Five Points District, New York City, New York (1830s-1860s)

Originally the site of New York City’s first free black settlement, by 1850 the Five Points district in lower Manhattan had instead become infamous for its dance halls, bars, gambling houses, prostitution, and for its mixed-race clientele.  To the larger white community, the Five Points … Read MoreFive Points District, New York City, New York (1830s-1860s)

Robert R. Moton (1867-1940)

Robert Russa Moton was born in 1867 on the William Vaughan Plantation in Prince Edward County, Virginia. Moton attended the local freedman’s school and eventually went on to college at the Hampton Institute (now called Hampton University). At Hampton Institute, Moton distinguished himself academically and … Read MoreRobert R. Moton (1867-1940)

Colored Marine Employment Benevolent Association (1921-1934)

The Colored Marines Employment Benevolent Association (CMEBA) was organization that united black maritime cooks and stewards who were seeking employment in Seattle.  In the process it challenged the racism of the all-white, Maritime Cooks and Stewards Association of the Pacific (MCSAP). The CMEBA was founded … Read MoreColored Marine Employment Benevolent Association (1921-1934)

Frances Ellen Harper Branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (1891-1895)

The Frances Ellen Harper branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was founded in Seattle, Washington by Mrs. Emma Ray in 1891.  It was a local branch of the WCTU, an organization dedicated to total abstinence from alcohol based on the belief that alcohol … Read MoreFrances Ellen Harper Branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (1891-1895)