Christina Proenza-Coles
@proenzacoles.bsky.social
Author of AMERICAN FOUNDERS: How People of African Descent Established Freedom in the New World. I study, research, teach, & post American history.
Pinned
"Slavery, Freedom, Public History & National Identity: Charlottesville, Curaçao, Cartagena" explores these locations as Black spaces whose histories help us better appreciate the communities we are today.
uva-center-for-cultural-landscapes-newsletter-features.mailchimpsites.com/african-dias...
uva-center-for-cultural-landscapes-newsletter-features.mailchimpsites.com/african-dias...
Reposted by Christina Proenza-Coles
I knew of Elizabeth Jennings Graham because @prisonculture.bsky.social took us here ⤵️ during one of her walking tours. It's near where she was thrown off the streetcar.
Miriam Sicherman's class of 3rd- and 4th-grade students had the idea for the street sign:
www.miriamsicherman.com/elizabeth-je...
Miriam Sicherman's class of 3rd- and 4th-grade students had the idea for the street sign:
www.miriamsicherman.com/elizabeth-je...
November 25, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I knew of Elizabeth Jennings Graham because @prisonculture.bsky.social took us here ⤵️ during one of her walking tours. It's near where she was thrown off the streetcar.
Miriam Sicherman's class of 3rd- and 4th-grade students had the idea for the street sign:
www.miriamsicherman.com/elizabeth-je...
Miriam Sicherman's class of 3rd- and 4th-grade students had the idea for the street sign:
www.miriamsicherman.com/elizabeth-je...
In 1855 Elizabeth Jennings Graham brought a suit that initiated the desegregation of NYC transit. Raised by politically active parents (her was mother formerly enslaved, her entrepreneur father was awarded a patent in 1821) Ms. Graham was a teacher, organist, & kindergarten founder.
November 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM
In 1855 Elizabeth Jennings Graham brought a suit that initiated the desegregation of NYC transit. Raised by politically active parents (her was mother formerly enslaved, her entrepreneur father was awarded a patent in 1821) Ms. Graham was a teacher, organist, & kindergarten founder.
And a piece on Augustus Tolton whose "story is an invitation to learn about all 7 Black Catholic candidates for sainthood" Augustus Tolton, Pierre Toussaint, Henreitte Delille, Mary Lange, Julia Greeley, Thea Bowman & Martin de Porres Ward. See M. Heinlein, Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood.
Great accessible (and deeply researched) piece by Maria Cecilia Ulrickson on "The African Globalization of the Catholic Church" in American Catholic Studies Newsletter, download here: cushwa.nd.edu/publications...
American Catholic Studies Newsletter · Fall 2025
cushwa.nd.edu
November 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM
And a piece on Augustus Tolton whose "story is an invitation to learn about all 7 Black Catholic candidates for sainthood" Augustus Tolton, Pierre Toussaint, Henreitte Delille, Mary Lange, Julia Greeley, Thea Bowman & Martin de Porres Ward. See M. Heinlein, Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood.
Prince Hall & his collaborators twice endeavored to pass legislation in the Massachusetts state senate to end slavery. In a 1777 petition they argued for “the Natural Right of all Men” & against “the inconsistency of [people] acting themselves the part which they condemn and oppose in others . . .”
November 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Prince Hall & his collaborators twice endeavored to pass legislation in the Massachusetts state senate to end slavery. In a 1777 petition they argued for “the Natural Right of all Men” & against “the inconsistency of [people] acting themselves the part which they condemn and oppose in others . . .”
Very talented father & daughter…
Not one, but TWO Coleridge-Taylor discs released today! One featuring the orchestral works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; the other, nearly all premiere recordings of Avril Coleridge-Taylor's orchestral works. Check them out! You won't be disappointed.
November 21, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Very talented father & daughter…
Several African American soldiers & sailors received Medals of Honor for bravery in the Spanish American War. Among them was Captain Edward Baker who rescued a drowning soldier under heavy fire. Baker was the grandfather of the legendary musician Dexter Gordon.
November 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Several African American soldiers & sailors received Medals of Honor for bravery in the Spanish American War. Among them was Captain Edward Baker who rescued a drowning soldier under heavy fire. Baker was the grandfather of the legendary musician Dexter Gordon.
Rebecca Protten, born in 1718 in Antigua, made her way out of enslavement to become ordained in St. Thomas in the 1730s. Her career as a teacher & missionary in the Caribbean, Europe, & West Africa helped to shape the development of Christianity & education in the 18th century.
November 20, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Rebecca Protten, born in 1718 in Antigua, made her way out of enslavement to become ordained in St. Thomas in the 1730s. Her career as a teacher & missionary in the Caribbean, Europe, & West Africa helped to shape the development of Christianity & education in the 18th century.
James Armistead of Virginia was a double agent during the American Revolution. The intelligence he gathered from British troops abetted the Patriot victory at Yorktown. Having risked his life - among thousands of Black Patriots - for the founding of the US, he petitioned for his freedom.
November 16, 2025 at 4:25 PM
James Armistead of Virginia was a double agent during the American Revolution. The intelligence he gathered from British troops abetted the Patriot victory at Yorktown. Having risked his life - among thousands of Black Patriots - for the founding of the US, he petitioned for his freedom.
Taylor was a sergeant. As a newspaper correspondent, he detailed Black soldiers’ experiences & protested racial injustice. A delegate to the VA Constitutional Convention, he championed Black voting & civil rights. He supported the Readjuster Party, a biracial coalition that invested in public ed.
New Historical Marker to Recognize James T. S. Taylor, Black Civil War Soldier and Charlottesville Politician www.charlottesville.gov/CivicAlerts.... #TeachReconstruction
New Historical Marker to Recognize James T. S. Taylor, Black Civil War Soldier and Local Politician
The marker will recognize James T. S. Taylor, a Black Civil War soldier and local politician. Taylor grew up in Charlottesville and served as a sergeant in the 2nd United States Colored Infantry.
www.charlottesville.gov
November 15, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Taylor was a sergeant. As a newspaper correspondent, he detailed Black soldiers’ experiences & protested racial injustice. A delegate to the VA Constitutional Convention, he championed Black voting & civil rights. He supported the Readjuster Party, a biracial coalition that invested in public ed.
Reposted by Christina Proenza-Coles
Thanks for a fascinating mini bio which connects enslavement, which many view as distant, and access to Madison Square Garden, an institution which is part of our modern lives. All are connected and part of our current reality.
November 15, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Thanks for a fascinating mini bio which connects enslavement, which many view as distant, and access to Madison Square Garden, an institution which is part of our modern lives. All are connected and part of our current reality.
Judge Raymond Alexander was an alum of Wharton & Harvard. In 1921 he sued Madison Square Garden for denying him entrance, he fought school segregation in the courts in the 1930s, & he consulted on the 1954 Brown case. Both of his parents were born enslaved.
November 15, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Judge Raymond Alexander was an alum of Wharton & Harvard. In 1921 he sued Madison Square Garden for denying him entrance, he fought school segregation in the courts in the 1930s, & he consulted on the 1954 Brown case. Both of his parents were born enslaved.
Neil Daniel Frye, US sailor who died in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, was recently identified, returned home to North Carolina, & buried with full military honors. He earned the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, American Defense Service Medal, & the Bronze Star Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.
November 14, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Neil Daniel Frye, US sailor who died in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, was recently identified, returned home to North Carolina, & buried with full military honors. He earned the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, American Defense Service Medal, & the Bronze Star Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.
Reposted by Christina Proenza-Coles
Honoring 10 Black Veterans in U.S. History Who Redefined Courage and Patriotism theblackwallsttimes.com/2025/11/11/1... #veteransday
10 Black Veterans in U.S. History Who Redefined Courage and Patriotism
Honoring 12 Black veterans whose courage, leadership, and sacrifice redefined American patriotism from the Revolution to modern warfare.
theblackwallsttimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Honoring 10 Black Veterans in U.S. History Who Redefined Courage and Patriotism theblackwallsttimes.com/2025/11/11/1... #veteransday
Reposted by Christina Proenza-Coles
"Rather than retreat from the horrors of slavery as was happening in Central and South America, Southern states in America committed to a new era of harsher conditions, dehumanizing control, and brutal punishment of enslaved people."
On this day in 1831, an enslaved Black man named Nat Turner was hanged in Jerusalem, Virginia, after being convicted of leading a revolt against slavery.
Nov. 11, 1831 | Nat Turner Hanged and White Mobs Killed Hundreds of Black People
Learn more about our history of racial injustice.
calendar.eji.org
November 11, 2025 at 3:35 PM
"Rather than retreat from the horrors of slavery as was happening in Central and South America, Southern states in America committed to a new era of harsher conditions, dehumanizing control, and brutal punishment of enslaved people."
Reposted by Christina Proenza-Coles
This Veterans Day I want to acknowledge the Black veterans of WWII who fought fascism and nazism and came home to fight for civil rights and democracy here. New research shows Black veterans were critical in securing the voting rights currently under attack.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Homefront: Black Servicemembers and Black Voters in the Civil Rights Era
The role of Black World War II veterans in the Civil Rights Movement has been well documented, but the effect of Black military service on Black voting patterns remains unclear. Combining detailed in...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:10 PM
This Veterans Day I want to acknowledge the Black veterans of WWII who fought fascism and nazism and came home to fight for civil rights and democracy here. New research shows Black veterans were critical in securing the voting rights currently under attack.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Corporal Waverly Woodson, a medic from Philadelphia (where his father was a postal carrier) tended to hundreds of wounded soldiers under heavy fire at Normandy on D-Day despite being wounded himself.
November 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Corporal Waverly Woodson, a medic from Philadelphia (where his father was a postal carrier) tended to hundreds of wounded soldiers under heavy fire at Normandy on D-Day despite being wounded himself.
Reposted by Christina Proenza-Coles
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
Born enslaved in North Carolina, Anna Julia Cooper earned a master’s degree in mathematics from Oberlin in 1887 & a PhD from the Sorbonne. She observed, “The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class - it is the cause of human kind, the very birthright of humanity.”
November 7, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Born enslaved in North Carolina, Anna Julia Cooper earned a master’s degree in mathematics from Oberlin in 1887 & a PhD from the Sorbonne. She observed, “The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class - it is the cause of human kind, the very birthright of humanity.”
Little Rock, Arkansas, 1959. Rally at state capitol protesting the integration of Central High School. Protesters carry US flags & signs reading "Race Mixing is Communism" & "Stop the Race Mixing March of the Anti-Christ.”
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
November 6, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Little Rock, Arkansas, 1959. Rally at state capitol protesting the integration of Central High School. Protesters carry US flags & signs reading "Race Mixing is Communism" & "Stop the Race Mixing March of the Anti-Christ.”
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
In 1870 Joseph H. Rainey was elected to Congress. He worked towards the suppression Klan terrorism. “I could appeal to you, members upon this floor, as husbands & fathers, to picture to yourselves the desolation of your own happy firesides should you be suddenly snatched away from your loved ones.”
November 5, 2025 at 1:09 PM
In 1870 Joseph H. Rainey was elected to Congress. He worked towards the suppression Klan terrorism. “I could appeal to you, members upon this floor, as husbands & fathers, to picture to yourselves the desolation of your own happy firesides should you be suddenly snatched away from your loved ones.”
Washington “was an enslaver right to the very end. And yet, he also regularly spoke about how much he wanted to see an end to the institution of slavery.…This wasn’t a story of Washington gradually coming to see the evil of slavery, either; he held many of these positions at the same time.”
My alma mater published a nice interview with me in their magazine where I talk about my book and experience as an undergrad. magazine.lynchburg.edu/article/hist...
History alum’s forthcoming book examines Washington’s complicated legacy
Dr. John Garrison Marks ’10 says he “learned how to be a historian” at Lynchburg.
magazine.lynchburg.edu
November 4, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Washington “was an enslaver right to the very end. And yet, he also regularly spoke about how much he wanted to see an end to the institution of slavery.…This wasn’t a story of Washington gradually coming to see the evil of slavery, either; he held many of these positions at the same time.”
"because of his contributions to the genres of philosophy, autobiography, and Christian theology, 'a core strand of the culture that Europe claims as its own stems from Africa.'”
November 4, 2025 at 2:22 PM
"because of his contributions to the genres of philosophy, autobiography, and Christian theology, 'a core strand of the culture that Europe claims as its own stems from Africa.'”
Reposted by Christina Proenza-Coles
He also served as United States Minister Resident to Haiti
from 1877 until 1885 and his writings from that time form an important aspect of my forthcoming book, With the Pen In One Hand and the Sword in the Other: Haiti and the United States in the Nineteenth Century.
from 1877 until 1885 and his writings from that time form an important aspect of my forthcoming book, With the Pen In One Hand and the Sword in the Other: Haiti and the United States in the Nineteenth Century.
Statesman & lawyer John Mercer Langston, Virginia native & son of a formerly enslaved woman & her former owner, co-founded the National Equal Rights League in 1864, drafted the Civil Rights Act of 1875, was the 1st president of Virginia State University in 1885, & was elected to US Congress in 1890.
November 4, 2025 at 1:59 PM
He also served as United States Minister Resident to Haiti
from 1877 until 1885 and his writings from that time form an important aspect of my forthcoming book, With the Pen In One Hand and the Sword in the Other: Haiti and the United States in the Nineteenth Century.
from 1877 until 1885 and his writings from that time form an important aspect of my forthcoming book, With the Pen In One Hand and the Sword in the Other: Haiti and the United States in the Nineteenth Century.
Statesman & lawyer John Mercer Langston, Virginia native & son of a formerly enslaved woman & her former owner, co-founded the National Equal Rights League in 1864, drafted the Civil Rights Act of 1875, was the 1st president of Virginia State University in 1885, & was elected to US Congress in 1890.
November 4, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Statesman & lawyer John Mercer Langston, Virginia native & son of a formerly enslaved woman & her former owner, co-founded the National Equal Rights League in 1864, drafted the Civil Rights Act of 1875, was the 1st president of Virginia State University in 1885, & was elected to US Congress in 1890.