Black and Tan Republicans were African Americans in the Reconstruction-era South who were loyal to the Republican Party. When the Republican Party was founded in 1854, few African Americans joined. By the time of the election of Abraham Lincoln, the Party began to attract support … Read MoreBlack and Tan Republicans
Hylan Garnett Lewis was a distinguished sociologist and pioneer in the field of community studies whose work helped guide the study of American race relations for more than half a century. Throughout his life, Lewis analyzed, and sought remedies for, the problems of the poor … Read MoreHylan Garnet Lewis (1911-2000)
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)
Ben Palmer, pioneer 19th Century Nevada Territory rancher, was born in South Carolina sometime around 1817. Little is known about Palmer’s childhood background. Palmer and his sister, Charlotte, who was married to white settler D.H. Barber, were among the first settlers in the Carson Valley … Read MoreBen Palmer (ca. 1817-1908)
Omar Ibn Said, also known as “Uncle Moreau” was unusual among enslaved people in the antebellum United States in that before he was captured he was highly educated and could read and write fluently at a time when most African slaves were illiterate. Said’s autobiography … Read MoreOmar Ibn Said (1770-1864)
Dr. Ionia Rollin Whipper, physician and social reformer, was born September 8, 1872 in Beaufort, South Carolina. She was one of three surviving children born to author and diarist Frances Anne Rollin and Judge William James Whipper. By 1878, as the Reconstruction period was ending … Read MoreIonia Rollin Whipper (1872-1953)
Jane Edna Hunter is most famous for founding the Phillis Wheatley Association (PWA) in 1913. Hunter was born on December 13, 1882 in Pendleton, South Carolina to Harriet Millner, a free-born daughter of freed slaves, and Edward Harris, the son of a slave woman and … Read MoreJane Edna Hunter (1882-1971)
The Orangeburg Massacre took place in Orangeburg, South Carolina at South Carolina State University on February 8, 1968. This horrific incident ended with three young men killed, Samuel Hammond, Henry Smith, and Delano Middleton, and twenty-seven other students wounded. It was the worst example of … Read MoreOrangeburg Massacre (1968)
Macon Bolling Allen is believed to be the first black man in the United States who was licensed to practice law. Born Allen Macon Bolling in 1816 in Indiana, he grew up a free man. Bolling learned to read and write on his on his … Read MoreMacon Bolling Allen (1816-1894)
Rosa Franklin is the first black woman elected to the Washington State Senate, serving the 29th Legislative District in the Tacoma area. She is also a registered nurse who retired after 42 years in health care. Franklin was born Rosa Guidrion on April 6, 1927, … Read MoreRosa Franklin (1927- )
