DOCSLIB.ORG

A TIMELINE of AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY in BUFFALO, NY 1790-PRESENT Ince Our Inception, Buffalo Bike Tours Has Sought to Amplify Buffalo’S Lesser Known Histories

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A TIMELINE of AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY in BUFFALO, NY 1790-PRESENT Ince Our Inception, Buffalo Bike Tours Has Sought to Amplify Buffalo’S Lesser Known Histories CELEBRATE BUFFALO BLACK HISTORY A TIMELINE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IN BUFFALO, NY 1790-PRESENT ince our inception, Buffalo Bike Tours has sought to amplify Buffalo’s lesser known histories. This February (2021), in light Sof Black History Month and our commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement, we present a series of 4 articles on our city’s black history of resistance and resilience. Want to learn more? Buffalo Bike Tours can provide private tours themed around black history. We are also developing tours for younger audiences. For school field trips on Buffalo black history by bike, bus, or foot, see our website or contact us for more information on hosting your class. BUFFALO BIKE TOURS BUFFALOBIKETOURS.COM [email protected] (716) 328-8432 2 1790-1900 EARLY HISTORY OF BUFFALO’S BLACK COMMUNITY rior to the war of 1812, Buffalo was a pioneer town with a population of just under 1,500. PBuffalo’s first black citizens lived alongside early settlers and largely resided in the Fourth Ward. Buffalo’s black population faced many adversities but experienced more freedom than many other parts of the country. New York State was one of the more liberal states and enacted policies, such as abolishing slavery in 1827. Still, life in Buffalo was far from perfect for black families in the 1800s. Due to its proximity to the Canadian border, Professor Wilbur H. Siebert’s underground railroad of WNY map Buffalo soon became a key part of the underground railroad: it was the last stop before reaching freedom. The city became known to conductors around the country as a network of “stations” were established. 3 Underground Railroad sites in Buffalo, NY - interactive Google Map This became even more critical in 1850, when President Millard Fillmore (from Buffalo), passed the Fugitive Slave Act, imposing hefty fines and jail time on those assisting freedom seekers. Buffalo’s defiance of the Fugitive Slave Act reflected currents happening around our region. In Rochester, Austin Steward was a business owner, abolitionist author, and underground railroad conductor. In 1847, Martin R. Delany and Frederick Douglass also moved to Rochester, where they published North Star, which became the leading newspaper of the abolitionist movement. In 1825, with the opening of the Erie Canal, Buffalo became a boom town. As European immigrants from around the world sought opportunity in Western New York’s industries, the city’s population ballooned. Buffalo’s black population remained As the 20th Century approached, Buffalo was fast small however and tightly knit, concentrated along becoming an economic powerhouse, and Buffalo’s Michigan Street. As the Circle Association writes: black community was finding its voice. These are a few key moments in the timeline of Buffalo black In 1855 the seven hundred-odd black people history pioneers, 1790-1900. living in Buffalo have two churches and a separate, segregated public school for their children. And while many black men worked as common laborers and most black women as domestics, there is a considerable large number of skilled workmen in the city’s East Side black community. Indeed, the job descriptions of many of them that are noted in the censuses of the mid-nineteenth century read like a handbook of trades. 4 ”Black Joe” Hodge, thought to be an escaped slave, lives in Buffalo with the Seneca Indians. He is the first non-Native person to live in WNY and operates a trading post. JOSEPH HODGE Fluent in both Native and English languages, he is an interpreter LIVES IN and is known for serving alcohol BUFFALO out of his home (making him 1790 Buffalo’s first bartender). A number of black owned businesses establish at a 3-story building known as the Union Block at Canalside. The area is well known as a magnet for vice, UNION BLOCK with as many as 60% of buildings ESTABLISHED serving as brothels. One of the more colorful establishments is AT CANALSIDE Dug’s Dive, operated by William Douglas, an escaped slave from 1830s Tennessee. Located below sea level, the bar is a literal “dive” one could not stand upright in. The “Colored Methodist Society” of Buffalo is founded, otherwise known as the Vine Street Church. Its first pastor, Rev. George Weir, serves for 10 years and remains BETHEL AME active in improving the economic, social, and political conditions of FOUNDED his people for several decades. While the street and building are 1831 no longer extant, the congregation is still active. After escaping slavery and working on steam ships in Cleveland, William Wells Brown moves to Buffalo. He helps more than WILLIAM 70 blacks escape on boats he WELLS BROWN navigates across the Niagara River at Black Rock Ferry. He becomes MOVES TO the first African American BUFFALO to publish a book, Clotell; or, 1836 The President’s Daughter, and travels the world speaking on abolitionism. His homesite is Shilo Baptist Church today. 5 Elisha Tucker establishes a second Baptist Church in Buffalo to serve primary a black congregation. In 1838, several of the church’s leaders pass a resolution opposing slavery and the church MICHIGAN ST becomes a regular stopping ground for black thought leaders, including BAPTIST Frederick Douglass, Booker T Washington, and W. E. B. Du Bois. In 1842, the church CHURCH established its home at 511 Michigan. FOUNDED 1836 The building is rumored to have been an underground railroad station. It is still in operation today. Leader of the Vine Street Church choir, “Peg Leg” Harrison befriends Edwin “Ned” Christy. They begin practicing together as Christy’s Minstrels and revolutionize theater with their bawdy performances, PEG LEG including the hit song, “Buffalo Gals,” about prostitution in Buffalo’s Canal HARRISON district. While steeped in racist MEETS NED stereotypes, minstrel shows allow early black entertainers an outlet to challenge CHRISTY 1843 perceptions and audiences, and pursue new careers. Vine Street AME Church hosts a national convention with the purpose of discussing how to end slavery. Speakers include Samuel H. Davis, George Weir, NATIONAL Frederick Douglass, and Henry Highland Garnet. Garnet calls for Southern CONVENTION slaves to refuse to work and resist their oppressors by any means necessary. OF COLORED The gatherings exceed the church’s MEN capacity and are moved outdoors, 1843 where 5,000 attend. Newspapers detail a dramatic, failed attempt by bounty hunters to arrest Christopher Webb, a waiter at the Gothic Hall Saloon. When their warrant is discovered illegitimate, a group of FUGITIVE Buffalonians, including the Deputy Sheriff, chase the bounty hunters out of SLAVE ACT town. RIOT 1847 6 Buffalo hosts a major convention for a new political party: The Free Soil Party. It is founded on an abolitionist platform, summarized FREE SOIL by a large banner that reads, “Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor, Free PARTY Men”. 40,000 attend speeches FOUNDED IN at Lafayette Square. Poet Walt Whitman is in attendance. 1848 BUFFALO During the 1800s, blacks are regularly employed to break up union organizing efforts. As a fight breaks out between laborers and scabs, a mob coalesces. Hundreds of Irish dock workers attack blacks at random. One black is 1891 DOCK shot, at least two are murdered, and dozens are beaten. Rioters WORKER RIOT turn their attention to the Union 1891 Block, where a mob surrounds the building. Police rescue a large number of black men at Dug’s Dive, who are taken to jail for their own protection. Mary Talbert moves with her husband William, from Oberlin, OH to Buffalo. She becomes a leading voice in the women’s suffrage and abolitionists movements. She MARY TALBERT becomes founder of the Niagara Movement and is instrumental in MOVES TO anti-lynching legislation. She is the first black woman to earn a 1891 BUFFALO Ph.D. from University at Buffalo. After studying at a Virginia seminary, Rev. Jesse Nash moves to Buffalo at the age of 24 to be pastor of the Michigan Street Baptist Church. Nash co-founds the Buffalo Urban League and REV. JESSE Colored YMCA in Buffalo and serves his congregation for 61 NASH MOVES years. His house is a museum and TO BUFFALO education center today. 1892 7 1900-1950 BUFFALO BLACK HISTORY IN THE 1900S t the turn of the Century, Buffalo’s black population was sparse and intermixed. But Aas the 1900s progressed, a more highly concentrated neighborhood emerged with black owned businesses, including nightclubs, drug stores, restaurants, and churches along Michigan Street. Buffalo’s black population expanded with the onset of World War I. Many Southern blacks moved to Buffalo to pursue better paying jobs in our wartime industries, such as Bell Aircraft and Bethlehem Steel. This became known as the first wave of the Great Migration. The Great Migration saw a large increase in Buffalo’s black population Buffalo was an appealing destination. The city was the second busiest rail hub, second only to Chicago. The interconnectivity between rail and waterways provided new opportunity for black families. 8 The waitresses at Dan Montgomery’s (2008) Map of Buffalo’s Fouth Ward, G. M. Hopkins & Co., 1872 Racism was pervasive. Beginning in the 1930s, banks employed racist housing practices, including redlining. This meant blacks had difficulty obtaining loans for housing outside of a small area. Redlining created in a highly segregated city, one in which race tensions sometimes flared. It also created a cycle of poverty, with black families struggling to make ends meet. Still, Buffalo’s black community persevered and organized. Building on its activist past, Buffalo became a central part for the formation of the modern civil rights movement, including the foundation of the Niagara Movement. The arts flourished in an entertainment district known as the “jazz triangle”, consisting of Map showing redlined areas of Buffalo that discriminated against black Club Moonglo, Vendome, and Colored Musicians families seeking loans.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Where to Find HEOP
    Courtesy of the New York State Senate Minority Conference Eric Adams Suzi Oppenheimer Neil D. Breslin George Onorato Martin Connor Kevin S. Parker Ruben Diaz, Sr. Bill Perkins Martin Malavé Dilan John D. Sabini Thomas K. Duane John L. Sampson Efrain González, Jr. Diane J. Savino Ruth Hassell‐Thompson Eric T. Schneiderman Shirley L. Huntley José M. Serrano Jeffrey D. Klein Malcolm A. Smith Craig M. Johnson William T. Stachowski Liz Krueger Toby Ann Stavisky Carl Kruger Andrea Stewart‐Cousins Velmanette Montgomery Antoine M. Thompson David J. Valesky Special Thanks Chloe Mauro Travis Proulx Robert James Bill Short David Bowers Carol Ann Kissam Cheryl N. Williams Carlos Garcia Sylvia R. Carey Sara Morrison Sahiry Rodriguez 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introductory Letter 4 Higher Education Opportunity Program • Program Overview 5 • Funding 7 • Applying to HEOP 7 • Requirements 8 Education Opportunity Program • Program Overview 9 • Funding 10 • Applying to EOP 11 • Requirements 11 SEEK & College Discovery • Program Overview 13 • Funding 13 • Applying to SEEK & College Discovery 14 • Requirements 16 Collegiate Science & Technology Education Program • Program Overview 17 • Funding 17 • Applying to C‐STEP 18 • Requirements 19 General Income Guidelines for All Programs 20 Talk with your Guidance Counselor/Other Resources 21 Contact Information for Universities with Programs 22 3 NEW YORK STATE SENATE MINORITY CONFERENCE Fall 2007 Dear Friend, In todayʹs economy, higher education and life‐long learning have become essential for success. However, the costs of higher education have become unbearable for some, and burdensome for all. According to a recently released study by the U.S. Department of Education, paying for college is a greater burden for New Yorkers than residents of any other state.
    [Show full text]
  • Texts Checklist, the Making of African American Identity
    National Humanities Center Resource Toolbox The Making of African American Identity: Vol. I, 1500-1865 A collection of primary resources—historical documents, literary texts, and works of art—thematically organized with notes and discussion questions I. FREEDOM pages ____ 1 Senegal & Guinea 12 –Narrative of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo (Job ben Solomon) of Bondu, 1734, excerpts –Narrative of Abdul Rahman Ibrahima (“the Prince”), of Futa Jalon, 1828 ____ 2 Mali 4 –Narrative of Boyrereau Brinch (Jeffrey Brace) of Bow-woo, Niger River valley, 1810, excerpts ____ 3 Ghana 6 –Narrative of Broteer Furro (Venture Smith) of Dukandarra, 1798, excerpts ____ 4 Benin 11 –Narrative of Mahommah Gardo Baquaqua of Zoogoo, 1854, excerpts ____ 5 Nigeria 18 –Narrative of Olaudah Equiano of Essaka, Eboe, 1789, excerpts –Travel narrative of Robert Campbell to his “motherland,” 1859-1860, excerpts ____ 6 Capture 13 –Capture in west Africa: selections from the 18th-20th-century narratives of former slaves –Slave mutinies, early 1700s, account by slaveship captain William Snelgrave FREEDOM: Total Pages 64 II. ENSLAVEMENT pages ____ 1 An Enslaved Person’s Life 36 –Photographs of enslaved African Americans, 1847-1863 –Jacob Stroyer, narrative, 1885, excerpts –Narratives (WPA) of Jenny Proctor, W. L. Bost, and Mary Reynolds, 1936-1938 ____ 2 Sale 15 –New Orleans slave market, description in Solomon Northup narrative, 1853 –Slave auctions, descriptions in 19th-century narratives of former slaves, 1840s –On being sold: selections from the 20th-century WPA narratives of former slaves, 1936-1938 ____ 3 Plantation 29 –Green Hill plantation, Virginia: photographs, 1960s –McGee plantation, Mississippi: description, ca. 1844, in narrative of Louis Hughes, 1897 –Williams plantation, Louisiana: description, ca.
    [Show full text]
  • The Legacy of Buffalo's Landmark Housing Desegregation Case, Comer
    THE LEGACY OF BUFFALO’S LANDMARK HOUSING DESEGREGATION CASE, COMER V. KEMP By Scott W. Gehl About the Author Scott W. Gehl is a product of Buffalo's public schools and a magna cum laude graduate of the University at Buffalo. His career of public service included work as a community organizer, a Buffalo Councilman, and 35 years as executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal. Front and back cover photos: detail from WPA-era sculptures at Willert Park Court. © Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC), November 2020 Many That 1954 unanimous decision by the United Americans States Supreme Court held that racially segregated know the public schools were inherently unequal in violation of the name Brown Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. While 65 years later we are still grappling with implementation of Brown, there can v. Board of be no doubt that the decision profoundly affected and advanced the Education. struggle for civil rights. Many fewer people are familiar with another important case, Gautreaux v. the Chicago Housing Authority, which challenged the then common practice of building public housing in communities characterized by racial segregation and concentrated poverty. Among the remedies ordered by the court were construction of smaller- scale developments in more diverse neighborhoods as well as the provision of housing vouchers permitting members of the protected class to lease private housing in more socio-economically diverse neighborhoods. In a related case, Hills v. Gautreaux, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1976 In Buffalo, New York in a 1989 that HUD was liable for the Chicago Housing Authority’s actions because class-action suit, Comer v.
    [Show full text]
  • Image Credits, the Making of African
    THE MAKING OF AFRICAN AMERICAN IDENTITY: VOL. I, 1500-1865 PRIMARY SOURCE COLLECTION The Making of African American Identity: Vol. I, 1500-1865 IMAGE CREDITS Items listed in chronological order within each repository. ALABAMA DEPT. of ARCHIVES AND HISTORY. Montgomery, Alabama. WEBSITE Reproduced by permission. —Physical and Political Map of the Southern Division of the United States, map, Boston: William C. Woodbridge, 1843; adapted to Woodbridges Geography, 1845; map database B-315, filename: se1845q.sid. Digital image courtesy of Alabama Maps, University of Alabama. ALLPORT LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS. State Library of Tasmania. Hobart, Tasmania (Australia). WEBSITE Reproduced by permission of the Tasmanian Archive & Heritage Office. —Mary Morton Allport, Comet of March 1843, Seen from Aldridge Lodge, V. D. Land [Tasmania], lithograph, ca. 1843. AUTAS001136168184. AMERICAN TEXTILE HISTORY MUSEUM. Lowell, Massachusetts. WEBSITE Reproduced by permission. —Wooden snap reel, 19th-century, unknown maker, color photograph. 1970.14.6. ARCHIVES OF ONTARIO. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. WEBSITE In the public domain; reproduced courtesy of Archives of Ontario. —Letter from S. Wickham in Oswego, NY, to D. B. Stevenson in Canada, 12 October 1850. —Park House, Colchester, South, Ontario, Canada, refuge for fugitive slaves, photograph ca. 1950. Alvin D. McCurdy fonds, F2076-16-6. —Voice of the Fugitive, front page image, masthead, 12 March 1854. F 2076-16-935. —Unidentified black family, tintype, n.d., possibly 1850s; Alvin D. McCurdy fonds, F 2076-16-4-8. ASBURY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. Wilmore, Kentucky. Permission requests submitted. –“Slaves being sold at public auction,” illustration in Thomas Lewis Johnson, Twenty-Eight Years a Slave, or The Story of My Life in Three Continents, 1909, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Benjamin Lundy, Abolitionist
    BENJAMIN LUNDY, ABOLITIONIST FRED LANDON Here was a man, without education, without wealth . ... who had under- taken, single-hai).ded and without the shadow of a doubt of his ultimate success, to abolish Amencan slavery. Macy, The Anti-Slavery Crusade. HE stude?t of Ameri~ history, _whose field of investigation T lies within the twenttes and thtrttes of the last century, finds the name of Benjamin Lundy appearing in many records. At a time when the older America seemed to be breaking up and when all its people seemed to be on the move, he was as restless as any. In 1830 he could say that he had travelled more than 5,000 miles on foot and more than 20,000 miles in other ways, that he had visited 19 states, and had made two voyages to Hayti. Within the next five years he added to this record three journeys to Texas and the southwest, and a journey through the western part of Upper Canada. His purpose never varied. While others might seek wealth or adventure, he was seeking a solution for the national problems in­ volved in slavery, and he was particularly seeking the means by which the lot of the negro race in America might be improved. As a pioneer in the abolitionist movement, as the most active propagandist of anti-slavery ideas during the twenties, and as the agent through whom William Lloyd Garrison was first enlisted in the cause, it is strange that he has had so little recognition given to his efforts. A patchwork sort of biography issued eighty years ago, casual references in larger histories, and two or three brief magazine articles alone record Lundy's activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from New York's Recent Experience with Capital Punishment
    BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR: LESSONS FROM NEW YORK’S RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT James R. Acker* INTRODUCTION On March 7, 1995, Governor George Pataki signed legislation authorizing the death penalty in New York for first-degree murder,1 representing the State’s first capital punishment law enacted in the post- Furman era.2 By taking this action the governor made good on a pledge that was central to his campaign to unseat Mario Cuomo, a three-term incumbent who, like his predecessor, Hugh Carey, had repeatedly vetoed legislative efforts to resuscitate New York’s death penalty after it had been declared unconstitutional.3 The promised law was greeted with enthusiasm. The audience at the new governor’s inauguration reserved its most spirited 4 ovation for Pataki’s reaffirmation of his support for capital punishment. * Distinguished Teaching Professor, School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany; Ph.D. 1987, University at Albany; J.D. 1976, Duke Law School; B.A. 1972, Indiana University. In the spirit of full disclosure, the author appeared as a witness at one of the public hearings (Jan. 25, 2005) sponsored by the Assembly Committees discussed in this Article. 1. Twelve categories of first-degree murder were made punishable by death under the 1995 legislation, and a thirteenth type (killing in furtherance of an act of terrorism) was added following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. N.Y. PENAL LAW § 125.27 (McKinney 2003). Also detailed were the procedures governing the prosecution’s filing of a notice of intent to seek the death penalty, N.Y.
    [Show full text]
  • CITY of BUFFALO, NEW YORK $7,540,000 Refunding Serial Bonds – 2013A (Federally Taxable) (The “Bonds”)
    REFUNDING BONDS RATINGS: Book-Entry-Only Bonds (See “Ratings” herein) In the opinion of Harris Beach PLLC, Buffalo, New York, Bond Counsel, under existing statutes, interest on the Bonds is exempt from personal income taxes imposed by the State of New York or any political subdivision thereof. Bond Counsel expresses no opinion regarding any other consequences related to the ownership and disposition of, or the accrual or receipt of interest on, the Bonds. See “TAX MATTERS” herein regarding certain tax considerations. CITY OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK $7,540,000 Refunding Serial Bonds – 2013A (Federally Taxable) (the “Bonds”) Date of Issue: Date of Delivery Maturity Dates: February 1, 2014-2025 (as shown on the inside cover) The Bonds will be issued in fully registered form and when issued will be registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York (“DTC”). DTC will act as Securities Depository for the Bonds. Individual purchases will be made in book-entry form only, in the principal amount of $5,000 or integral multiples thereof. Purchasers will not receive certificates representing their interest in the Bonds. The Bonds will mature on the dates and in the amounts, will bear interest at the rates and will have the yields or public offering prices shown on the inside cover of this Official Statement. Interest on the Bonds will be payable on the dates as shown on the inside cover of this Official Statement. Principal and interest will be paid by Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, Buffalo, New York, as Paying Agent, to the Securities Depository, which will in turn remit such principal and interest to its Participants, for subsequent distribution to the Beneficial Owners of the Bonds, as described herein.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2017–2018
    Annual Report 2017–2018 The 1905 and 1962 Buildings of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Photograph by MK Photo To flourish as an exceptional hub of artistic and creative energies that enriches Vision and transforms people’s lives in our community, our nation, and the world. Present exhibitions, performances, and programs that challenge 1 and inspire. Seek tomorrow’s masterpieces while developing our world- 2 renowned collection of modern and contemporary art. Mission 3 Create education programs for lifelong learning and discovery. 4 Engage and empower widening, inclusive audiences. 5 Inspire open dialogue and common understanding. Values We strive for excellence, innovation, and sustainability in everything that we do. Board of Directors The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy 2017–2018 Monica Angle Sally Gioia Jody Lippes Susan O’Connor Baird Roscoe C. Henderson III Frederick G. Pierce II Charles W. Banta L. N. Hopkins, M.D. François Rochon Robert J. Bojdak Peter F. Hunt Deborah Russell Ann Bonte Thomas R. Hyde Christine Sabuda Robert T. Brady Alice F. Jacobs John R. Sanderson Helen Cappuccino, M.D. Michael Joseph Harris Schwalb James W. Derrick Roberta Joseph R. Buford Sears Pamela Dinsmore Will Keresztes, EdD Rachel Stenclik Christopher J. Feeney Northrup R. Knox, Jr. Nicole Swift Catherine B. Foley Seymour H. Knox IV Elisabeth Roche Wilmers Ex-Officio City of Buffalo County of Erie AK Members’ Mayor County Executive Volunteer Commissioner of Public Works, County Comptroller Council Chair Parks & Streets Chairman, Finance & Nancy B. Stevens Comptroller Management Committee Board Committees Advancement AK360 Project AK360 Stewardship Susan O’Connor Baird, Chair Committee Committee Robert J.
    [Show full text]
  • Views in Historical Newspapers
    Readex Report Former Slaves and Free Blacks in Canada West: Using Early American Newspapers to Trace the Circulation of a Slave Narrative By Eleanor Bird PhD Student, University of Sheffield, UK Between 1830 and the eve of the American Civil War, approximately 40,000 former slaves and free blacks fled the United States for Canada, especially to Canada West (that is, modern-day Ontario).[i] Slavery in Canada West had been in decline since the late eighteenth century, and slavery in the British colonies was officially abolished by an act of British Parliament which took effect in 1834. The number of fugitives travelling into Canada peaked after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850 since this law made it far easier for runaways in the Northern United States to be returned to their former masters. It is estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 African Americans entered Canada from 1850 to 1860.[ii] Until recently critics have ignored the Canadian-dimension of slave narratives, despite the fact that there are more than ten nineteenth-century book-length slave narratives with portions set in Canada West.[iii] Some of these narratives were printed and circulated in the United States, and others in Britain and Canada West. These texts include, for example, Benjamin Drew’s The Refugee or The Narratives of Fugitive Slaves in Canada (1856), Samuel Ringgold Ward's Autobiography of a Fugitive Negro: His Anti-Slavery Labours in the United States, Canada and England (1855), Josiah Henson’s The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as narrated by himself (1849) and Richard Warren’s Narrative of the Life and Sufferings of Rev Richard Warren (A Fugitive Slave) (1856).
    [Show full text]
  • Teacher's Guide to Rethinking UGRR Terminology
    Rethinking Underground Railroad Terminology Teacher’s Guide The words we use to talk about a topic influence the way we think and feel about the subject. Language reflects the values of the culture that produces it. As values change, so does language. Significantly, the language used in guiding students’ cognitive development shapes their internal dialogue as they assimilate new information. Social psychologist Lev Semanovich Vygotsky argued these internal dialogues influence students’ independent cognitive efforts.1 Thus, an educator’s language shapes a student’s internal perspectives on the material being studied. Moreover, it conveys to the student an understanding of society’s values with respect to the subject matter. It is important for educators to consider who produced the traditional “Definitions belong to the Underground Railroad lexicon of “slave” and “owner” and to determine whether definers – not the defined.” the values reflected in that vocabulary should be reinforced today. - Toni Morrison, Beloved This Teacher’s Guide has been prepared to inform classroom discussions about the historical context and modern legacy of the Underground Railroad. 1 John H. Falk and Lynn D. Dierking, Learning from Museums: Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2000), 44. Dec. 2018 © 2018 Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Commission Inc. Rethinking Underground Railroad Terminology Teacher’s Guide Traditional Language Preferred Language Usage Example2 Significance & Best Practices Routinely qualifying nouns such as “businessman,” “doctor,” etc. with the adjective “African-American” assumes that “businessmen,” etc. are white. Under this usage, white is the standard, and all others are a deviation, necessitating usage of a racial adjective to refer to all businessmen of color.
    [Show full text]
  • Austin Steward
    Austin Steward Austin Steward was born in 1793 to slave parents Robert and Susan Steward in Prince William County, Virginia. He had one sister. The Stewards were purchased about 1800 by Captain William Helm. Austin was put to work in the plantation house as an errand boy. Austin Steward recalled Capt. Helm during this period as a kind, pleasant, and humorous man and not a harsh master. Nevertheless, the Stewards were enslaved. When Austin was about eight or nine years of age, Helm sold his Virginia plantation and moved his family, his household goods, and his thirty slaves to New York State, first to Sodus then, three years later, to Bath. Land agent Charles Williamson, also from Virginia, had invested heavily in the Genesee Country and encouraged Helm to settle in Bath. There Helm bought several farms and a gristmill that his slaves operated. Helm also hired out Austin and another slave to work for Henry Tower who ran a large grist mill and distillery in Lyons. Austin worked for Tower until about 1812 when he was hired out to another master. It was at about this time, when he was about twenty years old, that he began to plan his freedom. He purchased a spelling book and taught himself to read. He questioned his slave status because, in New York State, there were two laws in effect that would help him. One law dating from 1785 banned the sale of slaves brought into New York and the other, passed in 1799, provided for the gradual emancipation of slaves in New York.
    [Show full text]
  • Black News Table of Contents
    Black News Table of Contents Boxes 7 through 11 of the Civil Rights in Brooklyn Collection Call Number: BC 0023 Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection Box 7: Location MR 1.5 Vol. 1 No. 1, October 1969 Willie Thompson “Black News “of Bedford Stuyvesant The Uhuru Academy Explanation Of the So-called Generation Enemies of the Black Communities Gap Radical Approach toward low-income housing Vol. 1 No. 4, November 15, 1969 The Black study circle Christmas Nigger “The Beast” ( a poem) Harlem’s demand for self-determination Make it, Buy it, or Take it Black Study Circle Black soul plays Understanding Enemies of the Black community All out race war in U.S. Marines…1970 The Black Ass Kickin' Brigade The Healer Forced out of their Home Modern Cities and Nigger incompetence “One Bloody Night” What’s on? No School! protest Bobby Seale From Sister to Sister Are policemen really pigs or worse? Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1969 Liberty House Ocean Hill Brownsville –Revisited-1969- Keep the grapevine buzzin Less Campbell Lindsay owes his body and soul Seminar for Black women Enemies of the Black Communities Black people spend $35 billion annually “The Death Dance” (a poem) Post Revolution thought ( a poem) Community control of the land “I Love America” (a poem) Vol. 1 No. 5 December 1, 1969 Another Black patriot doomed by the pig Rapping on Racists America is so beautiful in the Autumn The arrogance of Model Cities Ho Chi Minh – The man and his plan The soap-opera syndrome “The Needle”(a poem) His Master’s voice A Black father’s one man crusade against Vol.
    [Show full text]