April 16 …

Sarah Harris Fayerweather was a courageous African American pioneer whose lifelong work helped challenge racial barriers in education and advance the causes of abolition and civil rights in the 19th century.

Born Sarah Ann Major Harris on April 16, 1812 in Norwich, CT, she grew up in a family dedicated to social justice. Her father, William Monteflora Harris, was a respected civil rights advocate who believed in the transformative power of education. The Harrises were active members of the Second Congregational Church of Norwich, a predominantly white congregation that championed abolitionist ideals. This environment immersed Sarah in the principles of equality and activism, establishing a foundation for her significant contributions to American society.

In September 1832, at the age of 20, Harris made history by applying to Prudence Crandall’s Canterbury Female Boarding School, an all-white academy in Canterbury. There, she became the first African American student, making the school one of the pioneering integrated educational institutions in the United States.

Despite facing intense community opposition — including violence, legal challenges, and attempts to enact discriminatory legislation known as the Connecticut “Black Law” — she persevered in her education. Her bravery helped Crandall transform the academy into a school for African American women, although local hostility ultimately led to its closure.

Sarah’s activism reached beyond her own education. On November 28, 1833, she married abolitionist blacksmith George Fayerweather Jr., and together they raised a family while continuing their fight for racial equality. The Fayerweathers were active members of the Kingston Anti-Slavery Society and frequently attended American Anti-Slavery Society meetings throughout the North.

They corresponded with prominent abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and remained subscribers to William Lloyd Garrison’s newspaper, The Liberator, until it ceased publication in 1865. Their home became a well-known station on the Underground Railroad, providing shelter and assistance to those escaping enslavement.

While formal recognition for activists of her time was rare, Sarah Harris Fayerweather’s legacy has been honored in contemporary times. In 1970, Fayerweather Hall at the University of Rhode Island was named in her honor, and the Fayerweather Craft Guild in Kingston preserves the heritage of her family’s home and abolitionist efforts.

The unwavering dedication of Sarah Harris Fayerweather to education, commitment to anti-slavery activism, and position as a community leader have secured her a prominent place in American history as a pioneer in the struggle for civil rights and equal access to education.