African American Women Rulers
12" Wooden Ruler made in U.S.A. from American-grown basswood.
New product available November 1, 2019!
This ruler celebrates the contribution of African-American women to the history and culture of the United States. We could easily have filled a yardstick!
We’ve decided to pay particular attention to women who were involved with the Abolitionist Movement of the early to mid-19th century and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and ‘60’s, and we start right off with Elizabeth Freeman (1744?-1829) known as “MumBet” or “Bet,” a national hero who was among the first slaves in Massachusetts to sue for and win her freedom. Civil rights heroes Dorothy Height (1912-2010) and Rosa Parks (1913-2005) are also represented.
African-American women excelled in many other areas. Writers include novelist Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) who also researched folklore, Maya Angelou (1928-2014), who wrote autobiographies, books of essays, poetry, plays, movies, and television shows, and Toni Morrison (1931-2019) who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Musicians include jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) and politicians include the current United States Vice President Kamala Harris (1964- ). We didn’t even get to all the outstanding athletes. Like I said, yardstick.
The dates listed are birth and death years, when known. We also list one detail about each of the people on the list, either an important accomplishment or the area in which they excelled.
The “head” image is that of Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), who escaped slavery and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.
If you like this ruler, you might also be interested in African American Rulers, Rulers and Patriots, Native American Rulers, or Great Women Rulers.