Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin (1842–1924) was a pioneering Black American journalist, suffragist, and civil rights leader who helped organize Black women into a national force for social change. Born in Boston to a prominent abolitionist family, Ruffin was educated in the United States and Europe and became deeply involved in the fight for both racial and gender equality.

In 1890, she founded The Woman’s Era, the first newspaper published by and for Black women, using it to address issues of voting rights, education, and racial injustice. Ruffin was a key organizer of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) in 1896, helping unite Black women’s clubs across the country under the motto “Lifting as We Climb.”

She also challenged segregation within the women’s suffrage movement, insisting that Black women be fully included. Ruffin’s leadership and vision helped lay the foundation for generations of Black women activists advocating for justice and equality.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.

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