Josephine Turpin Washington (July 31, 1861 – March 17, 1949) was an African-American writer and teacher. A long-time educator and a frequent contributor, Washington devised articles to magazines and newspapers typically concerning some aspect of

racism in America Racism has been reflected in discriminatory laws, practices, and actions (including violence) against Race (human categorization), racial or ethnic groups throughout the history of the United States. Since the early Colonial history of the Uni ...

. Washington was a great-granddaughter of Mary Jefferson Turpin, a paternal aunt of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

Family

Josephine Turpin was born in

Goochland County, Virginia Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland. Goochland County is inclu ...

on July 31, 1861, the daughter of Augustus A. Turpin and Maria V. Crump. Her father was a son of a former African slave named Mary and her former enslaver Edwin Durock Turpin (1783–1868). In her 1995 book, ''All is Never Said: The Narrative of Odette Harper Hines'' (written with

Judith Rollins Judith Rollins is a Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies and Sociology at Wellesley College. Rollins earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Howard University, and her PhD in Sociology from Brandeis University. Her research ...

), Hines reveals that Turpin fell in love with Mary not long after she arrived in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

aboard a

slave ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting Slavery, slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea ( ...

and became his property. Sometime later he took the very unusual step for the day and married her. According to Hines, her great-grandfather took care that their children received an education and also broke with common practice in allowing his slaves to learn basic reading, writing and arithmetic.Penn. ''The Afro-American Press and Its Editors'', 1891, pp.393-396
Retrieved December 4, 2013

Early life

Turpin was first educated at home and later at public schools probably in

Goochland, Virginia Goochland is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Goochland County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 899, up from 861 in 2010. The community is also known as Goochland Courthouse or by an a ...

. After her family relocated to

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

she attended the Richmond Institute, later known as the

Richmond Theological Seminary Richmond Theological Institute (RTI) was a higher education institution active from 1867 until 1899 in Richmond, Virginia, serving African American and former slaves after the American Civil War. Formerly known as Richmond Theological Seminary, Ri ...

. She was among the 1886 graduating class at

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

where during summer breaks she clerked for

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He was the most impor ...

, then recorder of deeds for the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. After her graduation she taught mathematics at Howard University until her marriage in 1888 to Dr. Samuel Somerville Hawkins Washington brought her to Birmingham, Alabama.Harlan and Smock. ''The Booker T. Washington Papers: 1904-6,'' 1979, p. 251
Retrieved December 4, 2013

Educator

Over her career Washington would serve on the faculties of

Selma University Selma University is a private historically black Baptist Bible college in Selma, Alabama, U.S.. It is affiliated with the Alabama State Missionary Baptist Convention. History The institution was founded in 1878 as the Alabama Baptist Normal an ...

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU; formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute) is a Private university, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It was f ...

, where her husband held the position of school physician,

Alabama State University Alabama State University (ASU, Bama State, or Alabama State) is a public historically Black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, during the Reconstruction era, it was one of about 180 " normal schools" established by state gove ...

and

Wilberforce University Wilberforce University (WU) is a private university in Wilberforce, Ohio. It is one of three historically black universities established before the American Civil War. Founded in 1856 by the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), it is named after ...

. She retired in 1934 after twenty years as

dean of women The dean of women at a college or university in the United States is the dean (education), dean with responsibility for student affairs for female students. In early years, the position was also known by other names, including preceptress, lady pri ...

at Wilberforce.Mrs. S. S. H. Washington. ''New York Times,'' March 19, 1949, p. 15

Writer

Washington's first article accepted for print, "A Talk about Church Fairs", appeared in the ''Virginia Star'' whilst she was still in her teens. In the piece she questioned the sale of wine at church fundraising events. Washington wrote essays such as "Higher Education for Women", which appeared in the ''People's Advocate'', and the introductions to ''Women of Distinction'' (1893) by Lawson A. Scruggs and ''Homespun Heroines and Other Women of Distinction'' (1926) by

Hallie Quinn Brown Hallie Quinn Brown (March 15, 1845/1850 - September 16, 1949) was an African-American educator and activist. She moved with her parents (who were formerly enslaved) while relatively young to a farm near Chatham, Ontario, Canada, in 1864 and then ...

. She covered the gauntlet of issues concerning African-Americans, including employment and educational opportunities, the raising of children, and the challenges that threatens the bond between women and men. Washington defended the "progressive woman" who yearned for both a successful professional career and domestic life. As chair of the Executive Board of the Alabama State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, Washington penned their Federation Hymn, ''Mother Alabama''. She submitted numerous articles over her life for print in such publications as the ''Christian Recorder'', the ''

New York Freeman The ''New York Freeman'' (1849–1918) was an American Catholic weekly newspaper in New York City. History The ''Weekly Register and Catholic Diary'' was started on October 5, 1833, by Fathers Schneller and Levins. It lasted three years, and wa ...

'', the ''A. M. E. Review'', ''

The Colored American Magazine ''The Colored American Magazine'' was the first monthly publication in the United States that covered African-American culture. It ran from May 1900 to November 1909 and had a peak circulation of 17,000. The magazine was initially published out ...

'', and the ''

New York Globe ''The New York Globe'', also called ''The New York Evening Globe'', was a daily New York City newspaper published from 1904 to 1923, when it was bought and merged into ''The New York Sun''. It is not related to a New York City-based Saturday fami ...

''.Library of Congress Copyright Office. ''Catalog of Copyright Entries. New Series: 1926,'' Part 1., 1927, p. 1194
Retrieved November 5, 2013Washington, Josephine - ''Facts On File History Database Center''
Retrieved December 5, 2013 These and other articles are gathered in Rita Dandridge's edition of ''The Collected Essays of Josephine J. Turpin Washington: A Black Reformer in the Post-Reconstruction South'' (University of Virginia Press, 2019).

Death

Washington died at age 87 at her daughter's home in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

Resources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Josephine Turpin 1861 births 1949 deaths Activists for African-American civil rights People from Goochland County, Virginia Writers from Virginia Howard University alumni Howard University faculty 20th-century African-American educators Deans of women Educators from Virginia 19th-century American women writers 19th-century American writers 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American writers 20th-century American educators 20th-century American women educators American women academics 20th-century African-American women writers 20th-century African-American writers