Henrietta Ray
African-American activist
About Henrietta Ray
Lived 1808 – 1836 (aged 27–28).
Henrietta Green Regulus Ray (c. 1808–1836) was an African-American female activist living in New York City who advocated for women's education and independence. She helped found the African Dorcas Association, an organization that worked to provide clothing to students of the African Free School, and she became the organization's secretary in 1828. In 1834, she married Rev. Charles B. Ray, an African-American abolitionist and owner and editor of the Colored American, a weekly newspaper. Around the same time as her marriage, she also was elected as the first president of the New York Female Literary Society, which was "formed for the purpose of acquiring literary and scientific knowledge." She died in 1836 of tuberculosis.
The poet Henrietta Cordelia Ray was named in her honor.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Henrietta Ray's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Henrietta Ray?
African-American activist
When was Henrietta Ray born?
Henrietta Ray was born in 1808.
When did Henrietta Ray die?
Henrietta Ray died in 1836.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henrietta Ray. https://biography.guide/henrietta-ray/
MLA: "Henrietta Ray." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henrietta-ray/.
Chicago: "Henrietta Ray." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henrietta-ray/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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