Our executive board
Who is Charlotte E. Ray?
Who is Charlotte E. Ray?
Our amazing leadership team is committed to our mission. We take our convictions and turn them into action. !
Who is Charlotte E. Ray?
Who is Charlotte E. Ray?
Who is Charlotte E. Ray?
We stand on the shoulders of Charlotte E Ray. Ray was the first black female attorney in the United States. Ray graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1872. She was also the first female admitted to the District of Columbia and the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Her adm
We stand on the shoulders of Charlotte E Ray. Ray was the first black female attorney in the United States. Ray graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1872. She was also the first female admitted to the District of Columbia and the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Her admission was used as a precedent by women in other states who sought admission to the bar. Early on, Fredrick Douglas supported Ray and used his newspaper to advertise her law office.
However, because of systematic racism and sexism, she practiced law for only a few years. Although Ray was thought of as one of the most talented attorneys like so many other black women, Ray's intelligence, sex, and skin color were seen as a threat to society, and it was hard for her to find work. Prejudice against African Americans and women made her practice unsustainable. Ray eventually moved to New York, where she became a teacher. She ultimately became a pioneer and turned her attention to the women's suffrage movement and joined the National Association of Colored Women
