| African-American
Pioneers of the 19th Century
A century before the modern Civil Rights
era, as we think of it, other African-American men and women
worked just as hard for equal rights, equal pay, and respect,
many achieving notable accomplishments for the age—and
in spite of the laws. Unfortunately many of these individuals
have passed into relative obscurity, largely unknown to
the general public. Therefore, this month the Palatka campus
of the St. Johns River Community College is pleased to introduce
six of these Victorian-era pioneers to the modern reader.
These are:
Jonathan C. Gibbs – Florida. Secretary
of State; State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
George E. Stephens – Massachusetts. Journalist: War
correspondent, member of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment.
Fr. Augustine Tolton – Chicago.
First African-American Roman Catholic Priest.
Lt. Stephen Swails – South Carolina.
First African-American commissioned Army Officer, 54th Massachusetts
Regiment; State Senator; University of SC Trustee; Mayor
of Kinstree, SC.
Norris Wright Cuney – Texas. Alderman,
Galveston City Council; National Representative Texas Republican
Party; Galveston County School Director; U. S. Customs;
Founder of the Screwman’s [Longshoreman] Benevolent
Association.
Josiah Thomas Walls – Florida.
State House of Representative; U.S. Congress; Mayor of Gainesville.
Suggested websites for further research:
A
short Biography of Josiah Thomas Walls
Another
short biography of Mr. Walls
Norris
Wright Cuney
This is an
advertisement for a book about the Cuney family. However,
it gives some useful insights into the family and times.
A
biography of Fr. Tolton
A
website devoted to the celebrations held on the occasion
of the Centennial of the death of Fr. Tolton
Jonathan
C. Gibbs
Lt.
Stephen Atkins Swails
George
E. Stephens - This is a book advertisement. Stephens,
one of the most important war correspondents and Black Abolitionists
of his time—is one of the least known of these six
men. Other than the letters collected and the biography
presented in this volume, no web pages have been devoted
to this man. A diligent search has only yielded the information
on the book, A Voice of Thunder; the Civil War Letters of
George E. Stephens. Sadly, not even a photograph can be
found.
Mary Murphy, 2/07
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