Anna J. Cooper
Anna Julia Cooper (née Haywood; August 10, 1858 – February 27, 1964) was an American author, educator, sociologist, speaker, Black liberation activist, and one of the most prominent African-American scholars in United States history.
Anna J. Cooper | |
|---|---|
Cooper c. 1902 | |
| Born | Anna Julia Haywood August 10, 1858 |
| Died | February 27, 1964 (aged 105) Washington, D.C., US |
| Education | |
| Known for | Fourth African-American woman to receive a PhD |
| Spouse |
George A. C. Cooper
(m. 1877; died 1879) |
| Children | Lula Love Lawson (foster daughter) |
| Relatives | John Haywood (grandfather) |
Born into slavery in 1858, Cooper received a world-class education and claimed power and prestige in academic and social circles. In 1924, she received her PhD from the Sorbonne, University of Paris. Cooper became the fourth African-American woman to earn a doctoral degree. She was also a prominent member of Washington, D.C.'s African-American community and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Cooper made contributions to social science fields, particularly in sociology. Her first book, A Voice from the South: By a Black Woman of the South, is widely acknowledged as one of the first articulations of Black feminism, giving Cooper the often-used title of "the Mother of Black Feminism".