"Our Woman's Department," New York Freeman, Jan 9, 1886

This is an exemple of of Gertrude Mossell's "Our Woman's Department," written for New York Freeman, one of the earliest advice columns specifically dedicated to Black women. Above each version, Mossell informs her readers that this column "will be devoted to the interest of women and will aim to promote true womanhood, especially that of the African race" – reflecting her larger investment in the political project of racial uplift and the economic advancement of Black women. Accordingly, large parts of her column are devoted to detailing career moves of prominent Black women (such as Edmonia Lewis in the case of this first column) through a kind of professional gossip, in which readers are invited to follow these women's lives closely. Mossell also actively seeks suggestions from readers about "all success, progress or needs our our woman" and encourages them to ask questions about the topics addressed in her column, thus ensuring that readers feel invited into a dialogue with the published author.

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Readex: African American Newspapers