Fanny Jackson Coppin was born on
January 8th, 1837. Her freedom was bought by an aunt when she was 12
years old. Let that sink in for a moment. She spent the rest of her
young years working as a servant for an author and studying when she
could. In 1860 she got into Oberlin College in Ohio which was the
first college in the US to accept Black make and female students.
Yeah. She had to deal with being Black as well as a woman back then.
While studying as a student she taught reading and writing to Black
students before graduating with a Bachelor's degree.
Afterward she
got a position at Philadelphia's Institute for Colored Youth and it
was here where she became the first Black female school principal.
She was promoted to the board of education to superintendent making
her the first Black superintendent of a school in America but
eventually went back to being a principal. She eventually married a
reverend and in 1902 they headed to South Africa for missionary work.
After about ten years her health forced here to come back to
Philadelphia. Crazy how whenever I had female principals it just
seemed totally normal. I never stopped to think that someone had to
be the first one as well as the first Black one.
Click here for previous Famous Black
Firsts.
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