Lily Ann Granderson

Lily Ann Granderson (c. 1816-1889), was an American educator. She was born a slave in Virginia in 1816. She has also been known as Milla Granderson. She was a pioneering educator who taught other enslaved people how to read and influenced the founding of Jackson State University.

Early life Lily Ann Granderson's grandmother was a free woman of Native American descent. a common method used by enslaved people to gain literacy.

When her master died, Granderson was shipped down to Mississippi where she was sold to another enslaver. On this plantation, Granderson worked in the fields, causing her to fall ill. She requested to be removed from the field and placed somewhere where the work would not put a strain on her health. The slave master granted her permission to work in the kitchen at his home. In this position, Granderson was required to make a trip into town from the plantation every day, as the slave master's home was not located directly on the plantation but in town. It was during this time that Granderson opened up her school for enslaved peoples.

Personal life Granderson was married to Oliver Granderson and had two children. After her death in 1889, she was buried in Natchez City Cemetery.