Pauline Hopkins | |
|---|---|
 Hopkins circa 1901 | |
| Born | Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins May 23, 1859 Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | August 13, 1930 (aged 70–71) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Pen name | Sarah A. Allen |
| Occupation | |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Romance novel |
| Notable works |
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Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins (May 23, 1859 – August 13, 1930) was an American novelist, journalist, playwright, historian, and editor. She is considered a pioneer in her use of the romantic novel to explore social and racial themes, as demonstrated in her first major novel Contending Forces: A Romance Illustrative of Negro Life North and South. In addition, Hopkins is known for her significant contributions as editor for the Colored American Magazine, which was recognized as being among the first periodicals specifically celebrating African-American culture through short stories, essays and serial novels. She is also known to have had connections to other influential African Americans of the time, such as Booker T. Washington and William Wells Brown.[1]
Hopkins spent most of her life in Boston, Massachusetts, where she completed the majority of her works. As an active contributor to the racial, political and feminist discourse of the time, Hopkins is known as being one of the significant intellectuals of the early 20th century to promote racial uplift through her writing.[1]