Helping to rebirth African American legacy and historic family narratives.
Our Mission
The mission of the Celia Newsom Foundation is to combat racial inequities that have a disproportionately impacted Black Americans through successful advocacy, research, and inclusive socio-political development; and to properly document the true history of Celia Newsom.
The Celia Newsom Foundation aims to push fourth Celia Newsom’s contributions to human rights and lawfulness by helping to provide opportunities for African Americans to explore legacy-building and reparational-healing mechanisms through research and creative community strategies.
Call to Action
Obtaining a clearer account of Celia’s life and offspring has been met with great adversity use to lack of institutional support, the poor recording of official state documents, and the inadequate, yet widespread, research of non-descendants. The Celia Newsom Foundation encourages other black families, both rich and poor, and from the north and south, to take the time to research and take complete ownership of their families' contribution to America’s history.
The Celia Newsom Foundation Trustees have agreed on a few exciting goals for that could have a lasting impact in Missouri and beyond: First on the list is nominating a state-recognized national holiday in honor of Celia's life, death, and legacy. We are unsure if there is already an unofficial or official state or municipality recognized day. However, December 21st, the day Celia was hanged, would be a fitting date for a possible holiday. A secondary goal would be to nominate the old Newsom plantation, where Celia lived, in the Missouri National and State Registry We understand that these may be lengthy procedures, but it surely will be honorable.
If interested in helping the Celia Newsom Foundation to rebirth legacy within the African American community, please contact the Foundation Team at info@celianewsom.org.
Celia’s Legacy
The Legacy of Celia Newsom (Celia, A Slave)
Celia was much more than simply a Slave. She was a daughter, mother, grandmother, and pioneer for women's rights and Black liberation. Her legacy of tenacity now lives on for all to adhere and learn. Celia’s name first reached national acclaim in 1855 when she was tried in the Missouri State Supreme Court for murdering her enslaver, Robert Newsom, on the eve of his last nonconsensual statutory rape attempt.
During this era, Celia was probably one of the first women slaves to claim self defense against her master. Although ruled guilty and thereafter executed by hanging on December 21, 1855, her case and pursuit of justice undoubtedly helped to reshape the American legal system and has served as a catalyst for the Black Liberation and Feminism movements.
The Celia Newsom Foundation strives to serves as an example to all of the many other African American families whose rich family legacy has been placed in jeopardy due to the premeditated deceitful gain of our nation's colonizers and colonial descendants. The Celia Newsom Foundation believes that Black Historical and Family Narratives should be told by the descendants of Black People.