In 1854, Elizabeth Jennings Graham refused to get off a streetcar that only allowed white passengers in NYC. She sued the streetcar company and the court ruled that it had been illegal to forcibly evict Graham solely because she was Black and awarded her $225 in damages

Elizabeth Jennings Graham was born free in New York City to Thomas and Elizabeth Jennings in either 1826 (according to her Death Certificate) or 1830 (according to an 1850 census). Graham parents were prominent members of New York City’s Black middle class and her father was the first African American to hold a patent in the United States. He was also one of the founders of New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church.

Graham would also become involved in social and religious organizations, most prominently as a church organist. The educator was on her way to church to play the organ on July 16, 1854 when she attempted to get on a streetcar of the Third Avenue Railway Company which at the time didn’t allow Black people as passengers. Graham was initially given permission to ride the streetcar as long as none of the other passengers complained, however she was forcibly taken off as soon as the conductor found a policeman to help him throw her off the conveyance.

Graham’s removal from the streetcar due to her race caused a massive protest against the streetcar company by members of New York’s Black community. Graham’s father Thomas Jennings hired an attorney and future president Chester A. Arthur to sue the Third Avenue Railway Company on his daughter’s behalf. At the time, NYC and New York State had no laws regarding segregation on streetcars. Therefore, the court ruled it was illegal to forcibly remove Graham solely because she was Black, and awarded her $225 in damages. Her case itself did not lead to total desegregation of all streetcar lines, however, it did set a precedent for future trials.

After the case, Graham continued her career as a church organist and a teacher. She would go on to open a kindergarten for African American children in her home. The kindergarten operated from 1895 until her death on June 5, 1901.

Sources:

Lewis, D. (2013, November 04). Elizabeth Jennings Graham (?-1905). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/graham-elizabeth-jennings-1905/

John H. Hewitt, Protest and Progress: New York’s First Black Episcopal Church Fights Racism (New York, New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 2000); http://projects.ilt.columbia.edu/Seneca/AfAMNYC/Jennings2.html

Read more:

Oklahoma Law School Student Expelled For Hanging ‘It’s Okay to be White’ Signs On Campus

Maryland 8-year-old raises over $50,000 for homeless veterans

New Program Will Send New Jersey Educators Abroad To Better Teach Black History