February is Black History Month. Harriet Jacobs (1813 – March 7, 1897) was an African-American author. Born a North Carolina slave, she was sexually harassed by her master. She hid under the roof of her grandmother’s house for seven (7) years upon threat that he would sell her children, John and Louisa. She was later reunited with them after escaping to New York where she worked as a nanny and became involved in the abolitionist movement. In 1861, her autobiography, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", was published. It was the first Slave Narrative published by a woman. It is considered an “American Classic”.
After the Civil War, she went to Union occupied southern territory and founded schools for free and fugitive slaves.