Denied, Then Unstoppable: The Story of Mary T. Washington Wylie
3/27/20268 min
This Women in History Mini-Series episode with Dr. Victoria Bateman explores the inspiring story of Mary T. Washington Wylie, the first African-American woman CPA, her challenges, achievements, and legacy in breaking racial and gender barriers in the early 20th century. Mathematics is supposed to be objective—but access to it has never been equal.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Mary T. Washington Wylie
00:48 Early Life and Challenges
02:58 Breaking Barriers in Accountancy
05:25 Pioneering a Path for Others
07:21 Legacy and Impact
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAutumn Phaneuf· Host0:00
What do you do when you achieve the impossible and the world still says no? If you're Mary T. Washington Wiley, you start your own firm and change history anyways. I'm Autumn Phaneuf.
Victoria Bateman· Guest0:15
And I'm Dr. Victoria Bateman. Throughout time, women's contributions have often been underappreciated, yet they've shaped policy, theory, and practice in profound ways. Here, we honor their stories, highlight their ideas, and celebrate the impact they've had on shaping our world. Let's begin.
Autumn Phaneuf· Host0:41
[Instrumental music] In this episode, we're going to talk about the brilliant Mary T. Washington Wiley, the first African American woman to become a certified accountant, who was born in Mississippi in 1906 and lived to be almost 100. So Victoria, why is Washington Wiley one of your favorite women from history?
Victoria Bateman· Guest1:09
Well, she was a woman who achieved great things, but had a really tough start in life. Her mother died when she was only six, and she was sent to live with her grandmother. Now, sadly, she didn't have the best grandmother