Mary Eliza Church Terrell
An African-American educator, writer and civil rights activist, Terrell fought for racial equality and women’s suffrage from the late 19th century. Terrell, the daughter of former slaves who later became successful business owners, founded the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), also known as the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs (NACWC) in 1896. Terrell and others with the NACW fought for not only the causes of universal suffrage but the freedom and equality of men and women of all colors in the eyes of the law.
