Feminist to Know: Hetty Reckless

Hetty Reckless was born into slavery in 1776. At 50, she escaped with her daughter from captivity and made it to Philadelphia, where she would become a leading abolitionist and suffragette. Participating in the Underground Railroad, Hetty Reckless operated a Philadelphia safe house. She was also a founding member of the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society, which was notable for being one of the only racially-integrated abolitionist groups in the nation. 

She was particularly concerned with Black education and freeing women from being sex trafficked. Alongside Hetty Burr, she cofounded the only shelter for Black women in Philadelphia, which was wildly successful. 

Reckless worked alongside many other well-known female abolitionists from the same era, such as Angelina Grimké and Lucretia Mott. Unsurprisingly enough, these white women abolitionists have become more prominent in our historical canon, despite Hetty Reckless’ incredible impact on the abolitionist movement.