BHS Day 25: Elizabeth Keckley

Hi! If you're reading this on Saturday when I post it, then I'm sure you know that I bombarded you with the week's posts last night. Per usual, I've been off schedule. I'll explain everything after BHS is over. Anyway, for the last Fashion Spotlight I really wanted to find a name that I hadn't heard of because with Black names in fashion already being a bit of a rarity during the time periods that I usually search, I thought it was important to highlight as many of those forgotten or unknown names as much as possible. I've been looking up Black fashion designers and seamstresses for awhile now, but for some reason I didn't come by today's entrant until I figured out this post. 

Name: Elizabeth Keckley, 1818(or 1920)--1907

Profession: Seamstress, civil rights activist, author

Why is the Spotlight on them today? For her role as a pioneer in the industry

Notables and accomplishments:
--Authored the then-controversial memoir Behind the Scenes: or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House, which ended her friendship and business relationship with former First Lady Lincoln
--Financially supported the household she was sold to through her seamstress duties while in slavery   --Because of her list of successful clients, was able to financially support herself in Washington through client commissions
--Founded the Contraband Relief Association, which became the Ladies' Freedmen and Soldier's Relief Association --Organized a dress exhibit at Chicago World's Fair --Donated funds to the National Home for Destitute Colored Women and Children
--Dressed a number of society women and wives before becoming the personal modiste (and later friend) to Mary Lincoln during and after her time as First Lady
--Received quite a bit of flack for her memoir, which could be regarded as one of the first exposé novels due to the revealing of personal information on the White House and First Lady Lincoln's life  --Worked at Wilberforce University's head of Department of Sewing and Domestic Science Arts after her seamstress career in Washington D.C. was over

Research resources and further reading links: Wikipedia | Doc American South | American National Biography

Quote of the Day:
“An act may be wrong, but unless the ruling power recognizes the wrong, it is useless to hope for a correction of it.” 
--an excerpt from Elizabeth Keckley's Behind the Scenes