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Black History Month: Pioneer's leadership skills led to historical African-American firsts
Tuesday, February 01, 2000 By Mary Martin
Dr. Martin Delaney is considered by many as Pittsburgh's most outstanding pioneer black leader. He is most famous for his leadership skills as a doctor, judge, newspaper publisher, author, lecturer, explorer, scientist and Army officer.
Born free in Charles Town, Va., Delaney traveled to Pittsburgh to study at the African Education Society, Pittsburgh's first black school. Then in 1849 he became one of the first African-Americans to study medicine at Harvard University.
Many of Delaney's other accomplishments are historical firsts. In 1841, Delaney helped form the first African-American political convention in Western Pennsylvania in the hopes of regaining voting rights for African-Americans.
From 1843 to 1848, Delaney published The Mystery, the first African-American newspaper in the country. Delaney later joined Frederick Douglass to promote his newspaper, The North Star.
In the 1850s, Delaney traveled to Africa in search of a homeland for former slaves. Returning to the United States shortly after the Civil War began, Delaney met with President Lincoln to convince him to form an African-American troop, led by African-American officers. Delaney soon became the first African-American to hold the title of major in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.
Delaney died in 1885 at age 73. He is buried in Massie Creek Cemetery in Wilberforce, Ohio, near one of the prestigious African-American educational institutions - Wilberforce University.
- By Mary Martin, African-American programs coordinator, History Center
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