In 1870, a Black woman sued her enslaver for reparations and won

Sun, 02/04/2024 - 06:58

A man holds a sign that reads, — A man holds a sign as the Reparations Task Force meets to hear public input on reparations at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
Carolyn Cole/Getty Images

A Black woman once sued her enslaver and won in front of an all-white jury.
Her story is one of the few victories in the history of reparations in America.
There has been more vocal support for reparations in recent years, but little action.

Henrietta Wood was born into slavery to the Tousey family in Kentucky between 1818 and 1820. About a decade later, she was sold for $700 to a merchant, Henry Forsyth, in Louisville. According to some reports, the Louisville merchant physically and mentally abused her.