Julia Larsen

Independent Historian

Julia Henning Larsen is a political science major and African Studies minor at the University of Washington, Seattle. She loves learning about other cultures. Her future goal is to study abroad in Africa to further her knowledge. After school she hopes to work in a field where she is helping people. Larsen currently resides in Seattle where she was born and has lived most of her life.

Clements Kadalie (1896-1951)

Image Ownership: Public Domain Clements Kadalie, an early South African trade unionist and political activist, was born in April 1896 in Nkhata Bay District in Nyasaland (now Malawi). His parents Musa Kadalie Muwamba had two sons with Clements the youngest. Kadalie graduated in 1913 at … Read MoreClements Kadalie (1896-1951)

Congressman Walter R. Tucker III (1957- )

Walter Rayford Tucker III is best known for his brief period as a Southern California Congressman. Tucker was born in Compton, California on May 28, 1957 to a well established political family.  His father, Walter Tucker II, worked as a dentist and then entered politics … Read MoreCongressman Walter R. Tucker III (1957- )

Nicodemus, Kansas (1877- )

Nicodemus, 1885 Image Ownership: Public Domain Nicodemus, Kansas was founded in 1877 at the end of the Reconstruction Period. It soon became one of the most famous mostly black communities in the country formed by freedpeople migrating west.  Nicodemus is located on the plains in … Read MoreNicodemus, Kansas (1877- )

Ben Palmer (c. 1817- 1908)

Image Ownership: Public Domain Ben Palmer, pioneer 19th Century Nevada Territory rancher, was born in South Carolina sometime around 1817.  Little is known about Palmer’s childhood background.  Palmer and his sister, Charlotte, who was married to white settler D.H. Barber, were among the first settlers … Read MoreBen Palmer (c. 1817- 1908)

Jewel Stradford Rogers Lafontant Mankarious (1922-1997)

Image Ownership: Public Domain Jewel Stradford Rogers Lafontant Mankarious, civil rights leader, high-ranking U.S. Presidential appointee, and lawyer was born on April 28, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents, Aida Arabella Cartera and attorney C. Francis Stradford, helped to influence Mankarious’s decision to become a … Read MoreJewel Stradford Rogers Lafontant Mankarious (1922-1997)

John Henry Merrick (1859-1919)

Image Ownership: Public Domain John Henry Merrick—insurance agent, entrepreneur, business owner—was born in Clinton, North Carolina on September 7, 1859. Merrick was born a slave; he lived with his mother Martha Merrick and a younger brother. With the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation his family was freed. … Read MoreJohn Henry Merrick (1859-1919)

Christopher Paul Gardner (1954- )

Image Ownership: Public Domain Christopher Paul Gardner entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, and writer was born on February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Gardner, never knowing his father, lived periodically with his mother, Bettye Jean Triplett, as well as in foster homes. After high school, he joined … Read MoreChristopher Paul Gardner (1954- )

Charles B. Ray (1807-1886)

Image Ownership: Public Domain Charles Bennett Ray journalist, clergyman, and abolitionist was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts on December 25, 1807. He attended school in his hometown, and then in the 1830s he was given the opportunity by abolitionists to attend Wesleyan Seminary in Wilbraham, Massachusetts … Read MoreCharles B. Ray (1807-1886)