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Biography · Civil Rights

Ann Nixon Cooper

1902–2009

United States

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Biography

Ann Louise Nixon Cooper (January 9, 1902 - December 21, 2009) was an American centenarian best known for being invoked in United States President-elect Barack Obama's November 2008 election speech as someone who had witnessed "the struggle and the progress" of the past century, and as a representative of the change in status that African-Americans and women have achieved in America. Before that, she was a noted member of the Atlanta African-American community and an activist for civil rights.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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