Rebecca Cox Jackson: First Black Woman to Challenge Racial and Gender Norms in 19th Century

Rebecca Cox Jackson (1795–1871) was an African-American free woman, best known for her religious activism and for her autobiography. In 1859, she founded the first black Shaker community in Philadelphia.

Rebecca Cox Jackson’s autobiography, titled “Gifts of Power: The Writings of Rebecca Cox Jackson, Black Visionary, Shaker Eldress,” was published in 1981 with editing by Jean McMahon Humez. Before her spiritual awakening in 1830, Jackson worked as a seamstress and cared for her brother’s children.

Post-awakening, she claimed to have received divine abilities such as healing, prophecy, and direct communication with God, which led her to become an itinerant preacher. Embracing the Shaker movement’s values of egalitarianism and celibacy, she and her protégé, Rebecca Perot, established a Shaker community in Philadelphia in 1859.

This community, primarily composed of Black women, was notable for its unique integration of Shaker principles with its members’ cultural and spiritual practices. Jackson’s relationship with Perot, which lasted until her death in 1871, is often highlighted as a significant and controversial aspect of her life story.

Early Life

Rebecca Cox Jackson was born into a free family on February 15, 1795, in Horntown, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Her early years were marked by the loss of her father shortly after her birth. She spent some of her childhood with her grandmother before returning to live with her mother and stepfather.

By the age of ten, Rebecca had moved to Philadelphia, where she took on significant responsibilities caring for her younger siblings. This busy home life likely prevented her from learning to read and write during her childhood.

After her mother passed away, Rebecca lived with her widowed brother, Joseph Cox, who was a tanner and an elder at the Bethel A.M.E. Church and eighteen years her senior. She worked as a seamstress and helped raise his four children.

It wasn’t until her marriage to Samuel S. Jackson and continuing her work as a seamstress that she experienced a profound religious awakening in 1830, which set her on a path of spiritual leadership and visionary experiences.

Legacy

In the 1840s, Rebecca Cox Jackson began documenting her spiritual journey through an autobiography derived from her earlier journal entries. This autobiography, spanning from 1830 to 1864, encapsulates her profound visionary experiences, dreams, and her claimed supernatural abilities.

Jean McMahon Humez later compiled these writings into “Gifts of Power: The Writings of Rebecca Cox Jackson, Black Visionary, Shaker Eldress,” published in 1981. Her narratives delve into her womanist theology and feminism, alongside personal reflections on sexism, racism, and discrimination she faced.

The impact of Jackson’s autobiography extends into contemporary literature and thought. Notably, Alice Walker cited “Gifts of Power” as a significant influence, particularly after completing her novel “The Color Purple.

Walker’s dedication in her book, “To the spirit,” is a homage to the spiritual guidance Jackson received, which Walker felt paralleled the experiences of her protagonist, Celie.

Jackson’s personal life, especially her celibacy and long-standing relationship with Rebecca Perot, has sparked discussions regarding her identity, with some modern interpretations suggesting that she could be considered one of the earliest black queer spiritual narratives in American history, as described by Kittredge Cherry in a 2022 post on Q Spirit.

Jackson’s legacy also continues in the arts, with the 2018 installation by artist Cauleen Smith titled “Space Station: Two Rebeccas,” which creatively references Jackson and Perot through multimedia elements, including scratch films projected onto disco balls.

Rebecca Cox Jackson passed away on May 24, 1871, from a stroke. She was interred at the Shaker’s Central Ministry at Mount Lebanon. Following her death, Rebecca Perot honored her by taking on Jackson’s name, continuing their shared spiritual mission.

Jackson’s enduring influence is recognized in various forms of media and scholarly work, underlining her significant role in shaping feminist and spiritual discourse.