Sarah Moore Grimke was born in 1792 into a wealthy, South Carolina family. Sarah had a keen interest in learning, and was always given the best tutors and lessons; however she wanted to learn what her brother was learning while attending Yale. These subjects consisted of Latin, Greek, mathematics, and geography, and while Sarah continued with her reading and writing, her family, mainly her father, had enslaved hundreds. Due to her love for learning, Sarah began to teach some of the slaves on her father's plantation how to read and write until her father no longer allowed her to do so. She began to cite the injustices growing up, seeing just how badly African Americans were being treated as the reason or motivation for her becoming an abolitionist in her adult years.
Into her adult years as an abolitionist and women's rights activist, Sarah published several writings and books that showcased her position on slavery and women's rights, as well as campaigning for both causes. Epistle to the clergy of the Southern States and Letters on the Equality of the Sexes and the Condition of Women are just two of Sarah's works that, at the time, made many in the South very upset. Thus making it very dangerous for her to continue to write and speak out for those lacking a voice. Her books were burned, she was threatened, and yet nothing could stop her. She went on to become a teacher at a boarding school and furthermore became the Vice President of the Massachusetts Women Suffrage Association in 1868.
Women and African Americans today are still not treated with the same respect as say a white male; however, we have come a long way as a society. Sarah Moore Grimke was a leader, abolitionist, and spokeswomen from a time period and community in which slavery and lack of women's rights was apart of the social culture and norm. She is a prime example of why saying "it's how I was raised" is no excuse for the mistreatment of others.
Alexander, K.L. (2018). Sarah Moore Grimké. Retrieved from https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sarah-moore-grimke
For more information on Women's History visit: Womens History
It is women like Sarah who we need to pay homage too for all we have today!
ReplyDeleteI think it is so cool to see warrior women who also support other causes. I really enjoyed the fact that she continued on after her books were burned! It's also really cool that she was so involved with the injustices in slavery and went against her own father!
ReplyDeleteI loved the mention at the end about it isn't about how you're raised, but your actions that define who you are. She didn't let her family background shape how she felt about other people, which is a strength I think is important to have.
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing about this activist briefly in social studies class, but now I know way more about her. It's awesome how she was able to separate her own experiences to understand the need for equality.
ReplyDelete