ary ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁– ▁June ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 5 8 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁journalist , ▁teacher , ▁play w right , ▁and ▁poet ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁during ▁the ▁Har lem ▁Renaissance . ▁" R ace " ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁issue ▁in ▁her ▁life ; ▁although ▁she ▁was ▁ 7 5 % ▁white ▁— ▁a ▁white ▁mother ▁and ▁a ▁half - white ▁father ▁— ▁she ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁" w oman ▁of ▁color ". ▁She ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁women ▁of ▁color ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁play ▁public ly ▁performed . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁Angel ina ▁W eld ▁Gr im ké ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Boston , ▁Massachusetts , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁to ▁a ▁b ira cial ▁family . ▁Her ▁father , ▁Arch ib ald ▁Gr im ké , ▁was ▁a ▁lawyer ▁and ▁of ▁mixed ▁race , ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁white ▁slave ▁owner ▁and ▁a ▁mixed - race ▁ens la ved ▁woman ▁of ▁color ▁his ▁father ▁owned ; ▁he ▁was ▁of ▁the ▁" neg ro ▁race " ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁society ▁he ▁grew ▁up ▁in . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁African ▁American ▁to ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁Harvard ▁Law ▁School . ▁Her ▁mother , ▁Sarah ▁Stanley , ▁was ▁European ▁American , ▁from ▁a ▁Mid western ▁middle - class ▁family . ▁Information ▁about ▁her ▁is ▁scar ce . ▁ ▁Gr im ké ' s ▁parents ▁met ▁in ▁Boston , ▁where ▁her ▁father ▁had ▁established ▁a ▁law