People, Locations, Episodes

Sarah Remond, Abolitionist born

Sarah Remond

Sarah Parker Remond was born on this date in 1826. She was a Black abolitionist and one of the most articulate public speakers of her time.

She was born in Salem, MA, one of eight children. Although she had little schooling, she educated herself by reading books, pamphlets, and newspapers borrowed from friends or purchased from the Anti-Slavery Society of her community.  Her family and associates included many activists of the times, and Remond witnessed many of the effects of slavery and racism involving the Underground Railroad.

In 1853, she bought a ticket for the opera at Howard Athenaeum in Boston but refused to sit in a segregated section for the show.  She was forcibly removed and pushed down a flight of stairs.

Remond sued for damages and won her case.  In 1856, the American Anti-Slavery Society hired a team of lecturers, including Remond, her brother Charles, and Susan B. Anthony, to tour New York State addressing anti-slavery issues. Over the next two years, she, her brother, and many others spoke in Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. They were often confronted with improper accommodations due to being black.

During this time, she learned the need for a good formal education. She wrote to a friend: “And when I consider that the only reason why I did not obtain what I so much desired was that I was the possessor of an unpopular complexion, it adds to my discomfort.” In 1859, she traveled to England to gain support against slavery, giving over 40 lectures in 18 cities and towns.

Remond spoke movingly about the mistreatment of slaves in the United States, including the sexual abuse of females by their owners. Even as she toured giving speeches, she found time to attend Bedford College for Ladies in London. She studied French, Latin, English literature, music, history, and elocution.

Little is known of her later years, although she did marry Lazzaro Pintor, a native of Sardinia.  Sarah Parker Remond died on December 13, 1894, and was buried in Rome, Italy.