The son of an enslaved father and free Black mother, Martin Delany
became one of the most prominent Black leaders in 19th Century
America. Called the "Father of Black Nationalism," Delany promoted
African American pride and self-determination. Delany was born May 6,
1812 in present-day Charles Town, West Virginia. Because education
for Blacks was illegal there, his family moved to Pennsylvania.
Delany studied medicine, founded a newspaper, the Mystery, and
advocated rights for African Americans and women. He co-edited
the North Star with abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Delany risked
his life by demanding equality and by aiding Americans of African
descent in their flight from slavery to freedom.
In 1859 Delany traveled in Africa to secure a
homeland for Black
Americans. During the Civil War he came to believe a Union victory
would end slavery. Delany recruited Black soldiers and met with
President Lincoln to propose the formation of an African American army
led by Black officers. Commissioned a Major, Delany was the highest
ranking Black field officer in the Regular Army. In 1864 he and his
wife Catherine came to Wilberforce, Ohio, to provide their children a
quality education. He later served in the Freedman's Bureau to protect
the rights of the formerly enslaved. Martin Delany
fought to achieve
justice for African Americans as an abolitionist, physician, leader in
Prince Hall Freemasonry, inventor, judge, and writer. He died January 24,
1885 and is buried at Massies Creek Cemetery three miles from his
Wilberforce home.
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