As a Black Christian individual born in the 1980s, I observed that Black history was relegated to a single month. While I acknowledged the intention behind dedicating a month to recognizing the contributions of Black Americans, I questioned why only one month is set aside to learn about Black history and achievements. This inquiry prompted me to investigate the origins of this observance.
Black History Month originated in 1926 through the efforts of historian Carter G. Woodson, who aimed to highlight the contributions of African Americans frequently overlooked in historical narratives. Woodson, alongside the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now ASALH), established Negro History Week in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both significant figures in the emancipation movement.1 The observance gained traction in schools and churches, evolving by the late 1960s into Black History Month at numerous colleges. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month, calling upon Americans to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.”2
As we dedicate February to acknowledging and understanding how God has used His creations to advance His Kingdom, we examine the life of a remarkable Black woman missionary named Betsey Stockton. Betsey Stockton’s life as a pioneering African American missionary and educator demonstrates that Black History Month remains essential for recognizing how God has worked through all image-bearers to advance His Kingdom, challenging the historical erasure of marginalized voices within Christian narratives and American history.
Betsey Stockton
Betsey Stockton was born into slavery circa 1798 in Princeton, New Jersey. The 1860 Federal Census documented her as a “Mulatta,” aged sixty, born in New Jersey.3 Contemporary and secondary sources place her birth somewhat earlier than 1800. The most frequently cited date is 1798, the date inscribed upon her tombstone, though this designation is typically qualified with uncertainty.4 These sources further indicate that her father was a white man whose identity remains undetermined. Her mother was presumably an enslaved woman residing in the Princeton household of Robert Stockton, a member of one of New Jersey’s most politically distinguished families during the Revolutionary era.5
Stockton Missionary Journey
In 1822, Stockton expressed her desire to serve as a foreign missionary and joined a mission group led by Charles Samuel Stewart, headed for the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii. Stockton made history as the first unmarried American woman commissioned as a missionary by a U.S. mission board and the first African American woman to serve in Hawaii. When she arrived in Lāhainā, Maui, in 1823, she opened a school for the common people, or maka’āinana, teaching literacy, history, English, Latin, and algebra. This was particularly important because earlier schools had been largely limited to chiefs and the elite. Stockton showed impressive cultural adaptability by learning the Hawaiian language and training native Hawaiian teachers to continue the educational work after she left. Her service in Hawaii ended in 1825 when she returned to the United States to accompany Mrs. Stewart, who was in poor health.6
Following her missionary work in Hawaii, Stockton dedicated herself to educational leadership across multiple communities. She administered an infant school in Philadelphia specifically designed to serve African American children and subsequently established a school on Grape Island in Canada for Native American children.7 From 1835 until her death, Stockton resided in Princeton, where she taught and systematically organized educational opportunities for Black children over several decades. In 1840, she played a pivotal role in founding Princeton’s first African American Presbyterian congregation, which later became known as the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church. This institution also served as a venue for night classes that Stockton actively supported, further extending educational access to the community.8
Betsey Stockton passed away in Princeton on October 24, 1865. She devoted most of her life to advancing education and Christian service across diverse communities and continents. Her remarkable accomplishments have garnered increasing recognition from historians and scholarly initiatives, most notably Princeton University’s “Princeton & Slavery Research Project.”9
Conclusion
Black History Month offers us a powerful opportunity to recover the stories that have been pushed to the margins of both American and Christian memory. When we discover trailblazers like Betsey Stockton, an enslaved woman who became a missionary, educator, and church founder, we’re reminded of the richness that awaits when we embrace the full story. Black History Month exists not because Black history is separate from American or Christian history, but because it invites us to make these essential stories foundational rather than optional. February is a celebration and a call forward, urging us to recognize that God’s Kingdom has always been built through diverse voices. Remembering Betsey Stockton is an act of theological faithfulness, affirming the beautiful truth that God works powerfully through all His image-bearers.
- Carter G. Woodson. The Mis-Education of the Negro, (Associated Publishers, 1933), 101-103. ↩︎
- Mirelle Luecke. National Archives, Recognition of Black History Month, February 1, 2024, ford.blogs.archives.gov/2024/02/01/recognition-of-black-history-month/. ↩︎
- Ancestry, 1860 Federal Census for Princeton, Mercer: New Jersey, accessed January 6, 2026, www.ancestry.com. ↩︎
- Mulatto is a racial classification that refers to people of mixed Sub-Saharan African and European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the word is mulatta (Spanish: mulata). The use of this term began in areas that later became the United States shortly after the Atlantic slave trade began, and its use later became widespread, derogatory, and disrespectful. ↩︎
- Constance K. Escher, She Calls Herself Betsey Stockton: The Illustrated Odyssey of Princeton Slave (Resource Publication, 2022), 14. ↩︎
- Gregory H. Nobles, The Education of Betsey Stockton: An Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom (The University of Chicago Press, 2022), 101-104. ↩︎
- Nobles, The Education of Betsey Stockton: An Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom, 125-140. ↩︎
- Escher, She Calls Herself Betsey Stockton: The Illustrated Odyssey of Princeton Slave, 148-149. ↩︎
- Nobles, The Education of Betsey Stockton: An Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom, 219-221. ↩︎
