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Year:1900
Who: Gertrude Bustill Mossell (1855-1948)
Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
What: Born on July 3, 1855, in Philadelphia to Charles and Emily Bustill, Gertrude E.H. Bustill Mossell grew up in a prominent family that emphasized education and activism. She attended the Institute for Colored Youth and the Robert Vaux Grammar School, where she graduated with distinction, delivering an oration titled “Influence.” Her speech so impressed Bishop Henry McNeal Turner of the AME Church that he published it in The Christian Recorder and invited Mossell to contribute essays and poetry.
During the 1870s, Mossell taught in public schools across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky while simultaneously building her journalism career. She contributed to numerous African American and mainstream newspapers, including the New York Age, the Philadelphia Press, and the Indianapolis World. As a journalist, she advocated for the growth and professionalization of the Black press, calling for more extensive national distribution and urging women to pursue journalism as a profession. Mossell’s prominence in the field culminated in the publication of The Work of Afro-American Women (1894), a comprehensive examination of African American women's contributions to society, and Little Dansie’s One Day at Sabbath School (1902), a children’s book.
Mossell's impact extended beyond journalism. She invented a camping table and portable kitchen, though she did not patent the invention in her name. As charity fund director for the Frederick Douglass Hospital in Philadelphia, she led a successful campaign that raised over $30,000 for the construction of its main building. Additionally, she founded the Bustill Family Association and established a Philadelphia branch of the National Afro-American Council. Gertrude E.H. Bustill Mossell passed away on January 21, 1948, leaving behind a legacy of empowerment and innovation.
Sources:
Books:
Sluby, P. C. (2004). The Inventive Spirit of African Americans: Patented Ingenuity, 128.
Journal Articles:
Swanson, K. W. (2022). Centering Black Women Inventors: Passing and the Patent Archive. Stanford Technology Law Review, 25, 305.
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