Category: African American History

Keynote Speaker Discusses Richness of African American History at NAACP Banquet

I had the privilege of delivering the keynote address at the annual Cecil County Branch of the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet on November 4, 2023. My speech focused on the richness of African American History and the invaluable contributions of earlier generations.

Cecil County Branch NAACP Annual Banquet
Cecil County Branch NAACP 61st Annual Banquet

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to learn about the past from a remarkable group of tradition-bearers who have generously shared their stories and life experiences. Their experiences have greatly influenced my understanding of the African American narrative. I was delighted to be able to share some of these remarkable journeys through time, tracing the footsteps of those who illuminated the way and highlighting their incredible contributions, resilience, and deep family history.

The Cecil County Branch was organized in February 1962. A front-page photo in the Cecil Democrat showed the officers meeting to organize at Wright’s AME Church in Elkton. McKinley Scott of North East was the Vice-President; Mildred Johnson of Elkton treasurer; Rev. H. R. Curtis, Elkton, President; and Laurie Loper Charlestown, secretary.

It was an honor to join the NAACP in celebrating and reflecting on the enduring legacy of African Americans.

african american history
Talking about African American History, Mike Dixon was the keynote speaker at the NAACP Banquet

Underground Railroad Walking Tour

CROSSROADS TO FREEDOM WALKING TOUR
CECILTON – SEPT, 24, 2023 @ 1 p.m.
WALKING TOUR FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
MONTH
ABOUT ONE HOUR
FREE

For International Underground Railroad Month, enjoy this walk through Cecilton as we explore the story of the Underground Railroad in the land between the Bohemia and Sassafras rivers. During the casual Sunday stroll in a fine historic community, gain an understanding of the area in the antebellum period, hear about freedom seekers from southern Cecil County, and visit Union Bethel AME Church, a historic house of worship.

As we explore the Crossroads to Freedom on this Underground Railroad walking tour, we will consider residents’ experiences in the mid-19th century while highlighting some of the local people in the decades leading to emancipation. These include Edward Richardson and his flight to freedom in New Jersey, Bishop Levi J. Coppin, and Private George Douglass, a Civil War Soldier.

The free tour, led by Mike Dixon, starts at the town hall., 117 West Main Street. To reserve your space, register by calling the town at 410-275-2692
This walking tour is brought to you by the Town of Cecilton, Union Bethel AME Church, and Cecil County Tourism.

Note: This is the rescheduled Cecilton tour. 

Underground Railroad Walking Tour

A Valuable Resource for Studying African American History: “The Book of Negroes”

“The Book of Negroes” is an essential resource for those researching African American genealogy and slavery during the American Revolution. The British meticulously compiled this enumeration during their evacuation of New York at the end of the war in 1783. The ledger contains detailed information about approximately 3,000 self-emancipated and free Black people who evacuated alongside British loyalists and soldiers.

A page of Maryland entries from the “Book of Negroes.” Note the freedom seekers from Susquehanna Ferry and “Sussex County, Marland.” (Source: The Carelton Papers, Library and Archives of Canada)

Each handwritten entry provides vital information, including the individual’s name, age, and description. By consulting this remarkable source, researchers can uncover details about their journey to freedom, including the identity of their enslavers and the circumstances around their escape.

During the American Revolution, Sir Henry Clinton, the British Commander-in-chief in the colonies from 1778 to 1782, issued the Philipsburg Proclamation on June 30, 1779. This proclamation offered protection and freedom to enslaved individuals who escaped their patriot enslavers and sought refuge with the British. According to Maya Jasanoff, the author of Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World, around 20,000 enslaved people joined the British, while approximately 5,000 Black men served in the Continental Army.

On November 30, 1782, peace negotiations between Great Britain and American diplomats resulted in the signing of the preliminary articles of peace. The peace treaty stipulated that owners of self-emancipated Black people who reached British lines by that date would receive compensation, and these individuals would be granted freedom.

Sir Guy Carleton, who assumed command of British forces in America, organized the orderly evacuation of New York, the final British port. Carleton ordered the creation of the ledgers to document the loss of enslaved property, which the British government would later compensate. Carrying certificates of freedom, approximately 3,000 Black people joined the Loyalist exodus from New York to Nova Scotia in 1783.

Here are several free digital resources online to help with mining these old enumerations:

A Page from the Inspection Roll of Negroes Book. No. 1, 1793, National Archives

Lecture: The Long Fight for Civil Rights in Healthcare & Medicine

I am pleased to announce that my research on  Jim Crow discrimination and segregation in healthcare has been selected for inclusion in the Delaware Humanities Speakers Bureau catalog for 2024. This opportunity allows me to share my findings with a broad audience and shed light on a largely unexamined aspect of our history.

Dr. W. M. Henry dover, Delaware
Dr. W. M. Henry, an African American physician, and surgeon, established a practice in Dover in 1911 (Source: Evening Journal, Sept. 28, 1911)

During the Jim Crow era, discriminatory practices and segregation extended to all aspects of life, including medicine. Black Americans were denied access or received substandard care, leading to health disparities.

Through my research project, I have delved deeply into the struggles endured by African Americans in fighting against this inequality. Utilizing interviews, archival research, hospital records, and nursing school files, I have unearthed a wealth of information that sheds light on the civil rights movement within the medical field.

Here is the program description:

Fighting Jim Crow Discrimination and Segregation in Health Care examines the experiences of African Americans before the passage of modern Civil Rights legislation in the mid-1960s. By highlighting this little-known history within the context of Delmarva and the broader region, I aim to shed light on the contributions of African American doctors, nurses, and caregivers and the advances made within the Black hospital system. This program will explore activists’ struggles in their fight against racism and their relentless pursuit of equality in medicine and health.

african american nurses struggled for civil rights
African American Nurses at Camp Sherman, Ohio, around 1918 (Source: National Women’s History Museum)

This program aims to help participants understand and discuss this unique civil rights narrative, the lesser-known story about the historic struggle for health equality in the United States and the region, and how this legacy affected African Americans.  Here are some of the objectives:

  • Recognize the contributions of unheralded African American trailblazers in the medical professions and allied occupations.
  • Understand how Black activists, NAACP lawyers, professional organizations, and everyday citizens worked to eliminate discrimination and create equal access.
  • Describe how litigation and federal law ended the “separate but equal” legal doctrine for hospitals.
  • Discuss the history and legacy of African American healthcare and consider what we can learn from the struggle to achieve equality.