Academic Historian

Bruce A. Glasrud is Professor Emeritus of History, California State University, East Bay; Retired Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, Sul Ross State University; a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association and of the East Texas Historical Association; and a resident of Seguin, Texas. Born and raised in Minnesota, Glasrud received his Ph.D. in history from Texas Tech University–one of the early products of the “Texas Tech School of Black History.”

A specialist in the history of blacks in Texas and the West, he is co-editor of The African American West: A Century of Short Stories (Colorado, 2000), The African American Experience in Texas (Texas Tech, 2007), Buffalo Soldiers in the West (Texas A&M, 2007), Black Women in Texas History (Texas A&M, 2008), and African Americans on the Great Plains (Nebraska, 2009). He recently, with Cary D. Wintz, published African Americans and the Presidency: The Road to the White House (Routledge, 2010). Glasrud has published sixteen books and nearly sixty scholarly articles in journals and books.

Black Baseball in Minnesota: The Pipestone Black Sox

In the following article historian Bruce A. Glasrud follows the exploits of an all black baseball team in the southwestern Minnesota town of Pipestone in the 1920s which at the time had virtually no black residents.  Nonetheless the team competed with other white, all-black, and … Read MoreBlack Baseball in Minnesota: The Pipestone Black Sox

John H. Johnson (1918-2005)

Born in Arkansas City, Arkansas on January 19, 1918, publisher, philanthropist, businessman, entrepreneur, John Harold Johnson became the leading 20th Century publisher of African American news magazines. Johnson moved to Chicago in 1932 where he attended school and graduated with honors in 1936.  He attended … Read MoreJohn H. Johnson (1918-2005)

Ebony Magazine

Ebony, a pictorial news magazine published by Chicago, Illinois-based Johnson Publishing Company, first appeared in November 1945. Created by John H. Johnson, who modeled his publication after Life magazine, Ebony celebrated African American life and culture by depicting the achievements of black Americans. It honored … Read MoreEbony Magazine

Anita Scott Coleman (1890-1960)

Anita Scott Coleman was a relatively unknown but important western contributor to the Harlem Renaissance.  Born in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico in 1890, Coleman’s mother, Mary Ann, met her father, William Henry Scott, near Fort Elliott, Texas where he served as a buffalo soldier. He retired … Read MoreAnita Scott Coleman (1890-1960)

John Mason Brewer (1896-1975)

Born in Goliad, Texas on March 24, 1896, John Mason Brewer became one of the twentieth century’s premier African American folklorists. A poet, essayist, historian, and anthologist, Brewer earned an undergraduate degree from Wiley College in 1917 and later a graduate degree from Indiana University.  … Read MoreJohn Mason Brewer (1896-1975)

Josephine Beall Willson Bruce (1853-1923)

A clubwoman, teacher, society leader, and race activist, Josephine Beall Willson Bruce was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 29, 1853, to Dr. Joseph Willson, a prominent dentist, and Elizabeth Harnett Willson, a singer and musician. In 1854 the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where … Read MoreJosephine Beall Willson Bruce (1853-1923)