I stop every Sunday morning to buy New Pittsburgh Couriers for the senior citizens in my church of 76 years, New Destiny CME. One Sunday while buying the papers, the clerk said, “Who is this woman portrayed as a Black leader, because I’ve never heard of her.” My response was there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Black leaders that you are not familiar with.
I remember a third grade class of 23 Black youths in Montgomery Ala., that when asked, only two had an idea who Martin Luther King Jr. was, and a Black baseball player said Jackie who? (Jackie Robinson!)
There are many of us who would describe our parents and grandparents as Black leaders, and we would be on target, but today we are going to recognize some Blacks who may not be known by us.
Gabriel Prosser, in the year of 1800, organized a large scale attack on the city of Richmond, Va. in an attempt to disrupt, if not end, the barbaric conditions of slavery.
Charles Dislondes led an attack against the slave masters in 1811 in New Orleans. There were numbers of Blacks who refused to turn the other cheek and took death instead of bondage.
In 1862 a rebellious Black slave, Robert Smalls, became the captain of the ship The Planter that he and other slaves took control of. Paul Cuffee, a rich free Black man transported 38 Blacks back to Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Reverend Daniel E. Johnson created an all-Black stock company and bought the African-American Steamship Line.
In 1641, Ambiguous Graweere challenged the legal system to buy his child’s freedom. It was unheard of at the time, but he won his child’s freedom.
Hiram Revels was elected to the seat in the Senate vacated by Jefferson Davis, becoming the first African-American chosen to be a member of Congress. P.B.S. Pinchback was the president pro tempore of the Louisiana State Senate and upon the death of the governor, he became governor, thereby becoming the first Black governor in America.
Diane Nash was the leader of the sit-in movement at downtown lunch counters in Nashville, Tenn.
Herbert Lee, a farmer in Amite County in Miss., was the driving force in a voter registration drive and was killed because of his involvement.
Nathaniel Bacon was a leading member of the Virginia planters who challenged British rule and forced the British governor to flee the governor’s mansion.
Peter Salem, a free Black man, was the first military hero of the war of Independence, because of his actions on June 17, 1775 on Bunker Hill.
Jupiter Hammonn was the first Black in America to publish a book of poems. Joshua Johnson was the first nationally recognized Black artist. Ira Aldridge, a great Shakespearean actor, was the first Black to play Othello on an English stage. William Wells Brown was the first Black to publish a novel in America. William Grant Still was the first Black in America to have his symphony played by a white orchestra.
These are just a few who made giant contributions, but are not household names. We must take time and research our history and not limit ourselves to February (Black History Month).
If you have not mailed your contribution to the Kingsley Association, what’s the delay?
(On May 17 you can hear Hop Kendrick’s “TELL THE TRUTH COMMENTARY” on WAMO AM 860 between 7:30-8:30 a.m.)
