201 T St NW

Washington, DC

Anna Julia Cooper (b. August 10, 1858; d. February 27, 1964) was an African-American woman who dedicated her 106 years on earth to education. She was born into slavery in 1858 and became one of the most accomplished African-American scholars in early American history, and only the fourth black woman to earn a doctorate degree. She was a passionate public speaker and fearlessly voiced opinions on issues of racism and sexism. She was a member of women’s rights groups, abolitionist societies and literary clubs. And she helped establish and run Frelinghuysen University, dedicated to the education of working-class African Americans in Washington, DC. Cooper lived in DC’s LeDroit Park, a neighborhood that became a center for black intellectuals. Her house was located at 201 T Street NW, and the traffic circle near this house is now named in her honor.