Episode 2 - Mary Ann Shadd Cary

Born into a family of social reformers, the radical activist Mary Ann Shadd Cary almost singlehandedly led the immigration of Black Americans across the United States border.  

Here we retell only a fraction of this extraordinary trailblazer's epic life.

Resources

1. Dennie, Nneka D. (Ed.) “Mary Ann Shadd Cary:  Essential Writings of a Nineteenth-Century Black Radical Feminist.”  New York, NY, Oxford University, 2023.
2. Rhodes, Jane. "Mary Ann Shadd Cary: The Black Press and Protest in the Nineteenth Century." Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2023.
3. Terborg-Penn, Rosalyn.  “African American Woman and the Struggle for the Vote, 1850 - 1920,” Bloomington, Indiana, Indiana University Press,1998.
4. Yee, Shirley J. “Finding a Place: Mary Ann Shadd Cary and the Dilemmas of Black Migration to Canada, 1850-1870.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 1–16. JSTOR, 1997.

“Black Suffragist in the Spotlight” is written and produced by Jennifer Rolle.   Music selection “Passage”  is by  Moija (Uppbeat); “Future” and “Good Feelings” are by Aleksandr Shamaluev.  The cover art featuring photographs of the activists  Hallie Quinn Brown and Helen Nannie Boroughs are courtesy of the Library of Congress.  Please send inquiries to theblacksuffragist@gmail.com and visit theblacksuffragist.net for future media events. 

Transcript

Podcast Transcript 

[MUSIC PLAYS ]

JENNIFER ROLLE:  Welcome to Black Suffragist in the Spotlight.  Featuring profiles of the unsung heroes of women’s suffrage.  Hello, I’m your host, Jennifer Rolle. Women of color have largely been a footnote in the narrative of women’s rights.  Bringing them here centerstage we call attention to their contribution to social justice and gender equity.  And our bite-sized biographies just might have you take a deeper dive into their amazing stories.                                            

Dear Listeners,

Our second honoree was a woman well ahead of her time.  Known as “The Rebel”,  this activist promoted education, economic growth, and social equity at a time when thousands of  Black Americans were still hopelessly bound to slavery.            

[MUSIC FADES OUT]

Her pursuit of social justice and gender equality extended beyond the shores of America.

Mary Ann Davy Shadd was born free on October 9, 1823, in Wilmington, Delaware -- the eldest of 13 children.  She was influenced early on by her activist parents, Abraham Shadd and Harriet Parnell who operated a safe house along the Underground Railroad.   Situated on the Mason-Dixon line, Delaware was considered a slave state, which provided almost no education for Black Americans.   So in 1833, the family relocated to Pennslyvania where young Mary Ann was educated at a Quaker boarding school.

Recognizing the importance of education, at 16, she went on to teach Black children throughout the Northeast region.   As an active member of the anti-slavery movement, Shadd was impatient at its lagging progress.   In 1848, she sent a heartfelt letter to Frederick Douglas urging him to ramp up his strategy to end slavery.  

Two years later, the activist migrated to Canada along with her brother Isaac after Congress passed the dreadful 1850 Fugitive Slave Law.   The mandate required the return of all fugitives to their enslavers.  No African American -- whether suspect, freeborn, or refugee was safe in this environment.   

Furthermore, those who assisted in emancipation faced stiff legal penalties, including- jail time.   As a result, between 1850 and 1864, an estimated 30,000 to 40,0000 African Americans fled to the borders of Canada.  Over in the  “Great White North”, Mary Ann was able to advocate for abolition without fear of retribution.  

By 1851,  she had settled in the township of Windsor, and as a community organizer established a racially integrated school.  Her publication of  “Notes of Canada West” followed.  Here she  presented 

the social and economic advantages of living free in Canada.   In 1853, she launched “The Provincial Freeman, “ a weekly anti-slavery newspaper with a militant edge.  And then, risking her safety,  she smuggled copies across the Canadian border.     

In 1856, Mary Ann married Thomas F. Cary and the couple had two children.  When Thomas passed away four years later, she returned to the U.S. and accepted a position as a Recruiting Officer for the Union Army.  After the War, Shadd-Cary resumed teaching in Washington, DC.   Over time, her thirst for knowledge never diminished.  In her mid-forties,  she enrolled at the Howard University Law School and became one of two Black women in the United States to earn a law degree.  

With equal rights for women decades away, the activist turned her focus to the suffrage movement.  Mary Ann was among 600 suffragists who signed an 1874 government petition declaring a woman’s legal right to vote.    

[MUSIC FADES IN]

In 1880, one of her final accomplishments was establishing the Colored Women's Progressive Franchise  Association.  There she encouraged Black women to fight for their equal rights through the power of education, activism, and voting.

Mary Ann Shadd Cary,  activist, educator, publisher, and attorney remained in Washington, D.C. where she lived in a red brick, row house, now a landmark.  In part, the memorial plaque attached to the structure reads:

“Her life is distinguished by her dedication to freedom, equality, and the advancement of her people.” 

Well said!

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

J.R. Thank you for listening to our spotlight series.  If you have a question, or if you would like to share your thoughts, please contact me at theblacksuffragist@gmail.com. I’m Jennifer Rolle, please join me next time for another tribute to unsung trailblazers.  Until then, stay safe and be well.

[MUSIC FADES OUT]