Keshler Thibert, Author at

Independent Historian

Keshler Thibert is a writer, journalist, tour guide, and travel director from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After living abroad for numerous years, Keshler would find himself back in Philadelphia without much direction. A visit to the Lest We Forget Black Holocaust Museum would reignite his love of history/ culture and lead to his becoming a Contributing Writer with Hidden Philadelphia covering the forgotten history of African Americans in the Philadelphia region.

These developments would lead to the creation of Le Canard, a culture/ history-based travel agency which makes learning a crucial part of each trip. He also became a licensed guide who makes tours invitations into discussing the often painful truths that come with peeling back the myth of the American Dream.

Dorothy Butler Gilliam (1936- )

Dorothy Butler Gilliam is a journalist, editor, media educator, feminist, author, and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists. She was the first African American female reporter hired by The Washington Post. Born in the Dixie Homes Project in Memphis, Tennessee, Gilliam was … Read MoreDorothy Butler Gilliam (1936- )

James H. Sills Jr. (1931- )

James H. Sills, Jr., the first African American mayor of Wilmington, Delaware, was born in North Carolina in 1931. We know little about his early life before he arrived in Wilmington. At various times he was a billiards hustler, farm laborer, and solider before he … Read MoreJames H. Sills Jr. (1931- )

Tamika Danielle Mallory (1980- )

Tamika D. Mallory is a civil rights activist, gun control advocate, women’s rights organizer, and outspoken critic against anti-black police violence. Born in Harlem on June 8th, 1980 to Stanley and Voncile Mallory, founding members of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN), Tamika Mallory was … Read MoreTamika Danielle Mallory (1980- )

Roger E. Walker, Jr. (1949-2012)

Born in Brownsville, Tennessee, on February 7, 1949, Walker was one of four children to parents Roger E. Walker Sr. and Ida Currie Walker who later moved to Decatur, Illinois. A graduate of Richland Community College in Decatur, Illinois, he joined the U.S. Navy and … Read MoreRoger E. Walker, Jr. (1949-2012)

O. W. Gurley (1868-1935)

Ottowa or O.W. Gurley is remembered was one of the wealthiest men in Tulsa, Oklahoma before the 1921 Tulsa Massacre destroyed his property and forced him to flee. Ottowa Gurley was born on Christmas Day in 1868 to freed slaves in Huntsville, Alabama, Gurley grew … Read MoreO. W. Gurley (1868-1935)

Byron Eugene Lewis Sr. (1931- )

In 1969, Byron Eugene Lewis opened UniWorld Group (UWG), the oldest multicultural advertising and communications firm in the United States. From the outset, he focused on a Black and Brown target audience that was not well-represented in the media. Over the next few decades, UWG … Read MoreByron Eugene Lewis Sr. (1931- )

Alfred Okwera Olango (1978-2016)

On September 27th, 2016, Alfred Okwera Olango, aged 38, was killed in El Cajon, California by Officer Richard Gonsalves as his sister Lucy Olango watched in disbelief. His death reflected a turbulent period with multiple deaths of black people killed by police officers throughout the … Read MoreAlfred Okwera Olango (1978-2016)

Abdirahman Abdi (1979-2016)

On July 24, 2016, 37-year-old Somali-Canadian Abdirahman Abdi was beaten outside of his home in Ottawa, Canada by constables Dave Weir and Daniel Montsion. His subsequent death sparked multiple Black Lives Matter protests in the Canadian capital and the formation of the Justice for Abdirahman … Read MoreAbdirahman Abdi (1979-2016)

Botham Shem Jean (1991-2018)

On September 6, 2018, Botham Shem Jean was killed in his Dallas, Texas apartment by off-duty police officer Amber Renee Guyger. Twenty-six at the time of his passing, his death set off nationwide protests from various organizations including Color of Change, a racial justice organization, … Read MoreBotham Shem Jean (1991-2018)

Joseph C. Mann (1966-2016)

On July 11, 2016, Joseph Mann was killed in Sacramento, California, by police officers Randy Lozoya and John Tennis. He was 50 at the time of his death, which sparked Black Lives Matter protests in Sacramento and added Mann to the growing list of black … Read MoreJoseph C. Mann (1966-2016)