Lecture: Talent and Beauty: A 19th Century African American Story

This program explores the story of an enslaved African American woman named Annie Crawford (1832–1902) and her daughter Elizabeth (1872–1948), who established herself as a successful dressmaker serving both black and white clientele. Kathleen Curtis Wilson—Fellow, The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, and author of a soon-to-be-published book on this subject—will discuss Elizabeth’s journey from a slave cabin she shared with 10 family members to a two-story home of her own and a thriving business.