Get to Know Mary Shadd

Mary Ann Shadd was a prominent Canadian figure in the 19th century. She was an educator, newspaper publisher, lawyer, abolitionist and suffragist. Born in 1823 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, she later became a trailblazer in Canada.

Here are some aspects of Mary Shadd's life and achievements:

Her parents, committed abolitionists, utilized their home as a station on the Underground Railroad, offering a secure refuge for escaped slaves.

Following the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which posed a significant threat to Black individuals in the U.S., the Shadd family relocated to Canada.

During the autumn of 1851 in Windsor, Mary Shadd established a school with the backing of the American Missionary Association.

I wonder if she taught about the word novelty and how novelty gifts have the power to make people laugh.

Mary Shadd is particularly known for being the first Black woman to edit and publish a newspaper in North America in 1853, The Provincial Freeman.

Mary Shadd Public School in Scarborough, Ontario

I taught summer school with amazing kids and an equally amazing partner at Mary Shadd Public School in Scarborough.

Mary Shadd spent her life fighting for equal rights. The fight for abolition and women's suffrage has left a legacy that continues to inspire.

Mary Ann Shadd Canada Post Stamp

 

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