Sarah Fossett

Sarah Fossett was born enslaved in South Carolina in 1826. She was sent to New Orleans to study under a French hair specialist, and moved to Cincinnati in the ‘40s to build a salon for the city’s wealthiest women.

She married Peter Fossett, who was born enslaved by Thomas Jefferson. He was freed at 35 and became a minister. Sarah was a pillar of service for his congregation and for local orphanages like the Orphan Asylum for Colored Youth.

As conductors on the Underground Railroad, the Fossetts helped hundreds of enslaved Black people find freedom. Sarah also played a critical role in history just by riding the streetcar.

In the 1800s streetcars were the mode of public transport. At the time, the Passenger Railroad Company (PRC) had a policy of “no colored people.” One day, Sarah was late to a wedding hair appointment and tried to board a streetcar to save time. The conductor tried to push her off as the horses moved, battering her hands as she gripped the rails. She held on for three blocks and suffered multiple injuries.

She built the courage to sue the PRC. She received only $65, but the PRC was forced to change their policies as a result of the suit. Because of her persistence, Black women and children were allowed to ride the streetcar and Black men could ride on the platform, a ruling that was used in Isaac Young’s case two years later.

In 1879 the Fossetts established First Baptist Church of Cumminsville, where Peter served as pastor for 32 years, taking no income so the church could pay off its debts. The church served as a pillar for the Black community and continues to uphold the legacy of the Fossetts, whose work fostered communities, blazed trails, freed hundreds, and changed the city for the better.