Category: Activists and Community Leaders
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Melinda Scott
1876-1954 Melinda Scott was an English immigrant and President of a Hat Trimmers Union in Newark & worked for suffrage including being part of a delegation to President Wilson. She was also a…
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Grace Baxter Fenderson
1882-1962 Grace Baxter Fenderson (1882-1962) was one of the first African American teachers in the Newark Public Schools and taught for 42 years, helped found the Newark Branch of the NAACP and served…
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Pryno B Hillman
c. 1916-1964 Pryno B. Hillman (c. 1916-1963) founded the Mary Bethune Social Club, was an organizing and creative director of arts at Central Avenue Community Center, was first president of the Newark branch…
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Sarah Kussy
1870-1956 Sarah Kussy was a prolific Jewish leader. She helped found many Jewish orgs. in Newark and nationally. In Newark, she founded the Ladie’s Patriotic Relief Society in Newark and section of the…
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Amelia (Berndt) Moorfield
1876-1950 Amelia (Berndt) Moorfield (1876-1950), was a suffragette from Newark, with the Women’s Political Union. Her parents were German immigrants. Born in Kentucky, she moved to Newark after marrying Frank Moorfield at age…
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Maria DeCastro Blake
1911-2011 Maria DeCastro Blake (1911-2011) was a dean of admissions at Rutgers and recruited hundreds of Hispanic students. She was key to ASPIRA, the Puerto Rican Congress, the Black & Puerto Rican Coalition…
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Elvira Rodrigues
1918-1985 Elvira Rodrigues (left) co-owned an oil firm. She was a community leader in the Ironbound, leader in many Portuguese organizations, member of the East Side High board and delegate to the Democratic…
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Vera Brantley McMillon
1909-1987 Vera McMillon worked for the Public Welfare Department for 37 years retiring as a Supervisor, co-founded Tri City People’s Organization for Progress and a branch of the National Council for Negro Women.…