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African American Historical Resources of the Eastern Shore |
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Delmarva Heritage Network |
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People — Biographical Information |
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Page 2 |
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Stephen H. Long (1865-1921) Pocomoke, Worcester County, Maryland Stephen H. Long was reportedly born in Pocomoke but grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He began his teaching career in Somerset County, Maryland, and went on to become the Principal of the Pocomoke Grammar School and in 1914 became the first African American school supervisor in Worcester County. Long was murdered on September 12, 1921, and buried in Hall’s Hill Cemetery. See Link: Worcester County Tourism |
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Sergeant William A. Butler Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland Butler lived for a time in Salisbury, returning from serving in France during World War I. Butler received medals from the United States and France for bravery in combat in France. His birthplace and where he lived the remainder of his life is not yet known. However, records indicate that he had lived in both Washington, D.C. and New York. See Link: Scotts Official History, Emmitt J. Scott, Chapter XIV |
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Dr. Maulana Karenga Parsonsburg, Wicomico County, Maryland Karenga, originally named Ron Everett, is founder of the Kwanzaa movement that is now prevalent throughout the United States. He was from the Parsonsburg area and was a graduate of Salisbury High School. For information, see: A Reality Check: Brief Biographies of African Americans on Delmarva, Salisbury State University, Clara L. Small, 1998 |
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Rev. Samuel Green Dorchester County, Maryland Green was manumitted following the death of his master. Failing to convict Rev. Green on charges of assisting his son and others to freedom, Rev. Green was charged and convicted for possessing the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Sources: Samuel Green: A Black Life in Antebellum Maryland, Richard Albert Blondo, Maser’s Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 1988, available for view at the Maryland Archives online; The Underground Railroad, William Still, Philadelphia: Porter and Coates, 1872, a copy can be downloaded from online
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Frederick Douglass (c. 1817-1895) Talbot County, Maryland Famed abolitionist, author, orator and more, Douglass escaped to freedom to become America’s most prominent abolitionist, influencing public opinion and public officials, including President Abraham Lincoln. His books include My Bondage and My Freedom and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. See Links & References for links to narratives of Douglass’ books online. |
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Anthony Johnson (17th Century) Eastern Shore areas of Maryland and Virginia Johnson was one of the earliest recorded African Americans in the Colonies, arriving in Virginia in the early 17th Century and eventually settling and owning property on the Eastern Shore. Anthony Johnson is significant to the history of the nation and of the Eastern Shore. For more information see: A Reality Check: Brief Biographies of African Americans on Delmarva, Salisbury State University, Clara L. Small, 1998 |
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Louis L. Redding (1901-1998) Wilmington, Delaware The first African American lawyer in Delaware, Redding is significant as a pioneer in the Civil Rights movement for both Delaware and the nation. He participated as legal counsel for the NAACP, alongside Thurgood Marshall, in the famous Brown vs. Education case. For more information see: The African American Registry, Louis Redding, A Delaware Legend! website |
