Student Historian
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Alina Ernst was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She moved to the United States of America at the age of 13.  Alina has always been fascinated by American history but it was not widely taught in Russian schools.  Alina is currently an undergraduate at the University of Washington, Seattle, studying Business Management.

Miles K. Davis (1960- )

Miles K. Davis is the first black educator to become president of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Davis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1960. He was raised in a mixed religious background where his father was Muslim and his mother was Christian. Being born into a poor family, Davis was motivated … Read MoreMiles K. Davis (1960- )

Williana “Liana” Burroughs (1882-1945)

Williana “Liana” Jones Burroughs was an American teacher, radical political activist and the first African American woman to run for elective office in New York. Burroughs was born on January 2, 1882, in Petersburg, Virginia. Her father died in 1886 when Williana was just four years old. The same year, Williana’s … Read MoreWilliana “Liana” Burroughs (1882-1945)

Lily Golden (1934-2010)

Liya Oliverovna Golden was the prominent black Russian social activist, scholar, and mother of Russian TV star Yelena Khanga. Liya Golden—also known as “Lily”—was born on July 18, 1934 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She was a daughter of Oliver Golden and Bertha Golden, who immigrated to the Soviet Union from … Read MoreLily Golden (1934-2010)

Pearl Hobson (1879- ?)

In the decades prior to the Russian Revolution, Pearl Hobson became the most popular African American dancer and singer in Imperial Russia.  Known by various names but mostly by her Russian stage name which translated into English was “Mulatto Sharpshooter,” Hobson captivated elite audiences from St. Petersburg to Moscow although apparently … Read MorePearl Hobson (1879- ?)

Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799-1837)

Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin is considered by many literary critics and people around the world as Russia’s greatest poet, author, and the founder of modern Russian literature. Pushkin was born into a Russian noble family on June 6, 1799. As a student attending private school in Moscow, Russia, he excelled … Read MoreAleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799-1837)