Sadie Alexander Biography (1898–1989)
Sadie Alexander was an American economist, lawyer and civil rights advocate who achieved multiple firsts as a Black woman in the 20th century.
Who Was Sadie Alexander?
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander broke barriers throughout her life. Born at the end of the 19th century, she was the first Black American to get a Ph.D. in economics and was the second Black woman to earn a Ph.D., receiving hers just a day after the first. In addition, Alexander was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's law school and to be admitted to the Pennsylvania bar. She used her skills to fight for civil rights for Black Americans and served on President Harry Truman's Committee on Civil Rights. She was also appointed to the White House Conference on Aging by President Jimmy Carter.
Early Life and Education
Sadie Tanner Mossell was born on January 2, 1898, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Aaron A. Mossell and Mary Tanner Mossell.
Alexander grew up without her father, who left the family when she was a baby. As a child, she spent time in both Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Alexander graduated from Washington's M Street High School, which later became Dunbar High School, in 1915.
Alexander's next step was to enroll in the University of Pennsylvania's School of Education. There, she was ostracized by her white classmates and informed she couldn't borrow books from the school's library. However, racism didn't keep her from graduating with honors in 1918.
Family
Alexander was a member of an accomplished family. Her grandfather, Bishop Benjamin Tucker, was a leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. One uncle, Henry Ossawa Tanner, became an acclaimed painter. Another uncle, Nathan F. Mossell, was the first medical school graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked as a surgeon and co-founded what would become Mercy-Douglass Hospital.
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Posted By: Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
Wednesday, March 9th 2022 at 11:14PM
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