Dorcas
Dorcas was an enslaved woman thought to be the first named African to settle in the New England area and also the first to be accepted as a member of a local Puritan church.
Tag Archives: African Descent
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Ellen Jackson
Ellen Swepson Jackson (1935-2005) was the founding director of the Freedom House Institute of Schools and Education and the visionary behind Operation Exodus, a program that bussed inner-city students to less crowded schools.
Gladys A Moore Perdue
Boston organist
E Alice Taylor
Beautician and community activist, formed the Boston unit of the Housewives League with Geneva Arrington and E. Alice Taylor.
Julia Ann Shelton Shorey
Julia Ann Shelton was part of an influential Black family connected to local and national efforts to expand opportunities for African Americans after the Civil War, which brought her to the heights of the maritime community connecting San Francisco to the world.
Mary W Jackson
Mary Winston Jackson (1921–2005) successfully overcame the barriers of segregation and gender bias to become a professional aerospace engineer and leader in ensuring equal opportunities for future generations at NASA.
Blanche Woodson Braxton
In 1923, Blanche Woodson Braxton became the first African American woman to be admitted to the Massachusetts Bar. She later became the first African American woman admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court in the state.
Kittie Knox
A biracial woman and a bicyclist, Kittie Knox (1874-1900) braved barely-paved Boston streets as well as discrimination by the all-white (and predominantly male) bicycle clubs. As a competitive cyclist, she designed a bicycle-riding outfit for women that included knickerbockers pants.
Helen Young Davis
Prominent African American business leader in Boston.
Marjorie Johnson
Marjorie Johnson (1915–2011), a trailblazer in funeral services, led Boston’s J.B. Johnson Funeral Home, earning accolades for her dedication to community and faith.