Charlotte E. Ray

Charlotte E. Ray was the first African American woman lawyer in the United States as well as the first woman to be admitted to the District of Columbia Bar. Charlotte attended the Institution for the Education of Colored Youth in Washington, D.C. (now called the University of the District of Columbia) and excelled in her studies. She later graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1872. She was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar on March 2, 1872, and admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on April 23, 1872. Ray broke barriers and paved the way for future generations of women attorneys.  Her parents, Rev. Charles Bennett Ray and his wife, Charlotte Augusta Burroughs, were both pastors and prominent abolitionists. Her father, Rev. Bennet was also a journalist, editor and proprietor of The Colored American. Through Ray’s courage and determination to pursue a legal career despite the racial obstacles of her time, Ray broke new ground and established an inspiring legacy of empowerment for women in law.