Born in Senegal, West Africa, Obour Tanner was enslaved and transported to Newport around 1760. She learned to read and write as a servant in silversmith John Tanner’s home. On July 10, 1768, she was baptized and became a member of the First Congregational Church, Mill Street, Newport. She was a close friend of Phillis Wheatley, the first African American to publish a book of poems. Obour and Phillis exchanged numerous letters during the American Revolution, many of which still exist today. After the war in 1809, Tanner organized the African Female Benevolent Society in Newport, the first African women’s organization in America.
Biography provided by Keith Stokes, Rhode Island Black Heritage Society
Image Courtesy of Library of Congress
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