Backpack (Fanny Jackson Coppin)

Fanny Jackson Coppin was an extraordinary American educator and missionary, born into slavery on October 15, 1837, in Washington, D.C. Her freedom was purchased by her aunt at the age of 12. Coppin was a trailblazer in advocating for higher education for women and became one of the first Black alumnae of Oberlin College1. Here are some of her remarkable contributions:

Educator: She served as the principal of the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia, becoming the first African American school superintendent in the United States.
Innovator: Coppin introduced a practice-teaching system and an elaborate industrial-training department at the Institute for Colored Youth, which later became Cheyney University.
Missionary Work: Alongside her husband, Reverend Levi Jenkins Coppin, she performed missionary work in South Africa, including founding the Bethel Institute, a missionary school with self-help programs1.
Advocate: Throughout her life, Coppin was a staunch advocate for education and vocational training as tools to combat racial discrimination.
Fanny Jackson Coppin’s legacy is a testament to her dedication to education and her efforts to empower African Americans through learning and skill development. She passed away on January 21, 1913, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, leaving behind a rich legacy of progress and empowerment.