You could take this story in many different directions. This podcast episode focuses more on the different attitudes and interactions between the elite white and Black women as they navigated the challenges of fundraising for the Centennial. I felt there were many lessons we could learn to help us with our current discussions about diversity and inclusion of previously excluded groups today.
I also wanted to underscore how varied and complex this group of women were. Hayashida-Knight had warned me about treating Caroline Le Count as a golden-hearted hero, instead of as a truly remarkable and complicated person.
I took inspiration from the wonderful series of historical nineteenth century images included in the gallery below. They are women. They are Black.
But they are each a galaxy with their own unique constellations of experience, talents, and dreams. I hope I have given Le Count some of this depth of character. I doubt that I have the nuances of this story completely right, but I look forward to how future historians interpret this event.
I was really intrigued by Caroline Le Count as a well-known dramatic reader. It is hard for us to understand this aspect of her career without really getting into nineteenth century entertainment. Why would a Black woman garner large crowds to listen to her read poems written by white men, often about patriotic events? It feels weird. Eloquent speaking was a desirable attainment for all well-educated citizens. Being able to speak well was considered essential to participating in a progressive, democratic society.
