Racquel West, Author at

Student Historian

Racquel West was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. She now attends the University of Washington, Seattle where she is pursuing a double major in Geography and History. She is passionate about narratives and how rhetoric creates borders. Specifically, Racquel is interested in studying how people utilize, define themselves, and transition through definitive, yet invisible spatial boundaries that shape society. She values how information is displayed and then how people chose to interact with that information. Contributing to BlackPast.org is important to Racquel as it provides an opportunity to spread stories that are vital to understanding the African American experience.

Gloria Conyers Hewitt (1935- )

Born October 26, 1935 in Sumter, South Carolina, Gloria Conyers Hewitt grew up persistent. Her father, Emmett C. Conyers, and her mother, Crenella Conyers, thought that their children should attend college as they believed that was the only opportunity for improvement for African Americans. While … Read MoreGloria Conyers Hewitt (1935- )

Evelyn J. Fields (1949- )

Through her work in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Evelyn J. Fields has broken barriers for women, African Americans, and African American women. Born January 29, 1949 in Norfolk, Virginia, Fields attended Booker T. Washington High School and then graduated from Norfolk State College in 1971 … Read MoreEvelyn J. Fields (1949- )

Yaa Asantewaa (mid-1800s-1921)

Yaa Asantewaa was an influential Ashanti queen at the beginning of the twentieth century who remains a powerful symbol today. Her birthdate is contested; she is generally believed to be born between the 1840s to 1860s in the Ashanti Confederacy in present-day Ghana. She was a skilled farmer before ascending … Read MoreYaa Asantewaa (mid-1800s-1921)

Charlotte Maxeke (Manye) (1874-1939)

Charlotte Maxeke (maiden name Manye) was a South African woman who broke societal barriers throughout her life. She was born in South Africa on April 7, 1874 and in the early 1880s attended secondary school at Edwards Memorial School. Upon her graduation, with a missionary education in 1885, Manye … Read MoreCharlotte Maxeke (Manye) (1874-1939)

Château Hough (2010- )

The Vineyard of Château Hough was founded by Mansfield Frazier in 2010 in Hough, a working-class neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio. This vineyard at the intersection of 66th Street and Hough Avenue, is among the first in America to build upon repurposed land. It is also unique as it … Read MoreChâteau Hough (2010- )

Karen Washington (1956- )

Urban gardening advocate Karen Washington was born in 1956 in New York City, New York and has lived in New York state all of her life. Washington attended Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY), earning a earning a bachelor’s of applied science with honors in physical … Read MoreKaren Washington (1956- )

Audrey Forbes Manley (1934- )

Audrey Forbes Manley, who would eventually be acting Surgeon General of the United States, was born in Jackson, Mississippi on March 25, 1934 to Ora Lee Buckhalter Forbes and Jesse Lee Forbes. In 1955, Forbes earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia … Read MoreAudrey Forbes Manley (1934- )

Flemmie Pansy Kittrell (1904-1980)

Flemmie Kittrell was born on December 25, 1904 to James and Alice Kittrell in Henderson, North Carolina. Kittrell attended Hampton Institution in Virginia (which has since changed to Hampton University) and received her bachelors of science in 1928. Kittrell’s undergraduate degree was in home economics and after encouragement from her professors, Kittrell enrolled … Read MoreFlemmie Pansy Kittrell (1904-1980)

Cockstock Affair (1844)

The Cockstock Affair is argued to be the justification that white settlers used to install Oregon’s exclusion laws against African Americans in the 1840s. As the details of the Affair have been widely debated, there are different ways of interpreting the events, causes, and outcomes. That being said, … Read MoreCockstock Affair (1844)