Alice Dunbar Nelson was married to one of the greatest Black poets of all time, Paul Laurence Dunbar. She was an advocate for women’s rights. She was even an incredible writer in her own right. But a look below the surface revealed that everything was not as it seemed.
Her life with Paul Laurence Dunbar was filled with abuse and alcoholism. His doctor treated him with whiskey – a dreadful attempt to soothe the tuberculosis that was destroying his body. When he almost killed her in a fit of rage, she knew it was time to leave.
She eventually remarried, but didn’t change who she was. Nelson remained an outspoken activist for Black women’s rights. This passion combined with her writing talent made her a force to be reckoned with. There was something else, too.
No matter how much opposition she faced from men or from the white world, she kept writing, speaking out, and advocating for Black women. Even when she was sick and dying, she kept a diary and her thirst for equality.
Nelson faced hardship, abuse, and rejection trying to make her voice heard. In spite of this, she kept pursuing her passion. We must remember that a racist, misogynist society will always seek to silence the voices of those they hate. Never keep quiet!