“Alethia Tanner Day” and the Namesake it Honors

On July 6, 1810, Alethia Tanner bought her freedom for $275. An article in The Washington Post tells the rest of her compelling story. On July 23, 2022 Alethia Tanner Day was celebrated in Washington D.C. at a park that bears her name in the NoMa neighborhood. After Tanner purchased her own freedom and while she was working for President Thomas Jefferson, she set up a vegetable stand near the White House. This allowed her to free dozens of her family members. Read more about Alethia Tanner’s story over at The Washington Post.