Paying It Forward - Women and Progress Recently

March 23, 2009

I was honored by a request to serve as the keynote speaker at the Media Area NAACP Annual Meeting – celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the NAACP. Dr. Joan Flynn, President of the chapter, asked me to talk about the role women had played in the progress of our nation. This seemed a perfect opportunity to combine two pivotal forces in our society – the NAACP and women. The NAACP has a legacy of 100 years of being a movement of ordinary people who put courage and personal sacrifice above comfort and sometimes even risking their safety to advance the cause of equality for all Americans.

Even though it is widely acknowledged that women of all colors, nationalities, and affiliations have influenced our communities, institutions, and societies, their amazing accomplishments are very often left untold and unheralded throughout history. One hundred years ago, many believed that a woman’s place was in the home—women were excluded from voting, from colleges and from many professions. However, over the last century, women have expanded the view of “a woman’s place.” As a woman, I know that our nation will only realize its fullest potential when the creativity and perspectives of all of its citizens are acknowledged, studied, and shared with a new generation of potential leaders. Many of the incredible changes of the 20th century are integrally linked to the accomplishments, bravery, and sacrifices of women.

Being mindful of Women’s History Month, it seemed appropriate to reflect on “her story” as distinguished from his story and how many “her stories” have also effected positive social action and progress in America. Among the early members that helped to form the NAACP were many women such as Mary White Ovington, Jane Addams, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. To help spread the word about “her stories,’ I shared three brief “her stories.” One of those stories was about the incomparable Fannie Jackson Coppin.

In my office there is an intriguing painting of Fannie Jackson Coppin, by the portrait artist Laura Waring Wheeler, which I see every day, and it has become a source of strength and a reminder of the gratitude I owe. In the painting, Fannie Jackson Coppin looks like she is in her mid thirties or early 40’s. She is a handsome woman, with a definite presence, and with eyes that, in the custom of the day, look off into the future. When you look at the painting, you can see the dedication and determination on her brown face, even though she is not looking at you. Her black hair is pulled back from her face also in the custom of the day, and you know—she means business. Behind her are faces of younger women who are looking at her as they pass her in academic regalia; it must be commencement day. The young women in the painting are looking at her, with smiling faces, and they look hopeful.

Fannie Jackson Coppin was born into slavery in Washington, D.C. on October 15, 1837. She spent her youth performing housework and learning in the homes of others, and she was admitted into Oberlin College in 1860. Prior to graduating, Ms. Fannie Jackson Coppin was contacted by the Religious Society of Friends to come to the Institute for Colored Youth as a teacher. She graduated from Oberlin College in 1865, and she joined the faculty of the Institute for Colored Youth. Within a year, she was promoted to principal of the Ladies Department and taught Greek, Latin, and higher Mathematics.

In 1869, Fannie Jackson Coppin became principal of the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia, the first African-American woman to receive the title of school principal in our nation. Fannie Jackson Coppin held the title of principal for 37 years until she retired in 1906.

It is hard to image what the life of the first African-American women principal must have been like in the 19th and early 20th centuries in Philadelphia. In 1881, Fannie Coppin Jackson married a minister in the African Methodist Episcocal Church. The couple traveled in South Africa and founded the Bethel Institute, which was a missionary school that emphasized self-help programs. A hint of her character can be deduced from her trip to Africa. In her own words, Fannie Jackson Coppin states, “My stay in Africa was pleasant, for I did not count the deprivations, and sometimes hardships. We were graciously kept from disease, even the bubonic plague that came to our very door.”

After a decade of missionary work, Coppin returned to Philadelphia because of declining health and died in 1913. In 1926, a Baltimore teacher training school was named the Fanny Jackson Coppin Normal School in her memory. It is now Coppin State University. The Institute for Colored Youth moved from Philadelphia shortly after Fannie Jackson Coppin retired and is known today as Cheyney University.

Women have helped to shape the progress of our nation, and many women have worked to expand the definition of “woman’s work.” However, there are many other women who might not ever appear in “her stories.” These women, juggling families and careers, have contributed to the progress of our nation by demonstrating personal excellence in their daily lives and by providing a loving and nurturing environment for their families. These women also “pay it forward” for generations to come. These women, like Fannie Jackson Coppin, look off into the future—content to prepare a better future for others.

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