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Several autobiographies or biographies of outstanding Black Memphians have been published, including Fuller’s 20 Years in Public Life, The Robert R. Churches, The Memphis Diary of Ida B. Wells, and, recently, Maxine Smith’s Unwilling Pupils. Between 1908 and 1989, at least fourteen books by African Americans have documented the cultural, economic, educational, and religious history of the city. Among the most significant are G. P. Hamilton’s The Bright Side of Memphis (1908) and Roberta Church and Ronald Walter’s Nineteenth Century Families of Color (1987). All of these biographies, autobiographies, and histories, as well as articles, programs, discography, general works, and specialized studies have been essential to this study and are listed in the Selected Bibliography. The text is designed to interest general readers and specialists, to stimulate additional research, and to serve as a reference book for schools and libraries across the country through its inclusion of national and international figures.
Although many accomplished men and women could not be included in this study because of limitations of time and space, every attempt has been made to offer a balanced and objective selection of those who represent different ages, occupations, historical periods, and social classes. Experts in art, business, music, medicine, and politics suggested the names of outstanding women and men in their fields, and the author established the following criteria for selection:
- 1. A pioneer in a particular field. Examples include Florence McCleave in classical music, Benjamin F. Booth in law, and Ida B. Wells in journalism.
- 2. A “first,” such as Otha Brandon, who was Memphis’s first Black accountant; Herman Morris, first Black president of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division; and Veronica Coleman, Tennessee’s first Black U.S. Attorney General.