AllMovie

Mary Ann Shadd was a highly accomplished African-American woman who grew up in Delaware. Her father's early 19th century efforts to help slaves reach Canada through the Underground Railroad clearly influenced this young woman. As an adult, she worked hard to help the black community in both Canada and America. As this program reveals, Shadd moved to Canada and taught slaves there, constantly pushing for integration of the schools. She also became the first black woman to run her own newspaper in North America. At the age of 60, she found a new way to erase societal limitations when she began practicing law. Interviews with Shadd's descendants and dramatic reenactments bring her world back to life.