Maria Gibbs “One of the best-educated women”
Image Courtesy of Association for the Study of African American Life and History; and Crawford Kilian, Author “Go Do Some Great Thing: The Black Pioneers of British Columbia”.
While in Victoria, Maria experienced first-hand the discrimination that prevailed here by some. On Wednesday evening, September 25, 1861, heavily pregnant, Maria attended the theatre with her husband and friends, the Pointers. Before the show started, the lead actor refused to take the stage unless “the coloured people” were moved out of the prominent dress circle seats. While there were other protests, the performance went ahead, but as it was ending; the Gibbs and Pointers were doused with flour. Furious, Gibbs and Pointer confronted the white men. A melee broke out, ending with the arrival of the police and the filing of charges against all involved. In the end the judge acquitted the four whites charged in the incident, Gibbs admitted assaulting one man and was fined five pounds, the charge of assault against Pointer was dropped for lack of evidence.
On their return to Oberlin, Ohio Maria took charge of the children’s education. All the children attended Oberlin College. Daughter Ida (1862–1957) earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English. Daughter Harriet (1870-1941) went to the Oberlin Music Conservatory, where she completed the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in music in 1889. She became an accomplished concert pianist, author, and educator.