Misun Bishop, Author at

Student Historian

Misun Bishop lives in Seattle where she studies English Literature and History at the University of Washington. She has worked in college writing centers for three years and enjoys talking with students about rhetoric and composition. Her current academic interests include minority narratives, censorship, and archiving.

Willard S. Townsend (1895-1957)

African American labor leader Willard S. Townsend was born on December 4, 1895, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Willard and Cora Elizabeth Townsend. In 1938, he organized railway workers of several Chicago, Illinois stations to form the International Brotherhood of Redcaps and remained the union’s president … Read MoreWillard S. Townsend (1895-1957)

Ladies’ Refugee Aid Society (1864)

The Ladies Refugee Aid Society of Kansas was founded in 1864 by black freedwomen in Lawrence. It was the first black women’s club in the West, preceding the Kansas Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs (a larger amalgamation of various state women’s societies). LRAS was a … Read MoreLadies’ Refugee Aid Society (1864)

Layle Lane (1893-1976)

Image Ownership: The New York Age Labor leader Layle Lane was born on November 27, 1893, in Marietta, Georgia. She was the fourth of five children of Calvin Lane and Alice Virginia Clark Lane. Lane was vice president of the American Federation of Teachers union … Read MoreLayle Lane (1893-1976)

Christopher Paul Curtis (1953- )

Christopher Paul Curtis is an American children’s book author. He was born on May 10, 1953, in Flint, Michigan, and the city serves a setting in some of his books. His parents were Dr. Herman E. Curtis, a chiropodist, and Leslie Curtis, an educator. He … Read MoreChristopher Paul Curtis (1953- )

Frank R. Crosswaith (1892-1965)

Frank R. Crosswaith was born on July 16, 1892, in La Croix, Virgin Islands, to William Ignatius and Anne Elizabeth Crosswaith. He immigrated to the United States in 1910 and became a socialist labor leader. He settled in New York City, New York where he … Read MoreFrank R. Crosswaith (1892-1965)

Lucille Campbell Green Randolph (1883-1963)

Born Lucille Campbell on April 15, 1883, in Christianburg, Virginia, Green was the second of three children of William and Josephine Campbell. A graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., she worked as a hairstylist in an upscale New York salon. She was the wife … Read MoreLucille Campbell Green Randolph (1883-1963)

A. Philip Randolph Institute (1965- )

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” The A. Philip Randolph Institute was founded by and named for labor leader Asa Philip Randolph, who was the longtime president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union. Randolph and his friend and fellow activist Bayard Rustin founded APRI in … Read MoreA. Philip Randolph Institute (1965- )