Kelly Trsek, Author at

Student Historian

Kelly Trsek is a student at the University of Washington, where she is studying history, German and mathematics. After getting a Master’s in Teaching, she hopes to join the Peace Corps and then become a teacher. She plans on working to make education equitable for all children in America.

James P. Comer (1934- )

James Pierpont Comer, a leading black child psychiatrist and educational reformer, was born into a working class family in East Chicago, Indiana on September 25, 1934. Although his parents, Maggie and Hugh Comer, had little education themselves, they strongly supported their children’s education. All five … Read MoreJames P. Comer (1934- )

M. Carl Holman (1919-1988)

Civil rights leader and intellectual, Moses Carl Holman, was born to Moses and Mamie Durham Holman on June 27, 1919. Although born in Minter City, Mississippi, Holman was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where his father worked in a steel mill. As a child Holman … Read MoreM. Carl Holman (1919-1988)

James Conway Farley (1854- 1910?)

James Conway Farley, the first African American to achieve prominence in the photography industry, was born on August 10, 1854 to slave parents in Prince Edwards County, Virginia. After his father died, he and his mother moved to Richmond in 1861. The sources are unclear … Read MoreJames Conway Farley (1854- 1910?)

John Hope (1868-1936)

Prominent educator and college president John Hope was born on August 2, 1868 in Augusta, Georgia to a bi-racial couple. His father, James Hope, was a Scottish immigrant and his mother, Mary Frances Butts, was a black woman, who had been free prior to the … Read MoreJohn Hope (1868-1936)

Samuel Lee Kountz Jr. (1930-1981)

Renowned surgeon and pioneer in organ transplants, Samuel Lee Kountz was born on August 20, 1930 to Samuel Kountz, Sr. and Emma Montague in Lexa, Arkansas. He was raised in the town of Lexa, one of the most impoverished areas of Arkansas. Without a doctor … Read MoreSamuel Lee Kountz Jr. (1930-1981)

First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, California (1872- )

The First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church is today the oldest and one of the largest African American congregations in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1872 by Bridget (Biddy) Mason who arrived as a slave in Los Angeles with her owner in 1856. However, … Read MoreFirst African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, California (1872- )

Hugh Price (1941 – )

Hugh Bernard Price, civil rights activist and president of the National Urban League, was born on November 22, 1941 in Washington, DC. Raised in a middle-class home by his parents, Charlotte Schuster and Kline Price, Price became aware of racial struggles and the importance of … Read MoreHugh Price (1941 – )

Helene Gayle (1955- )

Medical researcher, health care administrator, and now college president, Helene Gayle was born in Buffalo, New York on August 16, 1955. Growing up in Buffalo, Gayle was surrounded in an atmosphere of compassion and generosity. Her mother, Marietta, was a social worker, her father, Jacob, … Read MoreHelene Gayle (1955- )

Lawrence Dunbar Reddick (1910-1995)

During his life historian Lawrence Dunbar Reddick used his scholarly expertise to fight for civil rights. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 3, 1910, Reddick received his Bachelor’s and Master’s in history from Fisk University in 1932 and 1933, respectively. He went to the University … Read MoreLawrence Dunbar Reddick (1910-1995)

Richard B. Harrison (1864-1935)

Stage performer Richard B. Harrison found his passion for acting as a child. He devoted his life to pursuing this passion in the face of Jim Crow, finally becoming nationally acclaimed in the last years of that life. Harrison was born on September 28, 1864 in … Read MoreRichard B. Harrison (1864-1935)