Susie King Taylor: Nurse, Teacher & Freedom Fighter

A groundbreaking figure in every sense of the word, Susie King Taylor (1848 – 1912) was born enslaved in Georgia, where it was illegal to teach bonded African Americans to read, but she was educated at a secret school. She knew she wanted to use her hard-won education to help others. When the Civil War broke out, she was one of the first Black nurses, tending to the wounded soldiers of the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

After the war, she was a key figure in establishing a postbellum educational system for formerly enslaved Black people, opening several dedicated schools in Georgia. She also became one of the first Black women to publish her memoirs, telling the Civil War story through a little-heard perspective. Even as her country was at war with itself, Taylor valiantly fought for the rights of her people and demonstrated true heroism. From the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of Never Caught and She Came to Slay comes a vibrant middle grade biography of a little-known figure of American history.

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