Women Of All Shapes &Sizes

SINNERS — 2025, dir. Ryan Coogler

Polly Jackson, often remembered as “Aunt Polly Jackson,” was a formerly enslaved African American woman who became a courageous abolitionist and agent of the Underground Railroad in the mid-19th century. Born into slavery in Virginia, she eventually gained her freedom and moved north to the free Black settlement of Africa, Ohio, a community near Ripley that became an important refuge for freedom seekers crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky. There she established a small farm and turned her home into a safe haven for people escaping bondage. Known for her fearless spirit, Jackson reportedly disguised herself as a frail elderly woman while secretly carrying a butcher knife and a kettle of boiling water, which she used to defend fugitives from slave catchers and kidnappers associated with the “reverse Underground Railroad.” Through her bravery and determination, Polly Jackson helped guide many enslaved people toward freedom and became a powerful symbol of resistance, protection, and community leadership among the Black abolitionists of Ohio.

Jill Scott & The Roots