Downtown in Raleigh in Wake County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Anna J. Cooper

1858-1964

Photographed By Dinikqua Jackson, May 23, 2016

1. Anna J. Cooper Marker

Inscription. Educator, orator, & early black feminist. Graduate, St. Augustine's. Author, A Voice from the South (1892). Grave 2½ blks. S.

Erected 2010 by Office of Archives and History. (Marker Number H-119.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the North Carolina Division of Archives and History series list.

Location. 35° 46.847′ N, 78° 37.938′ W. Marker is in Raleigh, North Carolina, in Wake County. It is in Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of North East Street and East Edenton Street, on the left when traveling north on North East Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 35 N East St, Raleigh NC 27601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. City Cemetery (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named City Cemetery (about 800 feet away); Lamar Stringfield (approx. 0.2 miles away); Haywood Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); North Carolina Medical Society 150th Anniversary (approx. 0.2 miles away); Executive Mansion

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(approx. ¼ mile away); State Bank of North Carolina (approx. ¼ mile away); Oakwood Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Raleigh.

Regarding Anna J. Cooper. A summary of A Voice from the South at Project Gutenberg:
During her years as a teacher and principal at M Street High School, Cooper completed her first book, A Voice from the South: By A Woman from the South, published in 1892. It was her only published work, although she delivered many speeches calling for civil rights and woman's rights. Perhaps her most well-known volume of writing, A Voice from the South is widely viewed as one of the first articulations of Black feminism. The book advanced a vision of self-determination through education and social uplift for African-American women. Its central thesis was that the educational, moral, and spiritual progress of black women would improve the general standing of the entire African-American community. She says that the violent natures of men often run counter to the goals of higher education, so it is important to foster more female intellectuals because they will bring more elegance to education. This view was criticized by some as submissive

Photographed By Dinikqua Jackson, May 23, 2016

2. Anna J. Cooper Marker

to the 19th-century cult of true womanhood, but others label it as one of the most important arguments for black feminism in the 19th century. Cooper advanced the view that it was the duty of educated and successful black women to support their underprivileged peers in achieving their goals. The essays in A Voice from the South also touched on a variety of topics, from racism and the socioeconomic realities of black families to the administration of the Episcopal Church.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 24, 2016, by Dinikqua Jackson of Raleigh, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 422 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 25, 2016, by Dinikqua Jackson of Raleigh, North Carolina. 2. submitted on May 24, 2016, by Dinikqua Jackson of Raleigh, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.