Hidden Figures: Maria Stewart #BlackHERstoryMonth 1/28 (Patreon)

'Until union, knowledge and love begin to flow among us. Until we begin to promote and patronize each other. Shall we be a by-word among the nations any longer? Shall they laugh us to scorn forever? Do you ask,what can we do? Unite and build a store of your own... fill one side with dry goods, and the other with groceries. Do you ask, where is the money? We have spent more than enough for nonsense, to never had an opportunity of displaying our talents; therefore the world thinks we know nothing. And we have been possessed of by far too mean and cowardly a disposition, through I highly disapprove of an insolent or impertinent one. Do you ask the disposition I would have you? Bold and enterprising, fearless and undaunted. Sue for your rights and privileges. Know the reason that you can- not attain them. Weary them with your importunities. You can but die, if you make the attempt; and we shall certainly die if you do not. The Americans have practised nothing but head-work these 200 years, and we have done their drudgery. And is it not high time for us to imitate their examples, and practise head-work too, and keep what we have got, and get what we can? We need never to think that any body is going to feel interested for us, if we do not feel interested for ourselves.'

~ Maria Stewart, 'Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality, the Sure Foundation on Which We Must Build'

Stewart was born in 1803 and became an indentured servant after her parents died when she was five. She lived as a servant with a minister and his family until she was 15, teaching herself to read and attending Sabbath school before church on Sundays. After marrying and then becoming a widow, Stewart became an activist when she was inspired by the work of Black abolitionist David Walker. She went on to become the first American woman to speak to an audience of both men and women, as well as Blacks and whites; and she was the first African-American woman to give public lectures, using a style that later inspired Sojourner Truth. Stewart was also the first African-American woman to address women's rights and deliver an anti-slavery speech publicly. 

#HiddenFigures #BlackHERStoryMonth

******************

Follow me on social media!

Twitter: @seren_sensei

Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu

Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com

Snapchat: sssseren

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q

******************

Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture'

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6

Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa

******************

Links: 

Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality, the Sure Foundation on Which We Must Build (Full text):

http://cedrickmay.com/mstewart/?page_id=65

Maria W. Stewart, An Early Abolitionist: 

http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/maria-w-stewart-early-abolitionist

Maria W. Stewart (Wikipedia):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_W._Stewart