Cary, Mary Ann Shadd
1823-1893 · Contribution: 1853-1859
Newspaper editor; abolitionist; educator; lawyer
Founded The Provincial Freeman in 1853, becoming the first Black woman to edit and publish a newspaper in North America, using the Canadian weekly to promote Black emigration, integration, and self-reliance during the era of the Fugitive Slave Act

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Quick facts
- Born
- 1823, Wilmington, Delaware
- Active since
- 1853
- Category
- Press & Photography
- Best known for
- First Black woman to edit and publish a newspaper in North America
Impact on the world
Cary opened the masthead of the North American press to Black women and used her paper to promote emigration, integration, and self-reliance during the perilous era of the Fugitive Slave Act.
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica
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