Ohio Black History

Charles Young was born to parents enslaved in Mays Lick, Kentucky, in 1864. In early 1865, his father escaped to nearby Ripley, Ohio. This flourishing small town was home to many abolitionists and, for decades, served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for people escaping enslavement.
From Ripley, Charles' father joined the 5th United States Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment, taking part in battles during the last year of the Civil War. After his father's discharge in 1866, the whole family settled in Ripley, where Charles grew up.
Throughout his upbringing, Charles' parents placed much emphasis on education. He often studied at home with his mother, who, though enslaved for her years before emancipation, was literate. With his mother's help and guidance from educators who also served as mentors, Charles excelled in school, graduating atop his high school class in 1881 while becoming a talented musician and a polyglot. He was fluent in Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, and German.
After high school, Charles became a teacher at a local school. A couple of years later, with encouragement from his father, Charles took the entrance exam for West Point. He scored second highest in his district, receiving admission after the top candidate chose not to enroll.
At West Point, Charles experienced much racism and often felt lonely. For a period, he had to endure the "silent cure," a form of hazing in which people ignored him. But, he persevered through the challenges with help from some students and faculty along the way, graduating in 1887.
After graduating, Charles served in the military for twenty-eight years, beginning as a second lieutenant, then captain, and finally, Colonel. Throughout these years, he also taught in the military sciences department at Wilberforce College and was the first black Superintendent of a national park upon taking the position at Sequoia National Park in 1903.
Charles passed away in 1922. He was the highest-ranking black American officer in the Army at the time.

I'm so proud of US!!!

Your Big Mouth Historian understands we put Columbus's Black History on the map, although many historians have done the work for generations. We share most of the past work with you all because we are not elves that sit on a shelf.
Growing up in Columbus, I was not privileged to the amazing stories of freedom, segregation, and history makers (our black history class at East taught us about Africa), and as a teen, I didn't know what to look for. I didn't know Anna Bishop, nor did we have access to her books.
As time progresses and America stops tripping, it's crucial that we ALL play a part in making black history easily accessible and predictable. In the past, access to this information was limited and daunting for the average person, but together, we can change that.
I've discovered that most people do not go to the library or research the details online to discover a story. That's the job of an expert or enthusiast, but we can bring the story to the people, and that's what this group does.
Please continue to check out the work of our past at www.columbusblackhistory.org!! The 20/20/200 Project and
Buy a book while you're there!!!

Support, donations, or partnerships are always appreciated.

Thank You
Rita Fuller-Yates

Columbus Black History Exploring Columbus' rich Black History from 1803-2023

What a beautiful day to share Savannah's Black History!!
Woohoo! three tours this weekend. I love this so much; I'm getting ready for the next city; where should I go? LMBO

We met a few members of Alpha Phi Alpha today who happen to live in Columbus. It was great energy on all of the tours. We had a couple join us from Canada. Woohoo!!

The most rewarding part of the tours is witnessing the unique experiences and the impact the stories have on our participants. It's a joy to see their eyes light up and their smiles widen :)

Exciting news! We're adding new tours every week, so get ready for our next one every Friday at 1:00.

Today's tour included ladies from Chicago, Florida, and Savannah natives. We also had a four-year-old young man join us who became my Production Assistant.
The Hubs kicked me out of my backseat to make room for more tourists; he built a seating area where our gift shop used to be.

Happy Juneteenth!!

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/german-village/2013/02/06/the-naming-columbus-streets/23232187007/

The naming of Columbus' streets People walking or driving about the streets of Columbus today often assume that the names of these major thoroughfares and more obscure byways have not changed all that much over the years. In point …

Honoring our West High Legend, Dr. Lawrence Carter, a trailblazer in his own right, was appointed as the inaugural Dean of the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1979. His tenure in this esteemed position remains unparalleled, making him the sole individual to have held this significant role.

Born in Dawson, Georgia, his family moved to Columbus when he was a child, and he was raised on the Hilltop. Following graduation from West in 1960, Carter received a B.A. degree from Virginia University, a degree in theology, and his Ph.D. from Boston University.

Further studies were completed at Andover Newton Theological School, Harvard University, Georgia State University, New York University, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Brown University, Spelman College, George Washington University, and The Ohio State University.

He is a licensed and ordained American Baptist minister and, in 1994, a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil. Carter has also been a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow in 1993 and 1996.

Carter is the author of over 40 published articles in numerous newspapers and professional magazines. Carter has received 47 honors and proclamations, including Faculty Member of the Year in 1985, Leadership Atlanta in 1986-, and six times elected delegate to international religious assemblies.

Carter is Sublime Prince, 32nd Degree of the Prince Hall Masons, and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He is married to Dr. Marva Griffin Carter, who is an Assistant Professor of Music, History, and Literature at Georgia State University.

The Carters are parents of one son, Lawrence Edward Carter, Jr.

Source: https://westhighalumni.com/dr-lawrence-carter-sr-60-educator/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/9UTo8WGbKR68VzJV/

Yates Entertainment is giving back to Savannah and sponsoring a free walking history tour on June 19th to celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans of Savannah. This FREE event is open to the public and will include a Victorian picnic lunch.
Each tourist will obtain a ninety-minute tour in the Laurel Grove Cemetery South. The event is limited to the first fifteen people and first come, first serve so please register sooner than later.
www.savannahblackhistorytours.com

Thank You Savannah for preserving American black history, it's because of you, we are able to see our story!!

Dr. Roderick McDavis became the 20th president of the Ohio University on July 1, 2004. He is the first Ohioan of African ancestry and the second alumnus to lead Ohio University as president. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
McDavis began his academic career as an undergraduate at Ohio University and earning a B.A. He was a runner on the men's varsity track team. He later completed an M.A. degree at the University of Dayton and a Ph.D. degree at the University of Toledo, both in the field of higher education. He was a professor of education in the Department of Counselor Education at the University of Florida from 1974 to 1989 and an associate dean of the graduate school and minority programs at the same university from 1984 to 1989.

He served as dean of the College of Education and professor of counselor education at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, from 1989 to 1994 and as director of the Arkansas Academy for Leadership Training and School-Based Management from 1992 to 1994. He was dean of the College of Education and professor of education at the University of Florida from 1994–1999. He subsequently served as provost and vice president for academic affairs and professor of education at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., from 1999 to 2004.

Following his impactful tenure as the president of Ohio University, Dr. McDavis embarked on a new chapter, transitioning to a leadership role in the corporate world. This transition not only showcased his versatility but also his ability to adapt to new environments and challenges.

This newspaper clipping features a photograph of the seven democratic candidates for the May 3, 1955, primaries. The candidates are Judge Henry L. Holden, Walter J. Shapter, Jr., Mayor Sensenbrenner, H. Keith Passmore, Constance C. Nichols, Judge Ralph G. Smith, and Evan P. Ford.

Constance Curtis Nichols was born Constance Jean Curtis in 1907 in Marietta, Ohio. Her father, a barber, pushed for all his children to go to college. Constance originally wanted to go to Marietta College to attend business school but was turned away because they did not admit African Americans then. She ended up at the Ohio State University’s School of Business, graduating in 1931 as the only black woman in her class. While a student, Constance began her civil rights activism, becoming a member of the Inter-Racial Council and organizing for the Democratic Party and the NAACP. After being turned away at a local movie theater, Constance and her companion, Frank Shearer, formed the Vanguard League in 1940. Even after the league disbanded in 1950, Constance remained active in the Columbus chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality, ran for city offices, and wrote about racial inequality. While professionally a businessperson, Constance wrote plays and poems throughout her life, even winning first prize for one of her poems at the State Fair. Constance passed away in March 1989 in Columbus, Ohio.

Constance Curtis Nichols and Frank Shearer formed the Vanguard League in 1940. The group first met at Mrs. Nichols home to discuss possible solutions to problems that the community faced in regard to racial discrimination. The League would file legal lawsuits against businesses that would discriminate against African Americans. They would also regularly schedule “pickets” to petition local companies and organizations that participated in racial discrimination. These lawsuits and petitions continued throughout the 1940s; however, by 1950, the League’s numbers had fallen because many members left to join other organizations, as more formed during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The spirit of the Vanguard League would remain in the city of Columbus and throughout all of the organizations that the founding members joined.
Source: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2020/02/27/civil-rights-in-columbus-the-vanguard-league/

Thank you, St. John AME, for your years of service.

St. John AME Church History

Columbus, Ohio

In 1896, the population of free black people increased in Worthington. Several worked to organize a church for black people. Initially, prayer meetings and worship were held in homes.

A lot was purchased in 1897. The building moved to it and was named Bethel A.M.E. Church. The same year, Bethel A.M.E. was presented to the Ohio Annual Conference for admission.

By 1914, a new church at 682 Plymouth Street was built in Worthington, dedicated, and renamed St. John A.M.E. Church. St. John was on a circuit with Hilliard, Westerville, and Plain City for many years.

In 1969, Negro History Week was celebrated for the first time at St. John under the leadership of Pastor Vance Milligan.

In 1981, Dr. Alice P. Franklin organized the first observance of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday in Worthington; the celebration was held at St. John.

In 1986, the St. John AME Church Foundation was established.

In 1998, the church burnt its mortgage for the property at 682 Plymouth St in Worthington, Ohio.

2003 the Lay Organization was renamed the Nellie B. Russell Lay Organization.

In 2004, the church was relocated to 7700 Crosswords Drive, Columbus, Ohio, under the spiritual leadership of Pastor Hurdie Billingslea, Jr.

In 2005, the Women’s Missionary Society (WMS) name was changed to the Juanita Jones Missionary Society, which provides food pantry support for Wilberforce University.

In 2005 November, Pastor Billingslea retired, and Rev. Dr. Jermaine D. Covington was assigned as Pastor.

Under the leadership of Pastor Covington, the church continued to grow physically and spiritually. The establishment of new ministries and activities including the Youth Ministry, Gospel and Jazz Brunch, Visual and Dramatic Arts, Family & Friends Day, and various outreach programs including foreign missions.

In 2020, the COVID Pandemic resulted in increased use of technology, such as streaming, email, and texts in worship services and communication with the congregation.

In 2021, Pastor Ruth McCants Locke was assigned to pastor St John in the midst of the Pandemic. She quickly enhanced the already active technology ministry and started virtual ministries for the youth. St. John is looking forward to what God will continue to do through Pastor Locke and the church’s leadership as He orders her steps to continue the spiritual and physical growth of St. John A.M.E. Church in the 21st century!

Source: http://www.worthingtonmemory.org/scrapbook/text/linking-past-present

A FLASH BLACK MOMENT:
IN HISTORY:

Born Ruby Ann Wallace in Cleveland, Ohio, her father, Marshall Edward Wallace, was a porter and waiter on the Pennsylvania Railroad; her mother, Emma Wallace, was a schoolteacher. She grew up in Harlem, New York, and was a 1945 graduate of Hunter College.

Dee was the first black woman to appear in major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival, in Stratford, CT. She made several appearances on Broadway before getting national recognition for her role in the 1950 film,"The Jackie Robinson Story."

Her acting career has crossed all major forms of media over a span of eight decades, including films such as "A Raisin in the Sun" opposite Sidney Poitier (1961), "Uptight" (1968), "Buck and the Preacher" (1972), "Roots" (1978), "Do The Right Thing" (1989), and "The Delany Sisters: The First Hundred Years" (1999). She married actor Ossie Davis and they had one son, Guy Davis, born in 1952.

During the 1960s, Dee appeared in such politically charged films such as "Gone Are the Days" and "The Incident," which paved the way for many young African American filmmakers and actors. She has been nominated for seven Emmy Awards, winning once for her role in 1990s Decoration Day. Dee and her late husband, actor Ossie Davis, were well-known civil rights activists.

She is a member of such organizations as CORE, the NAACP, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). She and her husband were personal friends of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, with Davis giving Malclom X's eulogy at his 1965 funeral.

Dee was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and a survivor of breast cancer for more than 30 years. Ruby Dee died on June 12, 2014. {R.I.P}

"The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within - strength, courage, dignity."

- Ruby Dee

https://galter.northwestern.edu/news/black-history-month-emma-ann-reynolds-md

Galter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center | News Black History Month: Emma Ann Reynolds, MD Black History Month: Emma Ann Reynolds, MD

In 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, MD, became the first African-American women to become a doctor of medicine in the United States. She published "A Book of Medical Discourses" in 1883, making her one of the first female physician authors in the 19th century.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/freed-u-s-slaves-depart-on-journey-to-africa

Formerly enslaved people depart on journey to Africa | February 6, 1820 | HISTORY The first organized immigration of freed enslaved people to Africa from the United States departs New York harbor on a journey to Freetown, Sierra Leone, in West Africa. The immigration was largely the work of the American Colonization Society, a U.S. organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to...

Meet the first black woman to become a post worker in the country!

Obituaries in Zanesville, OH | Times Recorder Roberta Preston Roberta Wanda Wooding Preston, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday afternoon February 24, 2022 at Holzer Senior Care,...

Another day at the office!
Thanks Savannah, GA!!

Rita Fuller-Yates Black History Tours & FB Pages: 'Local Black History is HISTORY you can Touch'
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B. W. Arnett was an African-American educator, minister, and elected official. He was born a free man in 1838 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where he taught school from 1859 to 1867. In his youth, Arnett lost a leg to cancer.

As an African Methodist Episcopal pastor, Arnett served parishes in Toledo, Cincinnati, and Columbus. In 1888, he was elected bishop, a position he held until his death in 1906.

In 1872 Arnett became the first black man to serve as foreman of an all-white jury, and in 1885 he was elected to the Ohio State Legislature from a district with a white majority. He was the author of the bill which repealed the Black Laws of Ohio.
Source: Library of Congress
Photo: BlackPast.com