Fannie Barrier Williams Addresses the World's Columbian Exposition

Fannie Barrier Williams delivered a landmark address at the World's Parliament of Religions during Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition, speaking on 'The Intellectual Progress of the Colored Women of the United States.' Her speech challenged the deliberate exclusion of Black Americans from the fair's official planning and exhibits. Williams became a leading voice insisting that Black women's achievements be recognized as part of American civilization.