Anne Marie Becraft was an influential 19th-century American educator and one of the first African-American nuns in the Catholic Church. Born in 1805 to a free Black Catholic family in Washington, D.C., she founded the first school for Black girls in Georgetown at the age of 15, providing much-needed education to young African-American women during a time of widespread racial discrimination.
Early Life and Educational Struggles
Anne Marie’s early years were shaped by the racial hostilities of the time. Despite the privileges her family enjoyed as free Black Catholics, she faced significant challenges in accessing quality education. At just four years old, she began her education at the Potter School, a White-operated institution. However, the prevalent racial tensions forced her to leave in 1812. Undeterred, she continued her studies at the New Georgetown School, another White-run establishment, until its forced closure in 1820 due to societal pressures against educating Black students.
Anne Marie Becraft’s early years were shaped by the racial hostilities of the time. Despite the privileges her family enjoyed as free Black Catholics, her parents faced significant challenges in providing her with a quality education. At just four years old, Anne Marie began attending the Potter School, a White-operated institution. However, due to escalating racial tensions, she was forced to leave in 1812. Undeterred, her parents enrolled her at the New Georgetown School, another White-run institution. Unfortunately, societal pressures against educating Black students led to the school’s closure in 1820.
These setbacks, compounded by the pervasive racial prejudice, ignited Anne Marie’s resolve to create educational opportunities for Black girls who, like her, were excluded from formal schooling because of their race.
The First School for Black Girls
In 1820, at the age of 15, Anne Marie transformed a modest house on Dunbarton Street into the Georgetown Seminary, a day school for Black girls, and one of the first academies for female students in the District of Columbia. Supported by Father John Van Lommel of Holy Trinity Church and the Sisters of Visitation, who provided resources and teaching assistance, Anne Marie’s school became a sanctuary for young Black girls from Georgetown, Washington, Alexandria, and beyond. The school offered a comprehensive curriculum and became a cherished space for young Black girls to receive an education in a time when such opportunities were scarce.
For eight years, Anne Marie devoted herself to her students, nurturing their intellectual growth and instilling in them the confidence to navigate a society that often sought to marginalize them. In addition to teaching, Anne Marie actively participated in parish activities at Holy Trinity.
In 1831, feeling called to religious life, Anne Marie handed over the administration of her school to a trusted former student, Ellen Simonds, and joined the Oblate Sisters of Providence in Baltimore, the first African-American religious congregation in the United States dedicated to educating girls of African descent. This religious order, the first for Black women in the Catholic Church, was a natural fit for Anne Marie’s passion for education and service. She took the name Sister Aloysius and continued teaching, dedicating herself to empowering the next generation through faith and learning.
Anne Marie’s life ended prematurely in 1833 due to a chronic chest condition at age 28. Her death coincided with the closure of her school, Georgetown Seminary, which was driven by heightened hostility toward Black education following Nat Turner’s 1831 rebellion. The uprising amplified fears among White society, leading to increased scrutiny and the forced shutdown of many Black educational institutions, including Anne Marie’s school.
In 2017, Georgetown University honored Anne Marie Becraft by renaming its oldest building to Becraft Hall. This change recognized her as “one of the foremothers of social activism in Black Washington.” Before this, the building had been named after Fr. William McSherry, S.J., who was Georgetown president from 1837 to 1839. McSherry’s legacy was tainted by his involvement in overseeing the mass sale of 272 enslaved Africans from Jesuit-owned farms in Maryland to plantations in Louisiana.
Source:
https://adriandominicans.org/Equity-and-Inclusion/anne-marie-becraft-1805-1833
https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/social-justice/blog/anne-marie-becraft-recognized-georgetown-university-pioneer-black-nun-early
https://www.curavirtualis.org/post/ann-marie-becraft-pathmaker
