▁family , ▁the ▁second ▁of ▁four ▁children . ▁Her ▁father , ▁Sir ▁Frederick ▁Black , ▁worked ▁his ▁way ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁Civil ▁Service ▁and ▁laid ▁great ▁store ▁by ▁his ▁children ' s ▁education , ▁regardless ▁of ▁their ▁sex . ▁She ▁went ▁to ▁a ▁private ▁co - ed uc ational ▁primary ▁school ▁near ▁her ▁parents ' ▁home ▁and ▁won ▁a ▁junior ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁S utton ▁High ▁School . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁she ▁spent ▁nearly ▁a ▁year ▁at ▁a ▁private ▁board ing ▁school ▁for ▁girls ▁in ▁Germany , ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁the ▁' L ittle ▁Go ' ▁at ▁Cambridge . ▁There ▁she ▁won ▁a ▁modern ▁languages ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁Gir ton ▁College , ▁Cambridge . ▁So on ▁she ▁joined ▁the ▁Her et ics ▁Society , ▁co - f ounded ▁by ▁C . K . ▁Og den ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁It ▁question ed ▁traditional ▁authorities ▁in ▁general ▁and ▁religious ▁dog ma ▁in ▁particular . ▁The ▁society ▁helped ▁her ▁to ▁disc ard ▁traditional ▁values ▁and ▁develop ▁her ▁own ▁femin ist ▁mode ▁of ▁thought . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁she ▁received ▁a ▁First ▁Class ▁Hon ours ▁degree ▁in ▁modern ▁languages ▁at ▁Gir ton ▁with ▁a ▁special ▁distinction ▁in ▁Or als . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁Russell ▁campaign ed ▁passion ately ▁for ▁birth ▁control , ▁joining ▁with ▁H . G . ▁Well s ▁and ▁John ▁May n ard ▁Ke yn es ▁in ▁found ing ▁the ▁Work ers ' ▁B