Cecilia Gutierrez Venable

Independent Historian

Cecilia Gutierrez Venable is a PhD student at the University of Texas, El Paso.  She received her M.A. and B. A. in history from Texas A & M University Corpus Christi.  Venable has taught history and worked as an archivist at the university, public library and has worked on setting up two small archives and museums for the Sister of the Holy Spirit and the East Wildlife Foundation.  She has published several articles and books including:  African Americans in Corpus Christi, Arcadia Publishing Feb. 2012, Remembering Corpus Christi, Turner Publishing 2010, and Historic Photos of Corpus Christi Turner Publishing, 2008.

The Texas Western Miners (1966)

The 1966 championship game for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournament came down to a test between a small southwestern institution, El Paso’s Texas Western College Miners, and an accomplished four-time NCAA tournament winner, the University of Kentucky Wildcats. This game, however, proved … Read MoreThe Texas Western Miners (1966)

St. Benedict the Moor (1526-1589)

Benedetto Manasseri, an Italian of African descent, was born near Messina, Italy to Cristoforo and Diana Manasseri in 1526. His parents, captured as slaves from Africa in the early 16th century, were brought to San Fratello, near Messina.  They converted to Catholicism and, due to … Read MoreSt. Benedict the Moor (1526-1589)

The Oblate Sisters of Providence (1828- )

The Oblate Sisters of Providence was the first successful order of Roman Catholic nuns of African descent. Establishing an order of black sisters first started in Kentucky in 1812 under the encouragement of a Belgian priest, Father Charles Nerinckx. Nerinckx helped found the Friends of … Read MoreThe Oblate Sisters of Providence (1828- )

Herbert “Herb” Jeffries (1913-2014)

Herb Jeffries, baritone jazz balladeer and first black singing cowboy in the movies, was born Umberto Alexander Valentino on September 24, 1913 in Detroit, Michigan, to a mixed-race father and an Irish-born mother.  His mother operated a boarding house and raised her son alone.  His … Read MoreHerbert “Herb” Jeffries (1913-2014)

José María Morelos y Pavón (1765-1815)

Monument to Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon at Montemorelos, Mexico “Image Ownership: Public Domain” José María Morelos y Pavón, statesman and Roman Catholic priest, was one of the greatest insurgent military commanders during the Mexican War of Independence.  Morelos was born into a poor “pardo” … Read MoreJosé María Morelos y Pavón (1765-1815)

Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Baltimore, Maryland (1863– )

Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church was the first African American Catholic Church in the United States.  The building, located on the corner of Calvert and Pleasant Street in Baltimore, Maryland, was originally constructed in 1836 for the congregation of the First Universalist Church.  By 1837, … Read MoreSaint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Baltimore, Maryland (1863– )

Saint Peter Claver Church, San Antonio, Texas (1888- )

Saint Peter Claver (Mission) Church was the first African American Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas. The church was built by Irish-born Margaret Mary Healy Murphy, the widow of John Bernard Murphy, who was the mayor of Corpus Christi from 1889 to 1884.  Margaret Mary … Read MoreSaint Peter Claver Church, San Antonio, Texas (1888- )