Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Born free in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1825, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper became one of the best-known Black women writers and lecturers of the 19th century. She was raised by relatives after her mother's death and was educated at her uncle William Watkins's school, where she developed the love of learning that shaped her life.

Harper built a remarkable career as a poet, author, teacher, and public speaker. She published poetry early, traveled widely as a lecturer, and became deeply involved in the causes of abolition, temperance, and women's rights. Her writing and speeches were known for being clear, heartfelt, and strongly tied to the struggle for dignity and equality.

She also wrote fiction, including Iola Leroy, and helped open doors for later generations of African American women writers. When she died in 1911, she left behind a body of work that still stands out for its courage, moral purpose, and literary power.