Black Women Who Wrote Themselves Into HistoryHey Family,
Hey Family,
I wanted to take a moment to dive deeper into this episode because there’s so much more to the story. When we talk about Phillis Wheatley, Maria W. Stewart, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, we’re not just talking about individual women who made history—we’re talking about a legacy of literary resistance that shaped the future of Black activism, feminism, and intellectual thought.
These women were far more than poets and speakers—they were revolutionaries whose pens were as dangerous as swords in an era when Black voices were brutally silenced. Their words not only documented their experiences but also demanded change, shaking the very foundations of white supremacy, patriarchy, and oppression.
But as I was researching this episode, I kept thinking—why don’t we know their names like we know Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, or even Sojourner Truth? These women were the blueprint, yet history has pushed them to the margins. Let’s fix that.
Phillis Wheatley: More Than Just a Poet
We often celebrate Phillis Wheatley as the first published Black woman poet, but let’s really break down what that meant in the 18th century.
She was kidnapped as a child from West Africa, likely from modern-day Senegal or The Gambia, and enslaved in Boston at around 7 years old. Imagine being a child, torn from everything you know, thrown onto a slave ship, and forced into an entirely new world where you’re expected to be silent and invisible.
The fact that she was taught to read and write at all was highly unusual. Enslaved Africans were systematically denied literacy because white enslavers knew that education meant power. And yet, Phillis not only learned to read but mastered English, Greek, and Latin!
Her first published poem was printed in 1770, just seven years after she was enslaved. By 1773, she had an entire book published in London—a feat that no other African in America had accomplished at the time.
But here’s the real mind-blower—white people didn’t believe a Black girl could write poetry. She had to stand before a panel of 18 white men, including John Hancock and Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson, to prove she had written the work herself. Can you imagine?
Despite all this, Phillis remained deeply critical of American hypocrisy. Her poetry often expressed religious devotion, but beneath the surface, she was cutting into the myth of liberty and justice in a nation built on slavery. She even wrote a poem directly addressing George Washington, who was so impressed he invited her to meet him in 1776.
But here’s the tragedy—after being freed, she struggled financially, died in poverty, and was buried in an unmarked grave.
America’s first Black woman poet deserved better.
Maria W. Stewart: The Woman Who Refused to Be Silenced
Maria Stewart is often overshadowed by later activists, but her courage was absolutely unmatched.
She was orphaned at five years old and forced into indentured servitude. Her life could have ended there, but she educated herself and married a successful Black businessman. When he died under suspicious circumstances (some say white bankers stole his inheritance), Maria was left with nothing.
Instead of retreating, she fought back with words. In 1831, she stood before an audience of men and women and became the first known Black woman in American history to deliver a public political speech.
What did she talk about? She called out white oppression and also Black men who refused to uplift Black women. She saw the struggle for liberation as something that needed to include everyone—long before feminism caught up to this idea.
But society wasn’t ready for her. She was mocked, rejected, and ultimately forced into silence after just a few years of activism. She later moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked as a teacher and continued writing in private.
Maria W. Stewart should be as famous as Sojourner Truth, yet her name is barely mentioned in most history books.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper: The Woman Who Checked White Feminists Before It Was Cool
Now, I have to say—Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was a powerhouse.
Born free in 1825, she was one of the first Black women to make a living as a writer, long before the Harlem Renaissance made it cool.
Her poetry wasn’t just emotional—it was political. She used her platform to fight against slavery, support women’s suffrage, and call for racial justice.
She worked alongside Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and other abolitionist legends. But unlike many activists, she refused to ignore Black women’s unique struggles.
Her most famous moment came in 1866 when she addressed the National Women’s Rights Convention. This was a mostly white feminist audience, and Frances did not hold back. She reminded them that Black women had been doing the work for freedom while white women largely benefited from racial privilege.
Her exact words?
"We are all bound up together in one great bundle of humanity, and society cannot trample on the weakest and feeblest of its members without receiving the curse in its own soul."
That’s intersectionality before the word even existed.
Frances wasn’t just an activist—she was the bridge between abolitionism, feminism, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Why This Still Matters Today
These women weren’t just writing for themselves—they were fighting for all of us. But how often do we hear their names?
History remembers the male voices of abolition, the white voices of feminism, but Black women had to fight twice as hard to be heard.
And here’s the thing—their struggles still echo today.
Black women’s contributions to literature, activism, and politics are still erased or undervalued.
Their words continue to inspire movements, from Black Lives Matter to intersectional feminism.
The fight for equal pay, representation, and justice still carries the weight of the same struggles Phillis, Maria, and Frances faced.
So what can we do?
Talk about them. Share their stories. Say their names. Because if we don’t, who will?
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
If you made it this far—thank you. This is why I love our community. We’re here to remember, uplift, and celebrate Black history on our terms.
I’d love to hear from you:
đź’¬ Did any of these stories surprise you?
đź’¬ What other Black women writers deserve more recognition?
đź’¬ How do we make sure their legacy lives on?
Drop a comment below and let’s build on this.
And if you want to support this work—you already know. Join the Black History Village on Patreon, share this post, and let’s keep making history together.
Blessings, KK.
And if you want to support this work—you already know. Join the Black History Village on Patreon, or right here on Steady, share this post, and let’s keep making history together.
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