Shaun Michael Mars, Author at

Student Historian

Shaun Mars is currently pursuing a Master in Teaching degree at Western Washington University with an endorsement to teach high school history and social studies. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Western Washington University in 2000.

Vivian Osborne Marsh (1897-1986)

Vivian Osborne Marsh was a community activist and government official, becoming one of the most influential African Americans in the San Francisco area. She was born in Houston, Texas, on September 5, 1897. When she applied to the University of California Berkeley, because of her … Read MoreVivian Osborne Marsh (1897-1986)

United Black Front (UBF) or Black United Front (BUF)

The United Black Front (also known as the Black United Front) was created in the late 1960s as a coalition of 50 black power organizations seeking to address four major objectives: the elimination of white oppression, increased economic and political power for blacks, better education … Read MoreUnited Black Front (UBF) or Black United Front (BUF)

Thomas E. Griffith Jr. (?-?)

Thomas E. Griffith, Jr. was the controversial president of the Los Angeles branch of the NAACP from 1935 to 1950. In 1935, Dr. H. Claude Hudson, the outgoing president of the branch, handpicked Griffith to be his successor, and the young attorney easily won the … Read MoreThomas E. Griffith Jr. (?-?)

Marquette Frye (1944-1986)

Marquette Frye, whose arrest sparked the Watts Riots in 1965, was born in Oklahoma but grew up in rural Hanna, Wyoming. The family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1957, when Marquette was 13. By the age of 16, Marquette was struggling to adjust to … Read MoreMarquette Frye (1944-1986)

Jacob Dodson (1825-?)

Jacob Dodson accompanied John C. Fremont on three expeditions to explore the Western frontier. Dodson was a free born African American whose family worked in the service of Fremont’s father-in-law, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton. In 1843, Dodson was 18 years old when he left … Read MoreJacob Dodson (1825-?)

Isaiah Edwards (1913-1994)

Isaiah Edwards was a community activist and advocate in Seattle’s Central Area. Isaiah Edwards and his wife, Marie, moved from Topeka, Kansas, to Seattle in 1942 to work at Boeing. Edwards worked for 40 years at Boeing as a maintenance dispatcher without missing a day, … Read MoreIsaiah Edwards (1913-1994)

Homer E. Harris, Jr. (1916- 2007 )

Homer Harris was born on March 4, 1916 in Seattle, Washington. In 1933, Harris became the first black captain of the football team at Garfield High School in Seattle. At the University of Iowa, Homer was elected by his teammates to be team captain, most … Read MoreHomer E. Harris, Jr. (1916- 2007 )

Franklin Raines (1949- )

Franklin Raines was born in Seattle on January 14, 1949, and graduated from Franklin High School in Seattle. From here, he went to Harvard and graduated in 1971 with a B.A. in Government. He was awarded the prestigious Rhodes scholarship and attended Oxford University for … Read MoreFranklin Raines (1949- )

Earl Mann (1886-1969)

Political activist Earl Mann was born on June 8, 1886 in Lyons, Iowa. He joined the army and fought in World War I in France and Germany. He was promoted to First Lieutenant of the Infantry, which was a rare accomplishment for an African American … Read MoreEarl Mann (1886-1969)

Bernard Squires (1904-1947)

Bernard Squires was the president of the Omaha, Nebraska chapter of the Urban League from 1935 to 1939 and the Seattle chapter of the Urban League from 1939 to 1943. Squires was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1904. He graduated from high school in Toledo, … Read MoreBernard Squires (1904-1947)