
Mary Burnett Talbert
(1866–1923) Mary was the only African-American woman in her graduating class from Oberlin College. She began a career in education in 1886 at Bethel University in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was named assistant principal of Little Rock's Union High School in 1887.
In 1891, Mary and her husband moved to Buffalo, NY where she helped found the Niagara Movement, a precursor to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 1915, Mary spoke at the Votes for Women: A Symposium by Leading Thinkers of Colored Women in Washington, D.C, and in 1922 she became the first woman to be awarded the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor by the NAACP. Throughout her life, Mary was committed to improving the social welfare of women and African-Americans.
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Section A, Lot 173, Space 8
1411 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14209
Erie County