Phyllis Wheatley: The Woman Who Wrote Herself Free

Celebrating Women's History Month with a badass a day.

There’s a story that feels like a miracle, one of a woman who looked at a world that tried to erase her and said, “I am here.” Her name was Phyllis Wheatley, and she wasn’t just a poet. She was a trailblazer.

Phyllis was born in West Africa around 1753. When she was just seven or eight years old, she was kidnapped, enslaved, and brought to Boston on a slave ship. She was purchased by the Wheatley family, who gave her their surname and, unusually for the time, taught her to read and write.

Phyllis was a prodigy. By the age of 12, she was reading Greek and Latin classics, studying the Bible, and writing poetry. Her talent was undeniable, and the Wheatleys encouraged her, even as the world around her denied her humanity.

In 1773, Phyllis made history when she became the first African American to publish a book of poetry. “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral” was a groundbreaking work, one that challenged the racist assumptions of her time. Her poems explored themes of faith, free…