Rachel Gallaher, Author at

Independent Historian

Rachel Gallaher is an award-winning writer and editor living in Seattle, Washington. Her work has appeared in international publications, including Dwell, City Arts, Seattle, Seattle Homes & Lifestyles, Kinfolk, Surface, the Seattle Times, Alaska Airlines’ Beyond, University of Washington magazine, and the award-winning GRAY (where she currently serves as the deputy editor).

James Varick (1750-1827)

James Varick was the founder and first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Varick was born to a slave mother near Newburgh, New York. His father was Richard Varick, a free black man who was originally from Hackensack, New Jersey. Varick grew up … Read MoreJames Varick (1750-1827)

John Stewart (1786-1823)

John Stewart (also sometimes spelled Steward) was a missionary to the Wyandotte Indians of Ohio and founder of what is often considered the first Methodist mission in America. Stewart was born in Powhatan County, Virginia to free Negro parents who were of mixed ancestry; a … Read MoreJohn Stewart (1786-1823)

Reverdy Cassius Ransom (1861-1959)

Reverdy Cassius Ransom was a civil rights leader, editor and the forty-eighth bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Ransom was born in Flushing, Ohio to George and Harriet (Johnson) Ransom. In 1869, Ransom’s family moved to Cambridge, Ohio, where he spent several years … Read MoreReverdy Cassius Ransom (1861-1959)

Henry Hugh Proctor (1868-1933)

Henry Hugh Proctor was an author, lecturer and a clergyman of the Congregational Church. Proctor was born on December 8, 1868, near Fayetteville, Tennessee to former slave parents Richard and Hannah (Murray) Proctor. Proctor attended local schools but was only able to take classes for … Read MoreHenry Hugh Proctor (1868-1933)

Wallace Fard (ca. 1891-1934)

Wallace Fard, also known as W. Farad Muhammad, the Prophet, was founder the first Temple of Islam which evolved into the Nation of Islam or the Black Muslims. Authentic, documented information about Fard is very scarce and there is only a four year period (1930-1934) … Read MoreWallace Fard (ca. 1891-1934)

Levi Jenkins Coppin (1848-1924)

Levi Coppin was an editor, educator, missionary and the 30th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Coppin was born in Frederick Town, Maryland in 1848 to Jane Lily and John Coppin. He had six siblings. Coppin’s mother taught him to read and write … Read MoreLevi Jenkins Coppin (1848-1924)

Eliza [Sister Mary Magdalen] Healy (1846-1918)

Sister Eliza Healy was both an educator and noted first African American Mother Superior of a Catholic convent. Healy was born on a plantation near Macon, Georgia on December 23, 1846 to a white father, Michael Morris Healy and one of his mulatto slaves, Eliza … Read MoreEliza [Sister Mary Magdalen] Healy (1846-1918)

George Alexander McGuire (1866-1934)

George Alexander McGuire was a bishop and founder of the African Orthodox Church, as well as chaplain-general of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). McGuire was born on March 26, 1866 at Sweets, Antigua, in the Caribbean. He was educated in the local school system, … Read MoreGeorge Alexander McGuire (1866-1934)

Solomon Lightfoot “Elder” Michaux (ca. 1885-1968)

Solomon Michaux was a radio evangelist, entrepreneur, and founder of the Church of God Movement; he was also known as the “Happy Am I Preacher.” Michaux was born around 1885 in Buckroe Beach, Virginia into a devout family of Baptists. He grew up in Newport … Read MoreSolomon Lightfoot “Elder” Michaux (ca. 1885-1968)

Daniel Coker (1780-1846)

Daniel Coker (born Isaac Wright) was a writer, activist, and a founder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church who eventually emigrated from the United States to Sierra Leone as a missionary and colonist. Coker was born in 1780 in either Baltimore County or Frederick … Read MoreDaniel Coker (1780-1846)