voice from the South is widely seen as one of the first articulations of Black feminism.
- She argued for classical education for Black students rather than only vocational training, and later led Frelinghuysen University.
Why it matters
- She is often called "the Mother of Black Feminism", and her writing anticipated later ideas about how race and gender bear on Black women together.
Key facts
- Born
- 10 Aug 1858, Raleigh, North Carolina, enslaved1
- Died
- 27 Feb 1964, Washington, D.C., aged 1051
- Education
- Saint Augustine's Normal School, Raleigh, from 1868; Oberlin College, BA 1884 and a master's degree in mathematics; doctorate, University of Paris, 19251
- Doctoral thesis
- "The Attitude of France on the Question of Slavery Between 1789 and 1848", defended in 19251
- M Street High School
- Teacher of Latin, mathematics and science, then principal from 1901 or 1902; the D.C. School Board declined to reappoint her in 19061
- Frelinghuysen University
- President from 1930 to 1940, then registrar1
- Organizations
- Co-founded the Colored Women's League in 1892; the only woman elected to the American Negro Academy, 18931
- Honours
- A US postage stamp in 2009; quoted in the 2016 United States passport1
Main ideas
-
Black women's progress lifts the community2
The educational, moral and spiritual progress of Black women would improve the standing of the whole African-American community.
-
Higher education for women1
Black women should be trained in classical literature; she made the case years before Du Bois made a similar one for Black men.
-
Classical, not only vocational, schooling1
As principal she prepared Black students for higher education and leadership, against the vocational model Booker T. Washington promoted.
-
Duty to those behind2
Educated and successful Black women must support their underprivileged peers.
-
Education for questioning1
At Frelinghuysen she aimed to help working adults question dominant thought.
Books to start with
The line under a date fills as it gets older: empty when new, full at 2 years.
-
A Voice from the South: By a Black Woman of the South2
Eight essays on race, gender, education and the realities of Black families.
-
L'attitude de la France à l'égard de l'esclavage pendant la révolution1
Her doctoral thesis; translated in 1988 as Slavery and the French Revolutionists.
Connections
Related
- W. E. B. Du BoisShe argued for the classical education he espoused; scholars say her ideas often preceded his
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us
The line under a date fills as time passes: empty when new, then one equal share each for a day, a week, a month and a year. For episodes and other items it is full at 2 years; for "last checked", at a year. A striped line means the date is known only to the month or year.