Susie King Taylor: A Life of Learning and Teaching

As a child in Georgia, Susie King Taylor learned to read when laws and customs made education dangerous for many Black people. She later shared that knowledge with others and wrote down her own experiences. Her life connected learning, teaching, and the struggle for freedom.

Susie was born into slavery on August 6, 1848, in Liberty County, Georgia. As a young child, she went to live with her grandmother in Savannah. Georgia law prohibited teaching enslaved people to read and write, but Susie attended secret schools taught by Black women. She also received help from other people who shared lessons with her.

Learning required care. Students could not attend school openly as many children do today. Yet Susie practiced reading and writing and gained skills that would shape the rest of her life.

In 1861, the Civil War began. The war was fought between the United States, also called the Union, and the Confederate states that had broken away. Slavery was central to the conflict. In 1862, Susie and some family members escaped to St. Simons Island, off the Georgia coast, which was held by Union forces. There, she found freedom and an opportunity to teach.