Hester Lane

Hester Lane (died 1849) was an American abolitionist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and political activist. Born into slavery in Maryland, she settled down in New York as a free woman. Lane was known in New York for her approach to adding color pigment to walls using whitewash, In 1830, the Federal Census listed her as a "Free Black Head of Household." Lane also served alongside Henrietta Ray, Charles Ray's wife, on the board of managers for the African Dorcas Association, a community aid society in New York. She also helped in organizing fairs for churches, including Philadelphia's Second African Presbyterian. When reporting on the meeting in The Colored American, Ray blamed racism for the final decision:Thomas Van Rensselaer, an African American restaurateur, Vigilance Committee activist, and newspaper editor, who was newly approved to the executive committee, rejected Ray's notion that racism was at fault and stated her nomination had been "withdrawn by us, rather reluctantly, by persuasion." Rensselaer justified his action by stating Lane supported Arthur Tappan's faction in a letter to The Emancipator:In her books Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All and All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830-1900, historian and legal scholar Martha S. Jones discusses how Lane's case illustrates the debate among antislavery activists over women's rights, "one of which women's equality lost out to the color line."

False accusations In January 1838, Lane was investigated by a "Committee of Investigation" led by Samuel Hardenburgh for accusations by Martha Johnson stating she had kidnapped and sold slaves. Hardenburgh met at David Ruggles' home to investigate the accusations. Johnson reportedly had a conflict with Lane regarding property she was renting from Lane. In February 1839, at the Ashbury Church, the Investigative Committee announced their ruling in favor of Lane and exonerated her of the charges.

Following her acquittal, people pursued her under the impression she amassed her fortune from the illicit activities she was accused of and they argued over her innocence outside of the police station. Reportedly, the crowd wanted to lynch her but were discouraged from doing so by the arrival of an armed militia returning from their drills and dispersed shortly after.

On February 10, 1838, the committee published their report and announced Lane's innocence in The Colored American.

Later life and death Shortly after the events of 1840 and the controversy surrounding her nomination, Lane left the antislavery scene. She subsequently died in 1849 from cholera during the epidemic.