Kate Meakin, Author at

Student Historian

Kate Meakin is an international exchange student studying at the University of Washington, Seattle. Her major is in American Studies and she is undertaking a four year undergraduate degree, studying predominantly at the University of Hull in England. She is interested in social and political history and culture, particularly regarding civil rights and social justice in the United States. After she graduates, she hopes to work with Teach for America or within similar organisations across the United States.

Richard R. Wright, Sr. (1855-1947)

Richard Robert Wright Sr., college founder and banker, was born into slavery on May 16, 1855, near Dalton, Georgia. After the Civil War ended Wright’s mother moved with her son to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended the Storrs School, an institution founded by the American … Read MoreRichard R. Wright, Sr. (1855-1947)

Mahlon Martin (1945-1995)

Mahlon Martin, the first African American president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1945. He received a degree in business administration at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and took graduate courses at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School … Read MoreMahlon Martin (1945-1995)

George E. C. Hayes (1894-1968)

George Edward Chalmer Hayes, one of the 1954 Brown Decision attorneys, was born on July 1, 1894, in Richmond, Virginia. His father, attorney James H. Hayes, encouraged George to pursue both law and Republican politics. He earned his undergraduate degree at Brown University in 1915 … Read MoreGeorge E. C. Hayes (1894-1968)

Samuel DeWitt Proctor (1921-1997)

Educator and theologian Samuel DeWitt Proctor was born in Norfolk, Virginia on July 13, 1921. Both of his grandparents had received a university education, which was considered unusual for the time. Proctor as a child attended the Congregational Church in Norfolk founded by his great-grandfather, … Read MoreSamuel DeWitt Proctor (1921-1997)

Charles H. Wesley (1891-1987)

Noted historian Charles Harris Wesley was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on December 2, 1891, and attended local schools as a boy. He graduated from Fisk University in 1911 and, in 1913, earned a Master’s degree from Yale University. In 1925, Wesley became the third African … Read MoreCharles H. Wesley (1891-1987)

A.T. Walden (1885-1965)

A.T. Walden (left) Image Courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Fair Use) Austin Thomas (A.T.) Walden, a noted attorney and civil rights leader, was one of few African American lawyers in Georgia during early 20th century. Walden was born in Fort Valley, Georgia on April 12, 1885 … Read MoreA.T. Walden (1885-1965)

Frederick D. Patterson (1901-1988)

Frederick Douglass Patterson, renowned educator and founder of the United Negro College Fund, was born in Washington, D.C. on October 10, 1901. He was orphaned at the age of 2 and his older sister cared for him. Patterson attended Prairie View Normal and Industrial Institute … Read MoreFrederick D. Patterson (1901-1988)

Lois Jean White (1938 – )

Lois Jean Barron White, the first African American president of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), was born in Nashville, Tennessee on March 21, 1938. She was raised by her grandmother, Rosa Barron, as her own mother lived away in Massachusetts. White’s grandmother taught her … Read MoreLois Jean White (1938 – )

Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins (1952- )

In 1998 Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was elected the first African American President of the National League of Women Voters. She became the 15th President of the League in its 78-year history. After joining the League in 1982, she served as a … Read MoreCarolyn Jefferson-Jenkins (1952- )

Watts, California (1903- )

Watts, one of the most famous neighborhoods in Los Angeles, California, is located approximately seven miles southeast of downtown. Originally part of the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant, Watts was incorporated in 1903 and began to grow as a community in 1907, when the … Read MoreWatts, California (1903- )