BREAKING BARRIERS

A nonfiction book focuses on three high-achieving African American women.

In 1921, three students became the first African American women to earn doctorates in the United States, each from an elite university traditionally reserved for Whites. Georgiana R. Simpson earned her degree in German studies from the University of Chicago; Sadie T. Mossell Alexander, in economics from the University of Pennsylvania; and Eva B. Dykes, in English literature from Radcliffe. All three were the descendants of enslaved people—Simpson was the first in her family born free. All three attended the “legendary” M Street High School in Washington, D.C., the first strictly academic high school for African American students, considered among the best of its kind. And each had to contend with a litany of discriminatory hurdles, including racism, segregation, Jim Crow laws, and the loneliness of social isolation, obstacles movingly depicted by Williams: “Black women in America have always faced the double obstacles of gender and race. That so many have succeeded in so many varied fields to achieve their dreams and realize their aspirations is a testament to their strength.” The author combines rigorous historical scholarship with keen storytelling—he brings to vivid life the struggles of these three students to overcome the “double jeopardy” of being both African American and women. What the author says of Dykes when she attended Radcliffe could be extended to Simpson and Mossell Alexander as well—she “assailed the White academic world.” Williams writes in an accessible, lucid style that radiates enthusiasm for the subject—the author studied with Dykes while she served as an English professor at Oakwood College. Moreover, Williams paints an intriguing tableau of the courage and perseverance required to challenge conventional prohibitions, to be “pioneers” and “trailblazers.” This is a captivating study, as dramatic as it is well researched.

An engrossing and inspiring account of three remarkable women.