As a free woman Anna Murray used her money and creativity to help Frederick Douglass escape enslavement.
The two married, with Anna providing the resources they needed for a fresh start.
Douglass traveled for abolition work, sometimes being away for years at a time. When he was home, he was expected to meet the demands that came with publishing The North Star, an anti-slavery newspaper.
This left Murray to raise five children, tend to the household, manage finances, work, and organize their home as a stop for The Underground Railroad.
Murray had to be strong. She picked up the pieces when their house burned down and grieved in silence when their daughter died.
Murray did these labors of love and STILL received anti-Black criticism from white women who were colleagues of Douglass. But she paid them no mind.
She understood that even from a distance, she and Douglass were working together to fight for liberation.
Being a stay-at-home parent or caregiver is a full time job. Anti-Blackness has demeaned this labor because historically it was expected that enslaved Black women did this work.
Like Murray, numerous Black women dedicated their lives to freedom but didn’t receive credit because their activism was done behind the scenes. As we continue to organize, let's broaden our understanding of what activism looks like.