An African American defies discrimination, refusing to leave his seat on a train. He is forced out, and later sues the railway. Amazingly, this occurred in 1841…114 years before Rosa Parks would not be moved. The courageous man was David Ruggles, a major figure in the American antislavery movement and the nation’s first black journalist […]
Tag Archives | African American
Philip A. Payton: the Father of Harlem
Harlem’s been called “the Black Capital of America,” a haven for Blacks from around the nation (and the world). It has been the nexus of African American culture, and home to the largest black population outside Africa. All resulted from the ambitions of one man – Philip A. Payton, Jr. Harlem was founded in the […]
Martin Luther King Jr. in NYC
“This is not your city of residence, Dr. King, but it is your city nevertheless…We claim you, henceforth, as an honorary New Yorker.” With these words, Mayor Robert F. Wagner presented Martin Luther King Jr. with the Medallion of Honor of the City of New York in 1964. New York City played a significant role […]