Mary Church Terrell

Trailblazing civil rights activist and suffragist who fought for racial and gender equality

Mary Church Terrell (1863–1954) was a pioneering African American activist who dedicated her life to combating racial segregation and advancing women's suffrage. A founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Terrell used education and legal strategies to challenge Jim Crow laws.

Born to formerly enslaved parents, Terrell graduated from Oberlin College and became one of the first Black women to earn a college degree. In 1896, she co-founded the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), emphasizing "lifting as we climb" to uplift Black communities. Her 1950 lawsuit against segregated Washington, D.C., restaurants led to the Supreme Court ruling in District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co., Inc., a precursor to Brown v. Board of Education.

Terrell also collaborated with Susan B. Anthony in the suffrage movement, addressing the intersection of race and gender discrimination. Her memoir, A Colored Woman in a White World, remains a vital text on intersectional activism. Explore her legacy at National Park Service.