♪♪ John: As we begin the final week of pride month, our series, "Hidden histories," takes a look at the bisexual black woman whose writing and activism advocated racial equality and women's suffrage at the turn of the 20th century. Alice dunbar-nelson wrote in many forms -- short stories, essays, and poetry -- and as one of the few black female diarists of the early 20th century, she detailed her life, work, and loves, including clandestine romantic relationships with women. Born Alice Moore in
New Orleans in 1875, her mother was a former enslaved woman. While her father's identity is disputed, scholars say he was likely white. Dunbar-nelson graduated from what's now Dillard university, a historically black school in new Orleans. She was one the very few children of formerly enslaved people to go to college. After a brief time teaching elementary school, she began her pursuit of a literary career. Her first collection of short stories and poetry -- "Violets and other tales" -- was publ
ished in 1895. It was regarded as the first known work of its kind by a black woman. She would continue to publish poetry and short stories throughout her life, writing about racism and oppression, and challenging the conventions of gender and marriage. Dunbar-nelson had three husbands, including internationally acclaimed poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. Their short-lived union was marked by physical and emotional abuse. She also had relationships with women, including journalist fay M. Jackson, poet
Helene Ricks London, and educator Edwina Kruse, who once wrote to dunbar-nelson, "We were more than sisters." Starting in the 1910's, dunbar-nelson became involved in efforts for women's voting rights and to enact anti-lynching legislation. In the 1920's, she turned to journalism, writing essays and articles that explored the issues she campaigned for, activism that characterized the remainder of her life.
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