Celia was only 14 when her enslaver, Robert Newsom, purchased her to work on his Missouri farm. But for years, the old man raped her constantly. And on the night of June 23, 1855, Celia had had enough.
That night, Newsom cornered her in her cabin. Celia, now 19 years old, grabbed a heavy stick and clubbed him in the head. He groaned and fell. She struck him again – and he was dead.
Celia burned the body, but it was found the next day. Soon her murder trial was underway.
Of course Celia didn’t receive a fair trial, even though Missouri law protected women who defended themselves from rape. To white America, Celia wasn’t human – she was property.
They DID believe Celia was human enough to be convicted of first-degree murder, though.
On December 21, 1855, Celia was hanged in the gallows.
And over a century later, 1 in 4 Black girls are still sexually abused before age 18. The majority are forced into silence. But when survivors like Celia defend themselves against abuse, this country still responds with violent imprisonment.
Today, we need to fight just as hard for rape survivors in our communities as survivors fight for themselves. And, in the spirit of Celia, we must fight for a world where Black women are not considered property, but human beings worthy of love!