Independent Historian

Multiple business owner Euell Nielsen was born on November 3, 1973, in Sewell, New Jersey. The youngest daughter of scientist and author Eustace A. Dixon II and travel agent Eleanor Forman, Euell was an early reader and began tutoring at The Verbena Ferguson Tutoring Center for Adults at the age of 13. She has owned and operated over five different companies in the past 20 years including Show and Touch, Stitch This, Get Twisted, and Island Treazures.

Euell is a Veteran of the U.S. Army (Reserves) and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She is also Historian at First African Presbyterian Church, the nation’s oldest African-American Presbyterian church. Euell is also a photographer, storyteller, and a historical re-enactor, portraying the lives of many women she has written about. Euell has been writing for Blackpast.org since 2014, and was given an award from the site in 2016 for her multiple entries. She currently lives in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1792- )

Originally established as The African Church, The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas was founded in 1792 by and for persons of African descent to foster personal and religious freedoms and self-determination. The original African Church was an outgrowth of the Free African Society, a … Read MoreAfrican Episcopal Church of St. Thomas Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1792- )

Benny Scott (1945–2009)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” William Benjamin Scott, known in the racing world as “The Professor” because of his other career as a college instructor and administrator, was a second-generation African American race car driver.  He was born on February 4, 1945 in Los Angeles, California. … Read MoreBenny Scott (1945–2009)

William T. “Willy” Ribbs, Jr. (1955- )

William “Willy” Theodore Ribbs, Jr. is the first African American to test-drive a Formula One car, the first African American to compete in the Indianapolis 500, and one of only a few African American NASCAR racers. Born January 3, 1955, in San Jose, California, William … Read MoreWilliam T. “Willy” Ribbs, Jr. (1955- )

Bessie Stringfield (1911-1993)

In 1930 Bessie Stringfield became the first African American woman to ride her motorcycle across the United States solo. Her feat was credited with breaking down barriers for both women and African-American motorcyclists. Born Betsy Leonora Ellis on February 9, 1911, in Kingston, Jamaica, she … Read MoreBessie Stringfield (1911-1993)

Thomas J. Bowers (1823-1885)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Thomas J. Bowers, businessman, pianist, and activist, was best known as an African American opera singer, who was compared favorably with the leading world tenors of the mid-nineteenth century. Bowers was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1823, one of John C. … Read MoreThomas J. Bowers (1823-1885)

Remsen House (ca. 1830-1936)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Owned by a prestigious African American couple, Elizabeth and Rev. James Gloucester, Remsen House was an upscale boarding establishment situated in the heart of Brooklyn Heights, New York. Located at 144 Remsen Street on the corner of Remsen and Clinton Streets … Read MoreRemsen House (ca. 1830-1936)

Walter Fitzgerald Jerrick (1894-1953)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Walter Fitzgerald Jerrick, prominent Philadelphia, Pennsylvania physician and founder of The Pyramid Club was born in Georgetown, British Guiana, on March 21, 1894. He attended the public schools there until October 12, 1908, when he came to the United States and … Read MoreWalter Fitzgerald Jerrick (1894-1953)