Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson

Alice Dunbar Nelson (July 19, 1875 – September 18, 1935) was an American poet, journalist, and political activist. Among the first generation of African Americans born free in the Southern United States after the end of the American Civil War, she was one of the prominent African Americans involved in the artistic flourishing of the Harlem Renaissance. She gained recognition for her poetry, short stories, and essays that explored themes of race, gender, and respectability; for her journalism and newspaper columns advocating for Black women's rights and anti-lynching legislation; and for her editorial work on two influential anthologies that highlighted African American literature.

Early life and background

Alice Ruth Moore was born on July 19, 1875, in New Orleans, Louisiana, into a family with a complex racial and ethnic background. Her mother, Patricia Wright, was a former slave and Alice's upbringing in the South during the post-Reconstruction era had a significant influence on her later works. Growing up in a city with a history of mixed-race relationships, Alice's identity as both Black and Creole shaped her perspectives on race, identity, and social norms, themes she would later explore in her writing.

Personal life

Moore graduated from the teaching program at Straight University (later merged into Dillard University) in 1892 following years of exceptional academic performance and showcasing her musical talent by playing the piano, mandolin, and cello. As a 17-year-old college graduate she worked as a teacher in the public school system of New Orleans at Old Marigny Elementary. Nelson lived in New Orleans for twenty-one years.