Mary Church Terrell

1863–1954 (age 91)

civil rights activist and educator

Biography

Mary Church Terrell was a pioneering civil rights activist and educator who was among the first African American women to earn a college degree, and she spent decades fighting for equal rights, suffrage, and quality public education.

She co-founded the National Association of Colored Women, served on the Board of Education for the District of Columbia, and championed peaceful protest and civic engagement until her death in 1954; she was laid to rest at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.

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