Consider this. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper rests here in Collingdale’s Eden Cemetery. Harper was more than just a name. She was a force. This abolitionist suffragist and poet lived a life dedicated to justice.
Frances Harper was born free in Baltimore in 1825. Her early life shaped her commitment to equality. Orphaned at a young age she was raised by her uncle. He instilled in her a passion for civil rights.
Harper’s literary career began early. At 20 she published her first book of poetry. Her words became weapons against slavery. In 1853 she joined the American Anti-Slavery Society. She became a traveling lecturer. Her powerful speeches moved hearts and minds.
Her poem “Bury Me in a Free Land” became an anthem. Its verses echoed the longing for liberation. Harper’s story “Two Offers” made history. It was the first short story published by a Black woman.
Harper’s activism extended beyond abolition. She championed temperance and women’s suffrage. In 1886 she became superintendent of the Colored Section of the Philadelphia Women’s Christian Temperance Union. She fought for the rights of Black women within the organization. Harper helped found the National Association of Colored Women in 1896. She served as its vice president.
Harper’s words challenged the status quo. In her speech to the National Council of Women in 1891 she demanded equal protection under the law for African Americans. She declared that a government that fails to protect its citizens is vicious.
Harper’s suffrage activism was intersectional. She recognized the interconnectedness of race and gender. She advocated for the rights of all women especially Black women. She famously said We are all bound up together.
Harper supported the Fifteenth Amendment. This granted African American men the right to vote. She also supported the proposed Sixteenth Amendment. This would have granted women the right to vote.
Harper’s legacy continued through her writings. Her novel Iola Leroy explored complex social issues. These included education miscegenation and social responsibility.
Harper died in 1911 in Philadelphia. Her funeral was held at the First Unitarian Church. Now she rests here in Eden Cemetery. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s life inspires us all to fight for a better world. Remember her name. Remember her words. Remember her spirit.