Claim: Edmonia Lewis was an African American sculptor of mixed African-American and Native American heritage and was born free in Upstate New York.
Evidence: Mary Edmonia Lewis, "Wildfire" (c. July 4, 1844 – September 17, 1907), was an African American sculptor, of mixed African-American and Native American (Ojibwe) heritage. Born free in Upstate New York, she worked for most of her career in Rome, Italy. 
Sculpture Her mother, Catherine Mike Lewis, was mixed-race; of Mississauga Ojibwe and African-American descent. She was born free in the former town of Greenbush, Rensselaer County, New York.