Sarah Jessica Parker's 2022 Met Gala Dress Honored A 19th Century Black Woman

Publish date: 2024-05-05

According to Women & the American Story, Keckley was born into slavery in Virginia in 1818. The White House Historical Association explains that she was most likely the product of a non-consensual relationship between her mother, Aggy, and her master, Colonel Armistead Burwell. As a child, Aggy taught her daughter how to sew, and this later became Keckley's saving grace. It would be an understatement to say that she lived a life of hardship. As a slave, Keckley was regularly mistreated and physically abused. Nonetheless, she persevered and began to make dresses to make money for her enslavers when they were in need of funds.

Keckley did this to prevent her aging mother from being rented out as a servant (via Women & the American Story). At this point, she, her mother, and her only son, named George, were living in St. Louis, Missouri with the Colonel's daughter. Her dresses were a hit. Racked reports that Keckley's reputation as a dressmaker quickly grew. She also received a marriage proposal from James Keckley, a free Black man. However, she refused to marry him because she was still enslaved. Ultimately, this inspired Keckley to seek out her freedom.

JSTOR Daily writes that she was eventually able to buy her and her son George's freedom for $1200, or $40,000 in 2022. Keckley was able to raise the money using the connections she had made with her dressmaking. It took her five years to pay the debt back.

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