Brittany Rogers, Author at

Independent Historian

Brittany Rose Rogers is currently pursuing a B.A. at the University of Washington, Seattle, focusing on French Language and Literature and Public Education. After finishing her undergraduate degree she will begin working toward her M.A. through the University of Washington’s Elementary Teacher Education program. She is interested in learning about education in high need schools and looks forward to working with children from diverse backgrounds. She plans to receive an endorsement in ELL/ESL (English language learner/ English as a second language). Rogers looks forward to starting graduate school in the summer.

Betty Sandlin Shabazz (1934-1997)

Betty Shabazz, wife and later widow of Malcolm X, became an important political activist after the assassination of her husband in 1965. Betty Shabazz was born Betty Dean Sanders to parents Ollie May Sanders and Shelman Sandlin. Ollie May Sanders was a teenager and Sandlin … Read MoreBetty Sandlin Shabazz (1934-1997)

Jane Cooke Wright (1919-2013)

Image Courtesy of Smith College Dr. Jane Cooke Wright was a physician and cancer researcher who dedicated her professional career to the advancement of chemotherapy techniques. Wright was born in New York City, New York on November 20, 1919. She was the older of two … Read MoreJane Cooke Wright (1919-2013)

William Henry Johnson (1901-1970)

William Henry Johnson was an African American expressionist painter. He was born on March 18, 1901 in Florence, South Carolina to mother Alice Smoot Johnson (known as “Mom Alice” or “Aunt Alice”) and father Henry Johnson. William H. Johnson was the oldest of five children: … Read MoreWilliam Henry Johnson (1901-1970)

Florence Cole-Talbert (1890-1961)

Florence Cole-Talbert was an African American soprano singer. Cole-Talbert was born in Detroit, Michigan on June 17, 1890 as one of two daughters to parents Thomas A. Cole and Sadie (Chandler) Cole. She was born into a family of musicians and began to learn and … Read MoreFlorence Cole-Talbert (1890-1961)

Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford (1866-1930)

Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford was a West African barrister, author, and political leader who dedicated his life to helping improve conditions for the people of West Africa. Casely Hayford was born on September 3, 1866, the youngest of three sons to parents Reverend John de … Read MoreJoseph Ephraim Casely Hayford (1866-1930)

Adelaide Smith Casely Hayford (1868-1960)

Adelaide Smith Casely Hayford was a Victorian feminist who dedicated her life to the education of girls in Sierra Leone. Born on June 2, 1868, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Casely Hayford was the second youngest of seven children of parents William Smith Jr. and Anne … Read MoreAdelaide Smith Casely Hayford (1868-1960)

Kansas State Colored Convention (1863)

The first Kansas State Colored Convention was a call from black Kansans to be granted a future of “Liberty, Justice and Equality” under the United States government. The first Kansas Colored Convention was held in Leavenworth, Kansas on October 13-16, 1863 in the African Methodist … Read MoreKansas State Colored Convention (1863)

Lucinda “Cindy” Wilson Todd (1903-1996)

Lucinda Todd was a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) activist in Topeka, Kansas who fought for school integration. Todd was born in Litchfield, Kansas on May 31, 1903 to parents who were part of the 1879 mass movement of black farmers … Read MoreLucinda “Cindy” Wilson Todd (1903-1996)

Union League (1863- )

The Union League of America (or Loyal League) was the first African American Radical Republican organization in the southern United States. The League was created in the North during the American Civil War as a patriotic club to support the Union. It was officially established … Read MoreUnion League (1863- )

Saltspring Island, British Columbia

Now known as an upscale tourist destination, few people realize that Saltspring Island, British Columbia was seen as a land of freedom and of opportunity for many blacks in the mid-19th Century. It was a new frontier where blacks were granted rights by the British … Read MoreSaltspring Island, British Columbia