Mary Kingsley was born #onthisday (October 13th) in 1862. Her parents died when she turned thirty, and she used her inheritance of £4300 to travel West Africa. If anyone asked her about her lack of husband (because, of course they did) she parried with, "I'm still looking for him."
Though a controversial figure in some ways,many of her views seem quite 'woke'. She was quite vociferous in her arguments against Christian missionaries converting the 'heathens' saying they did little good, and that preservation and protection of culture was important.
She volunteered as a nurse during the second Boer war and died when she contracted typhoid durian outbreak. As per her wishes, she was buried at sea.
I love how forthright and determined she seems, based on her quotes and her actions, and how unafraid she was to explore uncharted territories, whether of land or of opinions.
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