Read Part One HERE In this story I will focus on a woman named Anna Julia Haywood.She lived from 1858 - 1963. She was born into enslavement in North Carolina. Her mother was enslaved and her father was the man Anna's mother was enslaved by, or his brother. While Anna loved her mother dearly, the same could not be said of her father.
In her early years, Anna showed exceptional intelligence and a deep passion for education.In 1868, post-emancipation, she got an opportunity to begin her education formally. She enrolled at the newly established St. Augustine's Normal School and Collegiate Institute in Raleigh. Originally intended to train teachers to educate the freed Black population, St. Augustine's expanded its offering to include college preparatory courses.
Anna's pursuit of knowledge was challenging. Societal norms of the time prioritized classical education for men, with women often relegated to domestic roles. However, she defied these conventions. Not only did she enroll in courses typically reserved for male students, but she also consistently outperformed her peers.
Anna blossomed academically and socially during her time at St. Augustine's. And it was here that she met her future husband, George A.C. Cooper. They would marry in 1877, but he would pass away just two years later.
The St. Augustine's years laid the foundation for Anna's favourite endeavours. The institution's blend of classical education and commitment to serving the Black community profoundly influenced her. Anna graduated in 1881, her mind set on furthering her education and advancing the cause of Black women and their place in the larger narrative of American history.
Read Part Twenty-Seven Here
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