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WR Immigration Celebrates Charlotte E. Ray – America’s First Black Woman Attorney

As a part of Black History Month, WR Immigration is releasing a series of posts dedicated to highlight some of the incredible stories of exceptional people from the annals of Black History. Many are unfamiliar with the story of Charlotte E. Ray, Esq. – the first Black woman to become an attorney in the United States.  Ms. Ray was born in New York City in 1850 and was one of six children. Her father was a prominent Black abolitionist, clergyman, and journalist; her mother played the role of housewife and was devoted to the education of her children. A progressive upbringing instilled the virtues of courage, hard work, and justice in Ms. Ray, who went on to study law at Howard University, a private, historically black research university that was federally chartered during the Reconstruction Era. In 1872, nearly 50 years before women even had the right to vote in the United States, she became the nation’s first Black woman attorney. Her admission to District of Columbia’s Bar followed Arabella Mansfield, America’s first female attorney, by only three years.   Ms. Ray’s childhood values guided her in the legal practice. She championed women’s rights and successfully argued a divorce plea for Martha Gadley, a victim of […]