Caroline LeCount

Caroline Rebecca Le Count ( – January 24, 1923; often written as LeCount) was an American educator and civil rights activist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is often compared to later activist Rosa Parks for her early efforts to desegregate public transportation.

Early life LeCount was born in South Philadelphia in 1846 as one of four children. Her father, James LeCount, was a cabinet maker and undertaker who was probably involved in the Underground Railroad, as stories have been passed down about him hiding slaves in coffins. Caroline began school at a young age and graduated at the top of her five-person class from the Institute for Colored Youth in 1863.

Career After LeCount passed the teaching exam, becoming the first black woman in Philadelphia to do so, she began teaching at the Ohio Street School (later renamed the Octavius V. Catto School). She became principal around 1868, making her the second black female principal in Philadelphia. She retired in 1911.

Death and legacy LeCount died on January 24, 1923, and was buried at Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.

alt=see caption In 2022, some Philadelphia residents began petitioning to rename the city's Taney Street–named for Roger B. Taney, the Supreme Court justice who decided Dred Scott v. Sandford–after LeCount. To mark the centennial of her death, the "Rename Taney" group commissioned a headstone to mark LeCount's grave and organized a ceremony at the site. According to organizers, the renaming campaign garnered the support of 90% of residents along the street. The street was officially renamed in November 2024.