Tis fitting that a daughter of the race / whose chains are breaking should receive a gift / as rare as genius. — Anna Waterson, in her poem "Edmonia Lewis" (image via Smithsonian) At age 18, Edmonia Lewis left her studies at Oberlin College, which she attended as one of the only black students. And she didn't leave because she failed her classes or because she dropped out -- she left because two white classmates accused her of attempting to poison them. This wasn't the first racially-charged incident to mar Edmonia's time at college. She'd previously been accused of stealing art supplies. With this final incident in 1862 ruining her reputation on campus, Edmonia moved to Boston, where she began sculpting full-time.
A Woman to Know: Edmonia Lewis
A Woman to Know: Edmonia Lewis
A Woman to Know: Edmonia Lewis
Tis fitting that a daughter of the race / whose chains are breaking should receive a gift / as rare as genius. — Anna Waterson, in her poem "Edmonia Lewis" (image via Smithsonian) At age 18, Edmonia Lewis left her studies at Oberlin College, which she attended as one of the only black students. And she didn't leave because she failed her classes or because she dropped out -- she left because two white classmates accused her of attempting to poison them. This wasn't the first racially-charged incident to mar Edmonia's time at college. She'd previously been accused of stealing art supplies. With this final incident in 1862 ruining her reputation on campus, Edmonia moved to Boston, where she began sculpting full-time.