Nelson Mandela ( 18th July 1918- 5th December 2013) was released, after 20 years in preson, by F.W. de Klerk, from Victor Verster Prison on 11th February 1990. On 10th May 1994 he became the first President of South Africa. He is one of the most recognizable human rights symbols of the 20th century.

A great deal has been written about Barack Hussain Obama 11, the first African-American president of the United States. I have selected just a few Wikipedia pages. Barack was the 44th president of the US from 2009-17. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to an American mother of European descent and an African father from Kenya. Recalling his childhood he said - *That my father looked nothing like the people around me - that he was pitch black, my mother white as milk - barely registered in my mind . His parents, Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr. had met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. They married on 2nd February1961. Barack was born on 4th August 1961. They divorced in March 1964. His father returned to Kenya where he married for the third time. He only saw his son once-Christmas 1971. He died in a car crash in 1982. His mother Ann married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian, on March 15th 1965.When his J-1 visa expired he returned to Indonesia. Mother and son followed. From 1970 they lived in the wealthier neighbourhood in the Menteng sub district of Central Jakarta. Obama went to local Indonesian language schools (6-10) where learned to speak Indonesian fluently. In 1971 he returned to Honolulu to live with his mother’s parents - Madelyn and Stanley Dunham. He attended Punahou - a private college preparatory school - aided by scholarship from 5th grade. He graduated from high school in 1979. He moved to Los Angles to attend Occidental College on a full scholarship. In 1981 he transfered to Columbia University in New York City as a junior. There he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and English Literature. He graduated in 1983 with a BA degree and a 3-7 GPA. After graduating he worked for about a year at Business International Corporation, then as a project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Group. In 1988 he enrolled in Harvard Law School. He was the first black person to be president of the Harvard Law Review. In June 1989 he met Michelle Robinson, they married on 3rd October 1992. After graduation he became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School (1992-2004). He became involved with politics - he is a Democrat. Elected to represent the 13th district (!997-2004) in Illinois. He then ran for the US senate. He was the US Senator for Illinois from January 5th 2005-November 16th 2008 . In 2008 nominated for president after close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton. He chose Joe Biden as his Vice President. He became the 44 President of the US on 20th January, 2009. He was president for 2 terms of 4 years. Donald Trump, a Republican, replaced him on January20th 2017. I have included notes on his early life and career, education, family and personal life, legislative career, presidential campaigns the White House and his legacy. Ranked US’s 8th greatest president

I came across a list of 10 Black British Healthcare Pioneers I have found extra information about most of them. 4 more have been added which were found during my research. I could not find a picture for all of them. Dr. Charles Drew is the American surgeon who developed techniques to preserve blood plasma. He helped the UK save 1000s of lives during WW11. Mary Seacole travelled independently to the Crimea war where she setup a British hotel to nurse the wounded. John Alcindor refused place in RAMC. He was awarded the Red Cross medal for working with the wounded at London rail stations during WW11. Annie Brewster - ‘Nurse Ophalmic’ - was very skilled with treating patients with eye problems. She was one of the first Afro-Caribbean nurses to work in UK. Harold Arundel Moody - he fought for discrimination to end. Became very influential when appointed to government advisory committee on the welfare of non-Europeans. Leader of the ** League of Coloured Peoples (1931) with the support of the Quakers. Tryphena Anderson - she was the first black person to receive a bursary to train as a health visitor. She late bought and managed a nursing home. Derk Harty - joined NHS, aged 23, as a technician and went on to become technical manager of the biochemistry department of London’s Whipps Cross Hospital. Dr. Fnanklyn Jacobs came to UK in 1974. He co-founded the African Caribbean Medical Society with Lord Pitt and Dr. Eddie Simon. It raises health issues within the black community. Nurse Omo-Oba Adenrele Ademola was a Nigerian princess. She trained as a nurse in London in the 1930s and remained working there through .WW11. Professor Laura Serrant has over 35 years experience of health practice, research. policy development, training and management. At the present time she is on secondment with NHS England as head of evidence and strategy in the nursing directorate. Professor Jacqueline Dunkley- Bent has vast experience in healthcare provision. She is the Chief Midwifery officer in England. Her experience has seen her leading and influencing national maternity standards and guidance. Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu was a British nurse, health care administrator, lecturer and Emeritus Professor of Nursing at University of West London. In 1979 became the UKs first sickle-cell and thalassemia nurse specialist, helping to establish the Brent Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Counselling centre. She retired in 2007. Dr. Titilola Banjoko in 2020 she joined International Rescue Committee (IRC) UK as Chair of the Board of Trustees. She has extensive knowledge of Global Health issues which will be relevant when responding to issues relating to the COVID -19 pandemic. Victor Olufemi Adebowale, Baron Adebowale for 20 years was the CEO of the social care enterprise Turning Point, which helps 77,000 unemployed and/or homeless persons each year. 2001 appointed a people’s peer. He an influential person in housing and the NHS…

The Harlem Renaissance (HR) was an intellectual revival of African-American (A-A) art and literature centred around Harlem. Manhattan, New York City, covering the 1920s. It was originally named as the New Negro Movement after The New Negro (1925) written by Alain Locke.* Although it was centred around the Harlem neighbourhood black French speaking writers from the Caribbean and African colonies, who lived in Paris, were also influenced. The Stock Market crash in 1929 and the Great Depression, began to bring it to a close. After the 1865 Civil War 1000s of newly freed A-A began to dream. Unfortunately white supremacy was quickly restored. Many blacks were exploited. A Great Migration began to the north and mid-west. 100s of 1000s A-As relocated… 175, 000 A-As moved to Harlem, Manhattan- the largest concentration of A-As in the world. Others went to Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Detroit and Philadelphia. There was astonishing array of talent - artists, musicians and scholars. All were determined to forge a new identity as free people. At the height of the movement Harlem was the epicentre of A-A culture. It bustled with A-A owned publishing houses and newspapers, music companies , nightclubs and cabarets. Literature (poetry and prose), music (jazz, swing, opera and dance) and fashion defined as ‘cool’ to blacks and whites alike. Plus painting and sculpture. 4 significant contributors to HR. James Mercer Langston Hughes (1901-67) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist. He is best known as the leader of HR. He dropped out of University but he gained notice from New York publishers, first in The Crisis magazine. He was one of the early innovators of the new literacy art form called jazz poetry. He famously wrote about the HR period. Alain LeRoy Locke (1885-1954) was an American writer, philosopher, educator, and patron of the arts. He graduated from Harvard and in 1907 he became the first M-M Rhodes Scholar. In 1925 he wrote an article in the Survey Graphic which developed into The New Negro - a collection of writings by him and other A-As. It was an instant success and later acclaimed ‘the first National’ book of A-As… He was a very influential A-A . Alain mentored Zora Neale Hurston. Zora (1891-1960) was an American author, collector of A-A folklore and a film maker. Aged 26 went back to school saying she was 16! She arrived in New York (1925) when HR was at its zenith. In 1926 helped to produce literary magazine *Fire! In 1931 wrote Barracoon. story of Cudio Kazoola Lewis - a former slave Their Eyes Were Watching (1937) most popular of her 4 books. She wrote more then 50 short stories, plays and essays but struggled with debt and poverty. Josephine Baker (1906-75) was an American born French entertainer. With her banana skirt she was a symbol of the Jazz Age and the Roaring 20s. W.EB Du Bois and The Crisis magazine ( separate file)

In the Olympics we compete under the Great Britain Flag. Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua (b. 1989), or simply Anthony Joshua,. As an amateur he won Olympic gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. He won the super-heavyweight boxing title. In 2014 he turned professional. He currently shares the titles of World Heavyweight Champion with Tyson Fury. Christine Ijeoma 0hurogu ( b, 1984) was a British track athlete who specialised over the 400 metres. She is a former Olympic, World and Commonwealth champion. She became Olympic Champion in 2008 at Beijing. She also won medals as a member of the 4x400 relay team. In June 2018 she confirmed she had retired from athletics. Darren Andrew Campbell (b. 1973) is a former British sprint athlete. He was an excellent and consistent relay runner. He competed in the 100, 200 and 4 x100 relays. He won gold in the 4 x 100 relay in Athens in 2004. He retired in 2006. He was the sprint coach at Wasps rugby club for the 2015-6 season. Denise Lewis (b. 1972) is a former athlete who specialised in the heptathlon ( 7 events over 2 days). She won her Olympic gold medal in the event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She is ranked 3rd on the all time British lists. Since retiring she has worked regularly as a presenter and pundit for athletics. Dame Jessica Ennis Hill (b 1986) was the ‘cover’ girl for London in the 2012 Olympics. She won her gold medal for the heptathlon. She also won 3 World titles. She is ranked 2nd in the all time British list. Today Jessica is regularly seen in adverts. She is a columnist for the The Times. Dame Kelly Holmes ( b 1970) was a very successful British middle distance runner over 800 & 1500 metres. She joined British Army and in 1993 turned professional. She won medals but was prone to injuries. In 2004, which proved to be her final championship -the Athens Olympics - she won double gold! Today she is a regular face on the media. Linford Cicero Christie (b 1960)- sprinter. He is the only British man to have won gold medals at all 4 Championships. In 1992 he finally won gold, aged 32 at Barcelona Olympics. 9.96 for 100 metres. 1993 BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. Nicola Adams (b 1982) -female flyweight boxer - won gold in London (2012) and Rio (2016) as an amateur. Won full set of titles. Turned professional in 2017 but now retired because of eye injury. Sir Mohamed Muktar James Farah (b1983) - MoJo. Britain’s greatest long distance runner - won gold at 5 and 10, 000 metres in 2012 & 16. The first person to win the quadruple double. BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year 2017. 2018 won Chicago Marathon. Theresa Ione ‘Tessa’ Sanderson - javelin - won gold at 1984 Los Angles. Fatima Whitbread was her British rival. Won 10 AAAs championships. She competed in 6 Olympics. Tessa was the first black British woman to win Olympic gold . 1999-2005 Vice-chairman of Sports England. In 2012 Tessa was appointed as a board member of the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

This is my third set of UK notes for those looking for Black History Month work. Adelaide Hall (1901-1993) was an American born, UK based, a multi-talented jazz singer and entertainer. She was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Her career spanned from 1921 to 1993 when she died. Her most famous recording was Creole Love Call with Duke Ellington in 1927. In 2004 Adelaide was mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records for being the most enduring recording artist for having released material over 8 decades. Dr. Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah ( b. 1958) was born and raised in Birmingham, England. His poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls ‘street politics’ He loved Handworth, but aged 22 he sought a wider mainstream audience. Page One Books, a small publisher in London, published -Pen Rhymes his first book - sold 3 editions. It was in performance that the Dub (Reggae) poet would cause a revolution- injecting new life into the British poetry scene. Over a 22 day period in 1991 he performed on every continent on the planet, He became a children’s poet. *Talking Turkeys was a great success. In 1999 he wrote a ground breaking novel for teenagers Face. Many young writers say that accessibility to his work has inspired them to write. Bernadine Evaristo (b. 1959) is a British author who was born in London to an English mother and Nigerian father. Her writings include short fiction, drama, poetry, essays, literacy criticism and projects for stage and screen. She is a longstanding advocate for the inclusion of writers and artists of colour, setting up many successful Black projects. In 2019 her eighth book, the novel * Girl Woman, Other* won the Booker prize, making her the first black woman and first black person to win it. In June 2020 she became the first woman of colour and the first black British writer to get a No.1 in the UK paperback fiction charts. She received an MBE (2009) and OBE (2020) for services to literature. Francis Morgan Ayodele Thompson (b 1958)- Daley Thompson double Olympic Decathlon Champion (1980 and 1984) . BRITAIN’s GREATEST ALL ROUND ATHLETE. (See notes) Fanny Eaton (1835-1924) was Jamaican born artists model and domestic worker. She is best known as model for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Joan Armatrading (b.1950) is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her recording career has spanned nearly 50 years. John Edmonstone (1793-c.1833) was the a black enslaved man, probably born in Demerera who later gained freedom. He taught taxidermy at Edinburgh University. Did Charles Darwin study under him? Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was an English composer and conductor. Remembered for Song of Hiawatha cantatas. Stuart McPhail Hall (1932-2014) -one of the founding figures of the school now known as British Cultural Studies. Founder 'New Left Review Walter Daniel John Tull (1888-1918) played for Spurs & Rangers. Died in action

I have only changed the title. TES might have thought it was the same as first set and canceled the first set! Kept to same formula - picture plus brief notes. Arthur Wharton (1865-1930) is widely considered to be the first professional footballer, from a mixed-heritage, in the world. Christian Frederick Cole (1852-1885) was the first black graduate of the University of Oxford and also the first African barrister to practice in the English Courts. He was the grandson of a slave and the adopted son of the Rev. James Cole of Waterloo. Clive Sullivan (1943-1985) was an international rugby league player. He played for Hull F.C., Hull Kingston Rovers, Oldham and Doncaster. He was the first black captain for Great Britain in any sport. He led the Great Britain team in 1972 when they won the Rugby League World Cup. Emma Clarke (1876-1905), born in Bootle, Liverpool, was a British footballer and is considered to be the first known black women’s footballer in Britain. Her sister, Jane, also played football. Evelyn Mary Dove (1902-1987) was a British singer and actress. Her father, Francis (Frans) Dove was a leading Sierra Leonean barrister. Her mother was Augusta Winchester a white English woman. Evelyn was the first black singer on BBC Radio. Harry Edwards (1898-1973) Father was Guyanese and his mother German. He was a prisoner of war (POW) in WW1, in Germany. Following the war he immigrated to Great Britain. He became a British runner who competed in the 100 and 200 metres in the 1920 Summer Olympic Games in Antwerp. He won Olympic bronze medals in both events, becoming Britain’s first black Olympic medalist. In the 200 metres final he injured himself so he withdrew from the 4 x100 relay. He later moved to New York City. James Peters (1879-1954) is another rugby player. he was known as ‘Darkie Peters’. He played both union and league. he is notable for being the first black man to play rugby union for England. His father George Peters was Jamaican, his mother was Hannah Gough from Wem in Shropshire. His father was mauled to death in a training cage for lions. In 1910 lost 3 fingers in a dockland accident but continued to play. Lilian Bader (1917-2015) was born in Liverpool. Her father was Barbadian and her mother Irish. In 1939 she worked briefly in the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) but was forced to leave because she was black. In 1941 she volunteered to join the WAAF to train as an Instrumental Repairer. She passed her course ‘First class’ and became one of the first women in the air force to qualify in that trade.She gained promotion to Acting Corporal. Wilfred Denniston Wood (b.1936) became the first black Anglican bishop - Bishop of Croydon (1985-2002). Winifred Atwell (1910-1983) was a Trinidadian pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Britain and Australia. She was the first black person to have a No.! hit in the UK Single charts. She is still the only female instrumentalist to do so.

I have put together information about 8 significant first Black History figures relating to the U.K. They have been set out in alphabetical order. Allan Glaisyer Minns (1858-1930) was the first black man to become mayor in Britain - mayor of Thetford, Norfolk in 1904. Bill Morris, Baron Morris of Handsworth (born 1938), generally known as Bill Morris, became the first black leader of a major British trade union - Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) (1992-2003). Eleanor Smith (born 1957) was the first British African- Caribbean person to become an M.P in Wolverhampton South West in 2017. A seat formally held by Enoch Powell for two decades. Ignatius Sancho (c.1729-1780) was a British abolitionist, writer and composer who was born on a slave ship in the Atlantic. In 1774 and 1780, once he had the status as a male property owner, meant he was legally able to vote in a general -election. He became known as the first Black Briton to have voted in Britain. Ira Aldridge (1807-1867)was and American and later British actor and playwright, is the only actor of African-American descent , among Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constaine MBE,(1901-1971), a former West Indian cricketer, lawyer and politician became the UK’s first black peer. He was knighted in 1962 and made a life peer in 1969. Mary Prince (1788-1833) her slave narrative The History of Mary Price (1831) was the first account of the life of a black woman to be published in the U.K. Paul Boateng (born 1951), a British Labour Party politician became the UK’s first black cabinet minister in May 2002. Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos (born 1954), a British party politician and diplomat became the first black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) woman on 12th May 2003 to serve as a cabinet minister. William Cuffay (1788-1870) was a Chartist leader in early Victorian times. He was mixed race - the son of an English woman- Juliana Fox and a father of African heritage who was previously enslaved and originally from Saint Kitts. He was only 1.5 metres tall. William by trade was a tailor. He rejected the Owenite trade unions of the London tailors. He helped form the Metropolitan Tailors’ Charter Association. He was elected first to the Chartist Metropolitan Delegate Council in 1841 and onto the National Executive in 1842. He chaired a Great Public Meeting of Tailors in February. After the leading Chartists were arrested in 1842 he became the interim president. Betrayed by a government spy he was arrested and accused of ‘conspiring to levy war’. He was found guilty and sentenced to 21 years penal transportation in Tasmania. Received a pardon after 3 years but stayed in Tasmania to work as a tailor. He died in poverty, aged 82, in July 1870. He was forgotten after his death in Australia and Britain. Media and interest rekindled in early 21st century. Some information included on all 10 from Wikipedia. (More at Black First U.K (second set of 10) .

William Edward Burhardt du Bois (23rd February 1868 - 27th August 1963) was an African-American (A-A) sociologist, socialist, historian, civil rights activist, author, writer and editor. He graduated from Berlin University. He was the first A-A to earn a doctorate at Harvard University. He was a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. He was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and editor of its official magazine The Crisis. He rose to national prominence as the leader of the Niagara Movement - a group A-A activists that wanted equal rights for blacks. NAACP was founded on 12th February 1909 ( the 100th anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln who emancipated enslaved A-A)) by a group of A-As in response to the Springfield race Riots of Illinois in 1908 which highlighted the injustices that the black community were subjected to. On May 30th the conference of the Niagara Movement was held at New York’s Settlement House, De Bois helped organize the event and presided over the proceedings. They decided the purpose of the organization was To ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. The members chose the name NAACP and elected their first officers. De Bois was elected Director of Publicity and Research. In 2007 NAACP had approximately 425,000 paying and non-paying members In his role as editor of The Crisis a record of darker days - he published many influential pieces. I determine to make the opinion of the ‘Crisis’ a personal opinion. It was used for both news reporting and publishing A-A poetry and literature. In the campaign against lynching he encouraged the writing and performing of plays. The Crisis has been in continuous print since 1910. It is the oldest Black oriented magazine in the world. By 1918 it had over 100, 000 readers. It is a quarterly journal of civil rights, history, politic and culture and seeks to educate and challenge its readers about issues that continue to plague A-A and other colored communities ( See ‘The Crisis’ for 2 early covers) William was a prolific writer. *Dusk of Dawn* (1940), his first autobiography of 3, is regarded in part as one of the first scientific treatises in the field of American sociology. His cause included people of color, especially Africans and Asians. He believed that capitalism was a primary cause of racism, and he was generally sympathetic to socialist causes throughout his life. W.E.B. Du Bois, died, aged 95, in Accra, Ghana on 27th August 1963. The United States’ Civil Rights Act (1964) embodied many of the reforms for which he had campaigned his whole life, was enacted a year after his death. Wikipedia

Booker Talisferro Washington (15th April 1856-14th November 1915) was the first African-American (A-A) to dine at the White House. He was an educator, author, orator and adviser to multiple presidents. Between 1890 and 1915 he was the dominant leader of the A-A community and the contemporary elite. He was one of the founders of the National Negro Business League. He mobilized a national coalition of middle-class blacks, church leaders and white philanthropists and politicians, In 1901 his second biographyUp From Slavery became best seller. In October 1901 he was invited by President Theodore Roosevelt to Washington to dine with him and his family at the White House. This was the first highly publicized occasion when an A-A was invited there on equal terms. His long term goal was to end the disenfranchisement (disappointment) of the vast majority of A-As who lived in the South. Source Wikipedia

Hidden Figures: The story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race is the true story of how 3 black African-American (A-A) women helped NASA win the Space Race to the Moon. It was adapted as a biographical film of the same name and released in 2016 . It is a film and not a documentary. It looked at the lives of three black (A-A) women who made major contributions to the orbital mission of the moon by John Glenn during the space race. Wonderful, feel-good drama about the black female engineers and mathematicians who worked behind the scenes at a segregated NASA during the tense and ground breaking 1960s space race. Daily Mail- weekend Segregation was made obvious. Jim Crow laws meant A-A women had to have separate dining room and bathroom facilities Katherine’s boss eventually became curious about her ‘absences’ - eventually he ’ ceremonially’ pulled down the ‘Whites only’ sign. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1958 became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). All three ladies started work at NACA, Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Katherine Johnson (1918-2020), A-A, started to work for NACA in 1953. She was a human calculator - she was simply brilliant at mathematics. Her mental maths calculations were phenomenal. The new IBM computers had been programed with the orbital equations to control the trajectory of the capsule in Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission, but were prone to errors! Before his flight, as part of the preflight checklist,Glenn said 'Get that girl (Katherine 0 If she says they’re good then I’m ready to go. He wanted human confirmation that the figures were correct. Katherine was handed the data. She confirmed the calculations by running the numbers through by hand on her desktop mechanical calculating machine. Numbers confirmed Glenn had a successful mission, Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008), A-A ,started work at NACA in 1943. She was a mathematician and human calculator. She eventually became the first African=American to supervise a group of A-A staff at NASA’s Research Center in Hampton. She was in charge of the West Area Computers. She prepared for the the introduction of the IBM machine computers by teaching first herself and then her staff the programming language of Fortran. Mary Jackson (nee Winston)(1921-2005), A-A, was a mathematician and aerospace engineer. She started as a human computer at N A C A in 1951. Kazimierz Czarnecki, her boss, encouraged her to qualify as an engineer but she needed a degree. To do this she had to attend a night program at an all white school- Hampton High. After completing the course in 1958 she was promoted to aerospace engineer - the first black female NASA engineer. By 1979 she was the senior engineer. She retrained for Equal Opportunities . Retired from NASA 1985. All 3 of them were reward numerous awards and honors. In 2020 two had a satellite named after them.

Cathay Williams was an African-American (A-A) soldier who enlisted in the US Army under the pseudonym William Cathay. She was the first black woman to enlist, and the only documented woman to serve in the US Army posing as a man. Despite the fact that it was prohibited for a woman to join the army she managed to enlist under the name William Cathay. Only her cousin and a friend, who were fellow soldiers in her regiment, knew the truth about the deception… She, some how, managed to pass a medical examination - very cursory- and she was registered to the 38th United States Infantry Regiment. Cathay was the child of a free man and a woman in slavery which made her legal status to be a slave. Shortly after her enlistment she caught smallpox and was hospitalized. She rejoined her unit which was posted to new Mexico. After years of marching and the after effects of smallpox she was often hospitalized. The post surgeon discovered she was a woman. Her commanding officer, Captain Charles E. Clarke discharged her on 14th the October 1868. 20 plus years later (1889) she applied for a disability pension based on her military service . Following a medical examination in September 1893 her application was rejected although she suffered from neuralgia and diabetes, all her toes had been amputated and she walked with a crutch. The actual date of her death -probably late 1893 and her place of burial, are unknown. In 2016 a small bust of Cathay Williams, with a small rose garden, was unveiled outside the Richard Allen Cultural Center in Leavenworth, Kansas. in 2018 a Private Cathay Williams monument bench was unveiled on the Walk of Honor at the National Infantry Museum. Sources Remembering Remarkable Firsts During Black History Month Wikipedia

Wangari Muta Maathai was a Kenyan social, environmental and political activist and the first African woman to win the Nobel prize. In 1977 she founded the Green Belt Movement = an environmental no=governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation and women’s rights. The statement announcing her as winner of the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel committee said Maatha stands at the front of the fight to promote ecologically viable social economic and cultural development in Kenya and Africa. She has taken a holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights and women’s rights in particular. Shae thinks globally and acts locally. Sources Remembering Remarkable Firsts During Black History Month Wikipedia

Mary Jane Patterson was the first African-American (A-A) to receive a B.A. degree in 1862. Mary was the oldest child of Henry and Emime Patterson’ s children. Henry worked as a brick layer and plasterer who gained his freedom after Mary was born in 1852. He then moved the family to Oberlin, Ohio. In 1856 Oberlin had a a large community of black families - some free, some fugitive slaves. It had and integrated co-ed college. Father now worked as a master mason. For many years the family boarded large numbers of black students in their home. In 1857 she completed a year of preparatory course work. She enrolled in Oberlin College’s ‘gentlemen’s course’ - a 4 year program of classical studies which included Latin, Greek and Mathematics, this led to a B.A. degree with high honors. (Not the 2 year ladies course which did not earn a degree). After graduating from Oberlin College in 1862 she began teaching in Chillicothe, Ohio. On 21st of September 1864 she applied for a position in Norfolk, Virginia, at a school for black children. In 1865 she became assistant to Fanny Jackson Coppin at the Philadelphia Institute for Colored Youth (now Cheyney University). In 1869 she began to teach at the preparatory High School for Colored Youth ((later known as the M Street School, now known, after 1919, as the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Washington D.C.). From 1871 -2 she became the school 's first black principal. In 1872 she was demoted to assistant principle when Richard Theodore Greener - the first black Harvard University graduate, arrived. On his departure in 1873 she was reappointed principal (1873-84). Over the next 11 years the school grew from 50 to 172 students. Under her leadership the school gained strong intellectual standards.- high school commencements were initiated. She continued to teach at the school after her tenure as principal had finished. Outside of teaching she was interested in women’s rights and helped to found the Colored Women’s League of Washington D.C. The group focused on kindergarten teaching training , rescue work and classes fro industrial schools and homemaking. While in Washington she lived with her sisters, Emma and Chanie, and her brother John. In the late 1880’s their parents came to live with them due to the parents financial difficulties. Mary died on 24th September, 1894, aged only 54. Mary is remembered as as a pioneer in black education by paving the way for other black female educators. She was the first black African-American woman to receive a college degree -the year 1862 Sources Dunbar High school Past Wikipedia See also my notes on Dunbar High School (Washington D,C,) and Dunbar Firsts -information, on 6 black African-American firsts from the school

Alexander Lucius Twilight was an African-American (A-A) educator, minister and politician. He was the first male A-A to earn a degree from an American college or university graduating from Middlebury College in 1823. He was also the only A-A ever elected to the state legislature (1836), serving in the Vermont House of Representatives, before the Civil War (1861-5). He was born on 23rd September, 1795, in Bradford, Vermont. In 1798 they moved to Corinth. Alexander’s father, Ichabod was black, his mother Mary was described as ‘white’ or ‘light skinned’ implying she was of partial African descent. It is believed they were free and mixed race of African and English descent.They are both listed in the Corinth, Vermont town history as *the first negroes to settle in Corinth where they bought property, moving from Bradforf on November 28,1798 * From the age of 8 he worked on a neighbour’s farm. For the next 12 years he read, studied and learned mathematics while working in various labour positions. In 1815, aged of 20, he enrolled at Randolph’s Orange County Grammar School. Between 1815-21 he completed the secondary school courses and the first two years of college level curriculum. In 1821 enrolled at Middlebury College and left in 1823 with an Arts degree. The first A-A to be awarded a degree from an American institution of higher learning. Nobody realized it at the time. In 1826 Edward Jones claimed that honor which resulted in Middlebury publishing Alexander’s earlier graduation. His first job was in Peru, New York, where he stayed for 4 years. In 1828 he moved to Vergennes, Vermont to teach during the week and hold week-end services in Waltham and Ferrisburg. In 1829 he was hired as principal of the Orleans County, Vermont, Grammar school. in Brownington. He was ordained a minister of the Congregational Church. He built a house for his family (now the headquarters of the Orleans County Historical Society) . Alexander wanted to build a residence dormitory to accommodate borders. Built between 1834-6 the result was Athenian Hall - a massive, 4 storey, granite building. ( See ‘Old Stone House Museum’) In 1836 elected first A-A to the Vermont House of representatives. Unsuccessful in bid not to share school funding with the new Craftsbury school. In 1847, after 18 years, left headship having fallen out with Brownington trustees. He taught at Shipton and Hatley, Quebec. Without him his old school closed in 1852. He resumed duties as principal and pastor. Resigned as pastor in 1853. In October 1855 he suffered a stroke, which left him partially paralyzed.- retired from teaching. Alexander died on 19th June 1857, aged 61. His house and the Athenian Hall are included in the Brownington Village Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sources Old Stone House Museum Timelines from Black History

Sarah Jane Woodson Early, nee Sarah Jane Woodson, was an American educator, black nationalist, temperance activist and author. In 1858 she became the first black woman college instructor. She was also the first black African- American (A-A) to teach at a university-Historically Black College or University (HBCU) before the Civil War (1861-5) Sarah was the fifth and youngest daughter of 11. Her parents were Thomas Woodson and Jemima (nee Riddle) . She was born FREE in Chillicothe, Ohio on 15th November 1825 (In 1820 her father had paid $900 for the family’s freedom whilst living in Greenbrier County, Virginia. There were only 1 of 2 free black families in the entire county so they moved to the free state of Ohio. ) The Woodsons founded the first black methodist church west of the Alleghenies mountain range. In 1830 they were among the founders of a separate black farming community called Berlin Crossroad which became a prominent spot on the ’ Underground Rail Road’- an escape route for slaves. By 1840 nearly 2 dozen families had established a school, stores and churches. Her father and some of her brothers became black nationalists. Sarah showed an interest in education at a very early age. By the age of 3 should memorize hymns sung by her family. By the age of 5 she was able to memorize lengthy passages of the Bible. In 1839 she joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) where 2 of her brothers were ministers. In 1852 along with her sister, Hannah, she enrolled at the Oberin College. In 1856 she was one of the first African-American (A-A) women to graduate with a degree in Classical Studies. After graduation she taught in the black community schools in Ohio for several years. She was the first principal at a public school in Xenia, Ohio. In 1858 she joined Wilberforce University and became the first A-A woman college instructor She taught at HBCU where her brother Rev. Lewis Woodson was the founder and a trustee . HBCU closed during the war. In 1863 bought by AME and re-opened as first A-A college to be owned and operated. In 1868 she began teaching in a new school for black girls established by the Freedmen’s Bureau in Hillsboro. North Carolina. On 24th September, aged 42, she married Rev. Jordan Winston Early - an AME minister and former slave. They moved to Tennessee where she became principal of schools in 4 cities. From 1868-88) - 20 years, she helped her husband with his ministries until he retired. She taught school for nearly 40 years. She believed education was critical for the advancement of the race. 1888-92 she was national superintendent of the black division of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and gave 100 lectures across 5 states. Sarah wrote her husband’s biography and his rise from slavery - it is included among postwar narratives. Sarah’s career ended with her death. She died on 15th August 1907, aged 82. Sources PRO WCofRW WCTU Wikipedia

William Wells Brown was a prominent African- American abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright and historian. His novel Clotel; or the President’s Daughter (1853) considered to be the first novel written by an African- American - published in London, England. In 1867 he published the first history by an African- American *The Negro in the American Revolution . * George Higgins,his father, was a white plantation owner; his mother was a black slave named Elizabeth. She had 7 children all by different men. His father treated him like a house slave: his mother was a field slave. Together they were hired out to Major Freeland- a drunkard who kept a public house. William complained back to his father who was only interested in the money he was paid for his slaves - so after 6 months he escaped only to be caught. He was whipped and smoked (twice) and sent back to work. ( Read first set of notes ) He was also hired out to work on steamboats on the Missouri River. His work allowed to him to travel to see many new places. In 1833 he and his mother escaped across the river but were captured in Illinois. In 1834 they successfully slipped away from a steamboat when it docked in Cincinnati, Ohio They escaped to Dayton. The elderly Quaker, Wells Brown, helped him recover from a fever. When asked if he had another name than William he decided to adopt this kind gentleman’s name - William Wells Brown. He learned to read and write and eagerly sought more education. In 1834 he married Elizabeth Schooner. They had 2 daughters Clarissa and Josephine. ( Later they became estranged she died in 1851) He was hired by Elijah P. Lovejoy, the famed abolitionist and publisher of the St. Louis Times. He enjoyed working for him. From 1836- 1845? he made his home in Buffalo new York. He became a conductor on the Underground Railroad and worked on a Lake Erie steamer ferrying slaves to freedom in Canada. He became active in the abolitionist movement by joining several anti-slavery societies which included public speaking and music. He traveled with a slavery -themed traveling panorama He also organized a Temperance society. In 1947 published his memoir. -The Narrative of WWB , a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself. ( See ‘Literary Works’) In 1949 he traveled to the U.K. to lecture on slavery. Represents US at the International Peace Congress in Paris. 1950 Fugitive Slave Act in the US - decided to stay in Europe. 1853Clotel published in London 1854 Richardson family buy his freedom. Returns to US to rejoin the anti-slavery lecture circuit. 1861-5 American Civil War- recruits blacks for the Union. 1880 last book published 6th November, 1884 William dies , aged 70, in Chelsea, Massachusetts . In 2013 he was among the first writers inducted to the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame He was the first African- American novelist & historian.

Rebecca Lee Crumpler (nee Davis) was an American physician and author. She initially trained as a nurse but in 1864 she became the first African-American female doctor of medicine in the USA. She was the only female physician author in the 19th century A Book of Medical Discourses (1883) She dedicated herself to treating women an children who lived in poverty. Rebecca treated patients regardless of their ability to pay and often took no money for her work As a child she excelled in mathematics. In the 1870s she attended the elite West newton English and Classical School in Massachusetts. She taught in Wilmington beginning in 1874 and in New Castle, Delaware beginning in 1876 She married Wyatt Lee, a Virginia native and former slave in 1852. This was his second marriage and his son Albert dies aged just 7. This tragedy motivated her to become a nurse. She studied nursing for the next 8 years( 1855-64). The doctors and nurses are impressed with her knowledge and skills and encourage her to enroll in medical college. In 1860 she wins a scholarship to train as a doctor at the New England Female Medical College, Boston. She was the first and only African=American physician in her class. (Read Education -Nursing and medical school) In 1864 she become the first African- American woman to earn a medical degree. That year, because of the US Civil War (1861-5), she lost her funding and then her husband to tuberculosis . On 24th May 1865 she marries Arthur Crumpler a former fugitive slave. They are both active members of the Twelfth Baptist church where Arthur is a trustee. They move to Richmond , Virginia. She helps slaves rebuild their lives after slavery. She treated patients who otherwise would not have received medical care. She was subject to ‘intense racism’ and sexism while practicing medicine. She is shunned by fellow doctors and has problems getting the medication required. They return to Boston ((1869) where she sets up a medical clinic in a mainly African- American community of Beacon Hill. She treats women and children for free, if they are unable to pay. They stay there until 1880 11 years. By 1883 they are now living in Hyde Park, New York. She writes her medical journal * A Book of Medical Discourses*(BofMD) it was dedicated to nurses and mothers and focused on the medical care of women and children.(Read BofMD) Rebecca died in 9th March 1895, aged 64. She overcame a number of obstacles. She was the first African- American to become a doctor in the USA. She was the first African- American to publish a medical book. She is an inspiration for those who follow in her footsteps. On 16thJuly, 2020 a gravestone, following a ceremony, was finally installed at Fairview Cemetery to mark where Rebecca and Arthur were buried. Sources Amazon Timelines from Black History

Harriet Jacobs was convinced, by friends, to write an autobiography of her life as a slave. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl(1861) was the book and it is one of the first open discussions about the sexual harassment and abuse endured by a slave woman - a topic that even made abolitionists feel uncomfortable. The story tells of how, eventually after many years as a slave, Harriet was able to escape the continual sexual harassment of her slave owner and become a free woman. In her autobiography Harriet’s says her childhood was a happy one. Though we were slaves, I was fondly shielded that I never dreamed that I was a piece of merchandise. But on the death of her benevolent mistress, when she was 12, everything changed. Her ownership transfered to her mistress’s niece who was only 3 years old. Harriet’s actual new master was the niece’s father - Dr James Norcom. He would cause her a great deal of pain. When she was 15 Norcom began his relentless efforts to bend the slave girl’s will. He would whisper ‘foul words’ in her ear. His wife became suspicious so he built Harriet a cottage 4 miles from town. She asked if she could marry a free black man, Norcom violently refused. She had a plan. She became friendly with a caring white, unmarried lawyer. They had a child, She expected the infuriated Norcom to sell her and her child.- he didn’t. She bore the lawyer a second child. She heard Norcom was preparing to get the children to work as plantation slaves. In June 1835, after 7 rears of mistreatment, she ’ escaped’ and stayed with neighbours, black and white. The lawyer had bought her grandmother and uncle’s house. She found a tiny crawl space above the porch just big enough to hid in (9x7x3 feet). This tiny hiding place is where she stayed for the next 7 years- she could see her children through a peep hole. At night she would briefly exercise. In 1842 she escaped to freedom. She sailed to Philadelphia and then to New York by train. She was reunited with her children Joseph and Louisa Matilda and eventually her brother, John J. Jacobs… She fled to Massachusetts to again escape from Norcom. She found work as a nanny for the Children of Nathaniel Parker Willis. Harriet eventually became legally free when Mrs Willis, arranged her purchase. She made contact with abolitionists and feminist reformers. She was actively involved with the abolition movement before the launch of the Civil War. During the war she helped raise money for black refugees. After the war she worked to improve the conditions of th e recently freed slaves. She went with her daughter to the Union occupied parts of the South to help organize and found 2 schools for fugitives and freed slaves. She died in 7th March 1897, aged 84, a free woman. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is now considered an ‘American classic’ Sources Africans in America Amazon National Archives Penquin Classics

Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly, was the first African-American author of a published book of poems - Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Phillis was born in West Africa, probably present day Gambia or Senegal. She was sold into slavery aged 7 or 8 and transported to North America. She arrived in Boston, in the British Colony of Massachusetts, on 11th July 1761. She was enslaved by the Wheatley family of Boston. She was named Phillis after the name of the ship which transported her The Phillis. She was given the last name of Wheatley since it was common custom, if any surname was used, for enslaved people. The Wheatleys gave her the opportunity to learn to read and write and encouraged her talent for writing poetry. Their daughter Mary was her first tutor in reading and writing. Their son Nathaniel also helped. By the age of 12 she was reading Greek and Latin classics in their original language In 1770 she wrote a tribute to the evangelist George Whitefield. Many of her poems expressed Christian themes and many were dedicated to famous figures. In 1772 she successfully defended her authorship in court. The signed attestation is included in the preface to her book ( See ‘Poetry’) In 1773, aged 20, she made a trip to London, with her master’s son,seeking to find publication of her work. It was also thought it would help her health - she suffered from chronic asthma. Phillis met prominent people who became patrons. She had an audience with the Lord mayor of London, Frederick Bull. Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntington, subsidized volumes of her poems. Selina became ill so they never actually met. Poems on various subjects, Religious and Moral was published in London on 1st September 1773. It brought her fame in both England and the American colonies. She met George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1776. Jupiter Hammon praised her work in a poem. She *became the most famous African on the face of the earth *Voltaire. Phillis was emancipated (set free from slavery in November 1773 by the Wheatleys. But she soon lost the support of the Wheatleys, Susanna diedi n 1774, and John in 1778. She met and married John Peters, a free black grocer. They struggled with poor living conditions. They lost 2 babies. In 1784 he was imprisoned. Phillis went o work as a scullery maid in a boarding house. She became ill and died on th 5th December 1784. Her infant son soon after. Despite her early fame Phillis died in poverty and obscurity at the age of just 31. She is honored as the first African -American to publish a book of poetry and the first to make a living from her writings. 2002 Molefi Kete Asante listed her as one of his 100 greatest African- Americans For more ‘Legacy and Honors’ read notes. Sources Amazon Timelines from bBack History Wikipedia