Noted Negro Women facts for kids

Author Monroe Alpheus Majors in 1893

Noted Negro Women: Their Triumphs and Activities is a special book from 1893. It was put together by Monroe Alpheus Majors in Chicago. This book shares the life stories of almost 300 African-American women.

Some of the amazing women featured include Edmonia Lewis, Amanda Smith, Ida B. Wells, and Sojourner Truth. Majors started working on this book in Waco, Texas, in 1890. He wanted to show how important black women were. He also wanted to highlight the value of all African Americans. Interestingly, Harriet Tubman was not included in the book. Historian Milton C. Sernett thinks this might be because including her would remind people of the difficult times of slavery.

A Special Time for Black Women

Majors' book was one of the first of its kind. In the same year, another similar book came out called Women of Distinction. This book was edited by Lawson A. Scruggs. It featured stories written by fifteen different authors.

These books, along with the growing importance of African-American women, made 1893 a very special year. It was even called the "Year of the Black Women." This was especially true after Ida B. Wells published her important work, Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases, in 1892.

Noted Negro Women and Women of Distinction were part of a larger trend. Many books about notable African Americans were published around this time. Majors hoped his book would inspire women. He also wanted it to be a guide for how women could act and succeed. Both Majors' and Scruggs' books showed a hopeful view for the future of African Americans.

Even famous leader Frederick Douglass was unsure about the project at first. He told Majors he didn't know any women who could be called famous. But these books proved him wrong!

Notable Women in the Anthology

This book features biographies of many inspiring African-American women. Here is a list of some of the women whose stories are told: