On this day in 1853, Mary Ann Shadd published The Provincial Freeman, Canada’s first Black woman-led newspaper
Photo: Portrait of Mary Ann Shadd Cary / Library and Archives Canada / creative licence, and front page of the Provincal Freeman, September 2, 1854.
On this day in 1853, Mary Ann Shadd Cary made history by publishing The Provincial Freeman, becoming North America’s first Black woman publisher and Canada’s first female publisher. An American-Canadian anti-slavery activist, journalist, teacher, and lawyer, Cary launched the newspaper to champion equality, integration, and self-education for Black communities in Canada and the U.S.
Published weekly in southern Ontario, The Provincial Freeman carried the slogan: “Devoted to antislavery, temperance, and general literature.” It ran for four years before financial difficulties forced its closure.
Also on 24 March
In 1977, American actress Lily Tomlin became the first woman to appear solo in a Broadway show with Appearing Nitely.
Read more about women’s achievements throughout history here
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