Category: African Americans
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Katherine Bell Banks
1912-2008 Photo from Vailsburg yearbook 1973. Born in Tennessee, the Banks family shared a home with the WEB Dubois family in New York before moving to Newark in 1922. She graduated Barringer in…
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Tina Eugene Holtzclaw Bohannon
1905-1999 Photo from Arts High Yearbook, 1966 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…
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Patricia Curvin
1936- Wife of historian Robert Curvin. Nominated to Essex County Ethics Board in 1980. Trustee and VP of the Boys and Girls Club. Assistant dean at Rutgers College of Nursing. Chairwoman of the…
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Mary Womble Spruel
1906-1988 An early Black teacher, hired in 1945 (see Timeline, bottom of page here). Born and raised in Montclair and taught for a total of 48 years, mostly in Newark. Had a masters and…
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Dorothy Turpin Smith
1910-1987 An early Black teacher, hired in 1945 (see Timeline, bottom of page here). Was eventually appointed Supervisor of Music for Vocal Instruction for Newark. Retired after 30 years in 1975. Was an…
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Sarah Elizabeth Collins Houston
1896-1986 Grandmother of Whitney Houston. 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. She…
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Newark Policewomen Class of 1949
Photo from Star Ledger shows women in training, May 1949. Though police matrons existed and 12 policewomen were listed as acting as of 1947 including Claire Gonzales, Josephone B Renz, and Mary Knapp,…