Shirley J. Yee

About the Author

Shirley J. Yee is a distinguished historian and scholar whose work illuminates the vital contributions of Black women to the abolitionist movement in antebellum America. With a PhD in American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she has dedicated her career to uncovering the voices and agency of marginalized figures in U.S. social reform. Her seminal book, Black Women Abolitionists: A Study in Activism, 1828–1860, meticulously documents the activism of African American women who challenged slavery through writing, organizing, and public advocacy, reshaping our understanding of gender, race, and resistance. Yee's research draws on extensive archival sources to highlight how these women forged alliances across racial lines while navigating profound systemic barriers. A professor emerita at the University of Illinois, she continues to influence interdisciplinary studies in African American and women's history through her lectures and publications.