History Lena Baker was born on June 8, 1901 in Randolph County, Georgia in a former slave cabin. She was born from poor sharecroppers her mother name Queenie. Baker was a black woman growing up in the 1940’s which was in the heart of the racial era. She chopped cotton, laundry. Like all the other kids Baker had dreams of becoming better and living a better life getting out of poverty.
Her parents were both slaves, but her grandmother had been emancipated and owned her own home, earning a living as a baker. When Jacobs was six years old, her mother died, and she was sent to the home of her mother's mistress, Margaret Horniblow. Horniblow taught the young Jacobs to read, spell, and sew; she died when Jacobs was eleven or twelve and willed Jacobs to Mary Matilda Norcom, Horniblow's threeyear-old niece. While living in the Norcom household, Jacobs suffered the sexual harassment of Dr. James
At the age of 11 she was enrolled at the Montgomery Industrial School for girls once graduated, she went on to Alabama State Teacher's College High School. She, however, was unable to graduate with her class, because of the illness of her grandmother Rose Edwards and later her death. After this Rosa once again tries to return to Alabama State Teacher's College, which she did but then her mother also became ill, she then had to care for her mother and also their home. What made Rosa’s life special and also famous was her courageous act of activism. On December 1st, 1955, Rosa was asked to give her seat to a white man, she was extremely tired but she also knew that she had paid the bus fair just like everyone else and felt that she had the right to remain seated therefore, refused to grant her seat to the white man, reason why she then was arrested.
Her name was Jane Addams and this paper will focus on her life-long contributions to help the poor. Jane Addams was born on September 6, 1860, in Illinois. Her mother died when she was only three years old leaving her with only a father and 8 siblings. Her father became her backbone of her life and was responsible for her learning of the harsh conditions that many less fortunate people were forced to live with. He was the first thing that made her want to help others.
Louisa May Alcott Why should Louisa May Alcott be considered an honorable American author? Louisa May Alcott was very involved in society and in the rights of women. Her influences derived from her family, friends, neighbors, and from her childhood. Louisa May Alcott was born November 29, 1832 in Germantown, PA., to a family in poverty. The poverty was a result of her father’s lack of income.
This is the story, penned by Glenn Stewart, of Historian Elizabeth Stewart’s 10-year journey to produce the only existing scholarly account of Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, the first African American governor in American history, and a much-maligned historical figure. Glenn’s personal insights into Elizabeth Stewart’s ‘quest’ rely upon the fact that she was his mother. The article below is drawn from the introduction to Mrs. Stewart’s soon-to-be-released book. “Louisiana Adonis”* The Post Reconstruction Career of Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback Elizabeth L. Stewart MA, MLS (1930-2002) *"Where's Pinchback? We hear of Douglas, Langston, Elliott, Greener...and a host of small fry, but not a word from the Louisiana Adonis.
Toni Morrison and the Bluest Eye Toni Morrison was born Chloe Anthony Wofford in February 18, 1931. Her parents were, Ramah Willis Wofford, mother and her father was George Wofford (Johnson Lewis 2010). She had family who were immigrants and sharecroppers from both of her parents’ side. They lived in Lorain, Ohio were she was the only African America student in her first grade classroom (Bois 1996). Both of her parents were hardworking, while growing up, Morrison also learned folktales and stories that taught her about her heritage (Bois 1996).
Her life greatly influenced literature today and the censorship that follows. On February 8, 1850, Katherine O’Flaherty was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Thomas O’Flaherty and Eliza Faris. She was their second born child and later in life became known as the famous author, Kate Chopin. Growing up in the South with and Irish father and a Creole mother, she was bilingual with English and French. (Ewell) Kate experienced much loss at a young age, three of her family members died by the time she was thirteen.
Many young women thought that they would be free in their new homes, but sadly realized that they had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. They soon learned that their husband controlled the marriage. In recent years, the laws have been changed; men and women have equal rights in a marriage, women have the right to work without their husband’s permission and community property standards have been established. Before the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923 hardly any girls attended school. Today in Turkey eight years of education are now mandatory with plans to increase it to twelve years.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911) was born a free black woman in Baltimore Maryland. She was orphaned at a very young age, and was raised and educated by her uncle William Watkins and his wife. She studied literature, rhetoric, and the Bible. Harper published her first book in 1845. Among her many accomplishments, she was the first female faculty member at Union Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, was a resident in the Underground Railroad station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was a lecturer on women and slavery reform.