author
Mrs. N. F. Mossell
1855–1948
A pioneering Black journalist, author, teacher, and activist, she used the press to celebrate African American achievement and champion women’s opportunities. Writing as Mrs. N. F. Mossell, she became especially known for The Work of the Afro-American Woman.
1 Audiobook
The work of the Afro-American woman
by Mrs. N. F. Mossell
About the author
Gertrude Emily Hicks Bustill Mossell (1855–1948) was born in Philadelphia and wrote under the name Mrs. N. F. Mossell. She worked as a journalist, teacher, author, and activist, with a strong focus on education, racial progress, and the advancement of Black women.
Mossell served as women’s editor of The New York Age from 1885 to 1889 and later held the same role at the Indianapolis World. Through her journalism and writing, she encouraged more African American women to enter the newspaper profession and helped bring wider attention to their accomplishments.
Her best-known book, The Work of the Afro-American Woman, combines essays and poetry in a spirited defense of Black women’s intellectual, artistic, moral, and professional contributions. She also supported civic and women’s rights causes in Philadelphia, leaving a lasting legacy as an early voice for Black feminism and the Black press.