In Missouri in 1855, it was a crime to “take any woman unlawfully against her will and by force, menace or duress, compel her to be defiled,” allowing women to argue self-defense in resisting such assaults.
However, the Missouri High Court ruled that enslaved women were not entitled to that right. As a result, Celia, an enslaved woman from Callaway County, Missouri, was executed on December 21, 1855, for the murder of her sexually abusive owner, Robert Newsom.
More than a century later, white and Black descendants of Celia and Robert Newsom, along with supporters, joined forces to create the Justice for Celia Coalition and the Celia Newsom Legacy Foundation. After months of determined advocacy, Celia Newsom was pardoned on December 20, 2024, nearly 169 years after her unjust execution. But Celia’s justice journey is far from over!
