Stuart Hall (1932-2014)

“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Stuart Hall was a leading 20th Century cultural theorist and a sociologist. Hall, widely known as a founder of British Cultural Studies and the Birmingham School of Cultural Studies, pioneered theories of multiculturalism. He is generally credited with expanding the field … Read MoreStuart Hall (1932-2014)

The Church of St. Mark, Brooklyn, New York (1838- )

The Church of St. Mark in Brooklyn, New York was originally established by a group of black Episcopalians in 1838.  The next year, Dr. Samuel M. Haskins was asked to be rector (pastor), the role he would maintain for 60 years.  By April 1841 the … Read MoreThe Church of St. Mark, Brooklyn, New York (1838- )

Black Star Line (1919-1923)

The Black Star Line (BSL) was a steamship corporation established in 1919 by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey, the leader of the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The name, inspired by a British luxury steamship line called the White Star Line, was applied to a highly ambitious … Read MoreBlack Star Line (1919-1923)

Jamaica Bobsled Team (1987- )

The Jamaica Bobsled Federation (JBF) was initially created in 1987 by two American businessmen living in Jamaica, George Fitch and William Maloney. After watching a local pushcart race, Fitch and Maloney recognized similarities with bobsledding. Already aware of Jamaica’s athletic history, particularly around sprinting and … Read MoreJamaica Bobsled Team (1987- )

Malcolm Gladwell (1963- )

Bestselling author, journalist, and public intellectual Malcolm Gladwell was born in Fareham, Hampshire in southern England on September 3, 1963, the second son of Graham Gladwell, a British mathematics professor, and Joyce Nation, a psychotherapist from Jamaica. The couple first met at University College in … Read MoreMalcolm Gladwell (1963- )

Francis Johnson [Frank J.] Webb (1828-1894)

Francis Johnson Webb, newspaper editor, educator, equal rights activist, and the second published African American novelist, was born free on March 21, 1828, in Philadelphia to Louisa Burr and Francis Webb.  His mother, Louisa Burr (c1785-1878), was the illegitimate daughter of former vice president Aaron … Read MoreFrancis Johnson [Frank J.] Webb (1828-1894)

Africans, African Americans, Great Britain and the United States: The Curious History of the Rio Pongo in the Early 19th Century

In the essay below, Bruce L. Mouser, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, describes the conflicting goals of African Creoles, African Americans, and British and American colonizationists in the fate of the Rio Pongo Valley along the West Coast of Africa.  … Read MoreAfricans, African Americans, Great Britain and the United States: The Curious History of the Rio Pongo in the Early 19th Century