Category: African Americans
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Katherine Bell Banks
1912-2008 Katherine Bell Banks was born in Tennessee. The Banks family shared a home with the WEB Dubois family in New York before moving to Newark in 1922. Katherine graduated Barringer in 1929 and was one of the first African Americans to graduate Montclair State Teacher’s College. She then received a Masters from Columbvia University.…
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Tina Eugene Holtzclaw Bohannon
1905-1999 Tina Bohannon was an early Black teacher in Newark, hired before 1945, firstly as a “permanent sub” at Cleveland Junior High, because Black teachers could not be officially hired above primary level. Afterward, she taught at 7th Avenue School and Robert Treat Elementary School, and finally became Guidance Chairman at Arts High for 13…
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Patricia Hall Curvin
1936- Patricia “Pat” Curvin was the wife of historian Robert Curvin and has served many roles in the Newark community. Pat Curvin was born Patricia Hall and grew up in New York City. She married Robert Curvin in Manhattan in 1958. She was an English teacher at East Side High School starting in the 1960s.…
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Curvin Family
The Curvin Family, the family of historian and activist Robert Curvin had several interesting and important women. The family had six daughters. They were born in Newark, but they grew up in Belleville at 68 Belmont Ave. The family lived on Cottage Place and other addresses in Newark through at least 1930. Jewel Curvin (featured…
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Mary Womble Spruel
1906-1988 Mary Womple Spruel was an early Black teacher, hired in 1945 (see Timeline, bottom of page here). Mary was born and raised in Montclair and taught for a total of 48 years, mostly in Newark. She had a masters and doctorate of education from Rutgers. Mary received the Essex County Distinguished Service Award from the…
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Dorothy Turpin Smith
1910-1987 Dorothy Turpin was an early Black teacher in the Newark Public Schools hired in 1945. She was eventually appointed Supervisor of vocal music for the Newark schools and retired after 30 years in 1975. Dorothy was also an organist and choir director for over 50 years, especially at First Baptist Peddie and Philips Metropolitan.…
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Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston
1895-1986 Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston (usually went by Elizabeth, possibly because her mother was also Sarah Elizabeth) was the grandmother of Whitney Houston. She was born in California in 1896 but lived in Newark on Beach St by the time she was 14. Her father was minister at St. James AME Church. Elizabeth graduated from…
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Newark Policewomen Class of 1949
Photo from Star Ledger shows women in training, May 1949 [Photo shows Virginia Garber and Catherine Daly]. When policewoman were hired in 1949 they were considered by the newspaper, and presumably by all, to be the first hired “in 30 years” since the 1918 hiring of Margaret Dugan, Justina Eller and Etta Fallon. Some didn’t remember 1918, and…