1 10 193 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/75736b27ccca8cf434f96c54364e9661.jpg c51b486c0d5cf2c20e8890cf0a6d6356 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1868-02-23 Birthplace Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA Death Date 1963-08-27 Occupation Activist, Civil Rights Activist, Political Professor Editor Sociologist Civic Leader Author Source of File Attached Holt, Thomas C. <a href="hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/web-dubois">“W. E. B. Du Bois.”</a> The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, 2008. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource DuBois, William Edward Burghardt (1868-1963) DuBois, W.E.B. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <div class="resource-meta media-object-section"> <div class="description full"></div> </div> <div class="resource-meta media-object-section"></div> Subject The topic of the resource Activism, African American Activism, Civil Rights National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Description An account of the resource W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) was one of the most influential African American scholars, writers, historians, sociologists, and civil rights activists of the twentieth century, and a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Trained in history, philosophy, and sociology, Du Bois helped establish the intellectual foundations of modern Black Studies and played a central role in shaping early twentieth-century Black political thought. From 1892 to 1894, Du Bois pursued graduate study in Germany, where he was deeply influenced by rigorous historical methods and philosophical inquiry. His later work combined empirical sociology with moral critique, most famously articulated in The Souls of Black Folk (1903). Throughout his career, Du Bois emphasized the importance of education, historical consciousness, and organized political action as tools for racial advancement. Du Bois was also deeply engaged in national and international Black organizing networks. His correspondence with Alexander Louis Jackson, a civil rights activist and civic leader originally from Englewood, New Jersey, illustrates the close collaboration between Black intellectuals and community-based leaders during the interwar period. Letters between the two men reveal an ongoing exchange of ideas, logistical coordination, and mutual respect. Jackson regularly sought Du Bois’s guidance on political developments in Chicago, Black electoral strategy, and race relations, while also inviting him to speak at youth conferences and civic gatherings sponsored by organizations Jackson helped lead. In March 1926, Jackson—then chairman of the Brooklyn Boys Work Council—invited Du Bois to address the Brooklyn Older Boys Conference held in Englewood, New Jersey. Although Du Bois was unable to attend due to travel commitments, Jackson reported back on the conference’s success, emphasizing the urgent need for inspirational leadership to address what social reformers called the “boys problem” of delinquency and educational dropout. This exchange highlights Du Bois’s reputation as a moral and intellectual authority whose presence was seen as transformative for young people. Their correspondence also situates Du Bois within broader Black institutional life beyond the NAACP. Jackson kept Du Bois informed about developments at the Chicago Defender, the National Urban League, Provident Hospital, and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, demonstrating how Du Bois’s ideas circulated through Black newspapers, hospitals, schools, and youth organizations. In turn, Du Bois relied on trusted figures like Jackson for first-hand political intelligence, particularly regarding Black voting behavior and race relations in northern cities. Du Bois helped found the Niagara Movement in 1905, advocating full civil and political rights at a time when accommodationist strategies dominated Black leadership. In 1910 he became editor of The Crisis, the NAACP’s influential journal, using it to promote civil rights, Pan-Africanism, and cultural expression. During and after World War I, Du Bois became increasingly involved in peace activism and international organizing, later embracing socialist and Marxist ideas as tools to combat racial and economic inequality. Political tensions eventually led Du Bois to part ways with the NAACP, though he returned in 1944. In the Cold War era, his outspoken support for socialism and the Progressive Party again placed him at odds with mainstream civil rights leadership. In 1961, at the age of ninety-three, Du Bois formally joined the Communist Party USA and soon after relocated to Ghana, where he spent the final years of his life. Du Bois’s personal life included two marriages: first to Nina Gomer in 1896, and later to Shirley Graham in 1951. Graham, a writer and activist in her own right, shared his commitment to Pan-Africanism and political struggle. The surviving letters between Du Bois and Alexander Louis Jackson underscore an often-overlooked dimension of Du Bois’s career: his sustained engagement with local Black leaders who translated national ideas into grassroots action. Together, their correspondence reflects the dense networks of cooperation that helped sustain Black political, intellectual, and civic life in the early twentieth century. In December, 1930, W. E. B. Du Bois traveled from New York to Englewood in December 1930 to address the Englewood Woman’s Club, the occasion connected suburban Bergen County to Harlem’s intellectual and cultural world. His appearance reflected both his national stature and the willingness of local civic institutions to host one of the country’s leading Black scholars at a moment when debates over race, citizenship, and democracy were deeply contested. <div class="flex flex-col text-sm pb-25"> <div class="text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"> <div class="[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn"> <div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"> <div class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&]:mt-1"> <div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]"> <div class="markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling"> Du Bois spoke on “The Contribution of the Negro to the American Race,” a subject that went to the heart of his life’s work. He directly challenged the persistent assumption that Black Americans were a burden to the nation. Instead, he argued that the United States had been profoundly shaped — economically and politically — by African American labor, intellect, and resilience. The nation’s agricultural wealth and industrial expansion, he maintained, could not be understood without acknowledging the foundational work of enslaved and formerly enslaved people. American prosperity was not separate from Black contribution; it was intertwined with it. Beyond labor, Du Bois emphasized invention and modernization. African American innovators, he explained, had played critical roles in industrial advancement. Machinery developed by Black inventors had transformed manufacturing processes and contributed to the country’s export economy. These examples were meant to dismantle the notion of marginality. African Americans were not simply participants in American life; they were architects of its growth. The program extended this argument into the realm of culture. Elizabeth Sinkford, a classically trained soprano based at 405 Edgecombe Avenue in New York City and associated with leading Black educational institutions, performed as part of the afternoon’s event. Du Bois arranged transportation for the journey to and from Englewood, ensuring that Sinkford and her accompanist could travel with him. Her presence underscored the theme of cultivated achievement, pairing scholarly argument with artistic excellence. Together, the lecture and the musical performance presented a unified statement. Du Bois articulated the intellectual and industrial contributions of African Americans, while Sinkford’s performance embodied cultural refinement and accomplishment. In Englewood that day, Black achievement was not abstract — it was demonstrated, voiced, and made visible. The event stands as a significant moment in the town’s civic history. Harlem’s intellectual and artistic leadership entered a suburban club setting and asserted a powerful claim about national identity: that African Americans were central to the making of the United States — builders of its wealth, contributors to its democracy, and shapers of its culture. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Letter to A. L. Jackson expressing condolences, July 17, 1928. Typed letter, correspondence, A. L. Jackson Papers, Chicago, Illinois. Letter to A. L. Jackson requesting political analysis of the Chicago mayoral campaign, April 18, 1927. Typed letter, correspondence, A. L. Jackson Papers, Chicago, Illinois. Letter to A. L. Jackson enclosing first bulletin of the Pan-African Congress and outlining travel plans, ca. 1921. Typed letter, correspondence, Pan-African Congress records, New York City. Arthur L. Jackson to W. E. B. Du Bois regarding the Brooklyn Older Boys Conference held in Englewood, New Jersey, March 1, 1926. Typed letter, correspondence, Arthur L. Jackson Papers, Brooklyn, New York. Letter to A. L. Jackson enclosing first bulletin of the Pan-African Congress, May 26, 1921. Typed letter, correspondence, Pan-African Congress records, New York City. Holt, Thomas C. <a href="https://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/web-dubois">“W. E. B. Du Bois.”</a> The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, 2008. <div class="resource-meta media-object-section"> <div class="description full">Partly written by OpenAI. (2026, February, 1). ChatGPT (GPT-5.2.) [Large Language Model] https://chat.openai.com/chat.</div> </div> Activism African American Communism Politics Race Socialism https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/70c6d30d94db1193cc9839a7361b9507.jpg 3c9b5deda3a58a49de3fe9e91da119ab Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1902-03-28 Birthplace Englewood, New Jersey, USA Death Date 1995-04-26 Occupation Professor Philosopher Author Activist, Political Source of File Attached “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corliss_Lamont">Corliss Lamont</a>.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 June 2024. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Lamont, Corliss (1902-1995) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Corliss Lamont in the New York State, Marriage Index, 1881-1967." Ancestry. "Corliss Lamont in the U.S., Newspapers.com™ Marriage Index, 1800s-current." Ancestry. “<a href="http://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183472062/corliss-lamont">Corliss Lamont (1902-1995)</a>.” Find a Grave. "The honing of a humanist." The Guardian, 19 May 1995, p.14. “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corliss_Lamont">Corliss Lamont</a>.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 June 2024. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Subject The topic of the resource Activism, Political Universities Description An account of the resource Corliss Lamont was an American socialist and philosopher. He received a degree from Harvard and spent 1924 at Oxford. He received a PhD from Columbia University and taught philosophy there. During the 1930s he became involved in political activism becoming a board member and eventual director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He wrote several books including The Philosophy of Humanism (1949). He admired the Soviet Union and was the head of the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship (NCASF). He was targeted as a communist by Joe McCarthy but was able to overturn the charges against him. While he supported Marxism, he never joined the Communist Party. In 1952 he ran for senator under the Labor Party and again in 1958 as an Independent-Socialist. In 1964 Lamont sued the Postmaster General for reading and refusing to deliver his mail. The justification was the anti-propaganda law of 1962 that allowed the Postmaster General to destroy possible communist political propaganda. The case went to the Supreme Court and Lamont v. Postmaster General deemed the law unconstitutional. He married Margaret Hayes Irish on June 8, 1928. After they separated, he married Helen Boyden Lamb in 1962. She passed in 1975. His last marriage was to Beth Keehner. He had four children, Margaret "Margot" Hayes Heap, Florence Parmelee Antonides, Hayes Corliss, and Anne Sterling Jafferis. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Communism Education Humanitarianism Marxism Socialism Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1893-06-22 Birthplace Hoboken, New Jersey, USA Death Date 1964-10-19 Occupation Police Officer Solider Source of File Attached "<a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/79691820/jack-abrams?_gl=1*ll8vuc*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MjQxOTIyNTMuQ2p3S0NBandfWkMyQmhBUUVpd0FYU2dDbHRwM2VkWWtzOEJMOWlTX0k2eVE4eWE3VXExVlplUzVkYXRUN2dMSkl0d21CalJ3bGVqOGVob0N0S0FRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE3MjQxOTIyNTMuQ2p3S0NBandfWkMyQmhBUUVpd0FYU2dDbHRwM2VkWWtzOEJMOWlTX0k2eVE4eWE3VXExVlplUzVkYXRUN2dMSkl0d21CalJ3bGVqOGVob0N0S0FRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*MTI5NjY1NDIyNS4xNzE4OTE1Nzcw*_ga*MTk2ODY2MDA3NS4xNzEwNzk0ODY1*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ZmE3MjIwNGQtYzUxOC00MWZkLWEwY2ItMmI5N2ZkMDlmODkyLjU3LjEuMTcyNTYzODQ4MS41Mi4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ZmE3MjIwNGQtYzUxOC00MWZkLWEwY2ItMmI5N2ZkMDlmODkyLjU3LjEuMTcyNTYzODQ4MS4wLjAuMA..">Jack Abrams</a>." Find A Grave. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abrams, Jack (1893-1964) Subject The topic of the resource Veterans Description An account of the resource Jack Abrams was a police officer and police chief in Englewood. He started his career in 1911 as an auxiliary officer and joined the department in 1916. He served in World War I. In 1922 he became a sergeant and in 1924 he rose to captain. In 1937 he was one of the founders of the Traffic Bureau. He became the acting Police Chief in 1949 and was appointed permanently in 1950. He served as a police officer for forty-two years. He married Diane. He had two stepdaughters, Honey and Dorothy. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "<a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/79691820/jack-abrams?_gl=1*ll8vuc*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MjQxOTIyNTMuQ2p3S0NBandfWkMyQmhBUUVpd0FYU2dDbHRwM2VkWWtzOEJMOWlTX0k2eVE4eWE3VXExVlplUzVkYXRUN2dMSkl0d21CalJ3bGVqOGVob0N0S0FRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE3MjQxOTIyNTMuQ2p3S0NBandfWkMyQmhBUUVpd0FYU2dDbHRwM2VkWWtzOEJMOWlTX0k2eVE4eWE3VXExVlplUzVkYXRUN2dMSkl0d21CalJ3bGVqOGVob0N0S0FRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*MTI5NjY1NDIyNS4xNzE4OTE1Nzcw*_ga*MTk2ODY2MDA3NS4xNzEwNzk0ODY1*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ZmE3MjIwNGQtYzUxOC00MWZkLWEwY2ItMmI5N2ZkMDlmODkyLjU3LjEuMTcyNTYzODQ4MS41Mi4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ZmE3MjIwNGQtYzUxOC00MWZkLWEwY2ItMmI5N2ZkMDlmODkyLjU3LjEuMTcyNTYzODQ4MS4wLjAuMA..">Jack Abrams</a>." Find A Grave. "Abrams Rites Are Thursday." The Record, 20 Oct. 1964, p. 55. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Police https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/6c9976ec3ebfbd87e21cf3293b457d9d.jpg ada525888633a45066e9ab94d827fd6a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1849-03-30 Birthplace Bergen County, USA Death Date 1924-12-18 Occupation Businessman Business Owner Philanthropist Banker Source of File Attached "<a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98862928/william-outis-allison?_gl=1*1l3o1lz*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MjQxOTIyNTMuQ2p3S0NBandfWkMyQmhBUUVpd0FYU2dDbHRwM2VkWWtzOEJMOWlTX0k2eVE4eWE3VXExVlplUzVkYXRUN2dMSkl0d21CalJ3bGVqOGVob0N0S0FRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE3MjQxOTIyNTMuQ2p3S0NBandfWkMyQmhBUUVpd0FYU2dDbHRwM2VkWWtzOEJMOWlTX0k2eVE4eWE3VXExVlplUzVkYXRUN2dMSkl0d21CalJ3bGVqOGVob0N0S0FRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*MTI5NjY1NDIyNS4xNzE4OTE1Nzcw*_ga*MTk2ODY2MDA3NS4xNzEwNzk0ODY1*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ZmE3MjIwNGQtYzUxOC00MWZkLWEwY2ItMmI5N2ZkMDlmODkyLjYwLjEuMTcyNjM1NDA1NS4yNC4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ZmE3MjIwNGQtYzUxOC00MWZkLWEwY2ItMmI5N2ZkMDlmODkyLjYwLjEuMTcyNjM1NDA1NS4wLjAuMA..">William Outis Allison</a>." Find A Grave. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Allison, William Outis (1849-1924) Subject The topic of the resource Activism, Environmental Businesses, Local Nature Preservation Historic Preservation Description An account of the resource William Outis Allison was a banker and philanthropist. He acted as vice president of the Palisades Trust and Guaranty Company of Englewood, president of the National Reserve Bank of New York, president of the publishing company that owned Oil, Pain and Drug Reporter, Druggist's Circular, and Painters Magazine, and a director of Lincoln Trust Company. He lived in Englewood Cliffs and developed the W. O. Allison Real Estate Company. He was a member of the Bergen County Historical Society, helped create the Palisades Interstate Park, and donated land that would eventually become Flat Rock Brook Nature Center upon his death. He married Caroline Longstreet Hovey in 1884. After her death, he married Caroline Amelia Shaw in 1897. He had five children, Katharine Floyd Allison MacLean, Frances Cornelia, Allis, William Dana, and Van Kleeck. He became the first Mayor of Englewood Cliffs after the town split from Englewood and became its own borough. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "<a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98862928/william-outis-allison?_gl=1*1l3o1lz*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MjQxOTIyNTMuQ2p3S0NBandfWkMyQmhBUUVpd0FYU2dDbHRwM2VkWWtzOEJMOWlTX0k2eVE4eWE3VXExVlplUzVkYXRUN2dMSkl0d21CalJ3bGVqOGVob0N0S0FRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE3MjQxOTIyNTMuQ2p3S0NBandfWkMyQmhBUUVpd0FYU2dDbHRwM2VkWWtzOEJMOWlTX0k2eVE4eWE3VXExVlplUzVkYXRUN2dMSkl0d21CalJ3bGVqOGVob0N0S0FRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*MTI5NjY1NDIyNS4xNzE4OTE1Nzcw*_ga*MTk2ODY2MDA3NS4xNzEwNzk0ODY1*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ZmE3MjIwNGQtYzUxOC00MWZkLWEwY2ItMmI5N2ZkMDlmODkyLjYwLjEuMTcyNjM1NDA1NS4yNC4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ZmE3MjIwNGQtYzUxOC00MWZkLWEwY2ItMmI5N2ZkMDlmODkyLjYwLjEuMTcyNjM1NDA1NS4wLjAuMA..">William Outis Allison</a>." Find A Grave. "Englewood Cliffs' Founder is Dead." The Record, 18 Dec. 1924, p. 2. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Charity Environment Finances History Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1921? Death Date 2012-02-18 Occupation Author Educator Source of File Attached Simmons, Jeff. "Homework turns into novel." The Record, 27 May 1992, p. 1-3. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Amos, Gloria (1921?-2012) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Gloria Amos." Edgewater View, 24 Feb. 2012, p. A9. Simmons, Jeff. "Homework turns into novel." The Record, 27 May 1992, p. 1-3. Subject The topic of the resource Writing Description An account of the resource Gloria L. Amos (1920–2012) was an Englewood-based writer, educator, and longtime public school staff member whose late-in-life literary work drew deeply on family, memory, and place. Born in the early twentieth century, Gloria Amos spent much of her adult life balancing work, family, and community responsibility. She was a resident of Englewood, New Jersey from 1966 onward and worked for decades in public education. In 1994, she retired from the Englewood Board of Education, where she served as a secretary at Janis E. Dismus Middle School, a role that placed her at the heart of daily school life and community interaction. Amos began her writing journey later in life after enrolling in an adult writing class in the early 1980s, following the death of her husband. What started as a short-story assignment—an exercise focused on one of the seven deadly sins—eventually evolved into her first novel, Losing Yet Loving. The book, described by Amos as “factional,” blended fiction with lived experience and explored themes of love, family obligation, betrayal, sexuality, and survival. Set in part in Englewood, the novel references local streets, landmarks, and neighborhoods, grounding its emotionally charged narrative in the geography of her everyday life. Published after more than a decade of intermittent writing, Losing Yet Loving was followed by a second book, Resurgence from the Abyss, further cementing Amos’s legacy as a writer who transformed personal hardship into creative expression. Though modest about her accomplishments—famously remarking that she did not consider herself “a real writer”—she viewed her books as a lasting legacy for her children and family. Gloria Amos passed away on February 18, 2012, at the age of 91, in Edgewater, New Jersey. She was the mother of two sons, Terrell and Kenneth (Jollyn) Amos, and is remembered by five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and a wide circle of relatives, friends, students, and colleagues. Her life stands as a testament to the power of education, perseverance, and storytelling at any stage of life. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Education https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/bf6dc04bc3af8bf7c09f37aa3b2d0b5a.png bb82303225d838eb34448a278b83b9da Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1939-12-27 Birthplace Newark, New Jersey, USA Occupation Actor Athlete Source of File Attached “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Amos">John Amos</a>.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Aug. 2024. <div></div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Amos, John Allen, Jr. (1939-?) Description An account of the resource John Allen Amos Jr. is an actor. Before his acting career, he did social work and played football. His first major work was on The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970 to 1973. He is most well-known for his part in Good Times from 1974 to 1976. Amos served as artistic director of John Harms Theater. He married twice, first to Noel Mickelson from 1965 to 1975. He had two children, Shannon and Kelly "K.C." His second marriage was to Lillian Lehman from 1978 to 1979. Mann, Virginia. "From script to stage to TV with a master." The Record, 11 Apr. 1994, p. A-1, A-15. Subject The topic of the resource Movies Theater Sports, American Football Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Telfair H. Brown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available wikipedia Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 8, 2001. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Entertainment Sports Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1830-08-08 Birthplace Jetersville, Virginia, USA Death Date 1941-11-24 Occupation Midwife Source of File Attached "Mary Anderson, Slave At Birth, Is Dead At 11." The Record, 24 Nov. 1941, p.2. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Anderson, Mary (1830-1941) Subject The topic of the resource Civil War Description An account of the resource <div class="relative basis-auto flex-col -mb-(--composer-overlap-px) [--composer-overlap-px:28px] grow flex"> <div class="flex flex-col text-sm pb-25"> <div class="text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"> <div class="[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn"> <div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"> <div class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&]:mt-1"> <div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]"> <div class="markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling"> Mary Anderson (c. 1830–1941) was a formerly enslaved woman whose life spanned slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the early twentieth century. At the time of her death, she was believed to be 111 years old—an age attested to by family records and oral history—making her one of the oldest known residents of the region. Anderson was born around August 8, 1830, in Amelia County, Virginia. She was born into slavery, as was her mother, who was enslaved by the Wilson family. As a young girl, Mary was sold to the Randall family of Dinwiddie County, Virginia, a common and traumatic experience that separated families and uprooted lives within the slave system. She lived through the Civil War and experienced emancipation as an adult, carrying firsthand memory of slavery into the twentieth century. In the early 1910s, Anderson moved north, eventually settling in northern New Jersey. For the last decades of her life, she lived in Hackensack and Englewood, where she became part of the area’s growing Black community during the Great Migration. At the time of her death, she had been living on Second Street in Englewood. Mary Anderson was the mother of eighteen children, a testament both to her resilience and to the harsh realities of nineteenth-century Black family life. She outlived all but two of her children, many of her grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. Her surviving family included children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren living in Hackensack and Virginia, linking multiple generations across regions and eras. Despite her advanced age, Anderson was described by family members as mentally sharp and active until shortly before her death, which followed a fall at her home. She died at Englewood Hospital on November 23, 1941. Her funeral services were held at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Hackensack, a historically Black congregation that served as a spiritual and social anchor for African Americans in Bergen County. She was laid to rest following services that marked not just the end of a long life, but the passing of a living witness to American slavery. Mary Anderson’s life embodies the long arc of Black American history—from enslavement to freedom, from the rural South to the urban North. Her story reminds us that slavery is not ancient history; it lived on in memory, family, and community well into the twentieth century. "Kin Give Proof Former Slave 111 Years Old." The Record, November 24, 1941. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Mary Anderson, Slave At Birth, Is Dead At 11." The Record, 24 Nov. 1941, p.2. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Colman, David African American Slavery https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/6f9ff0dd064e5cfe29a591eecb8df4e2.jpg 2f14c628829e71c6406986f89b428124 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/8991c46fbbfa4451fffa8b48a2147b1c.jpg e64f9c5d6443c6d6fbd0ad1f4bf6e5d2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1887-11-27 Occupation Businessman Source of File Attached "Legitimate Shows and Musical Plays Coming to Plaza." The Record, 7 Mar. 1928, p.6. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Backer, Franklyn Edmund (1887-?) Description An account of the resource Franklyn E. Backer was an early twentieth-century theater entrepreneur, film producer, and cultural booster whose work helped place Englewood on the regional entertainment map during the silent-film era. Born in Newark, New Jersey, on November 27, 1887, Backer was raised and educated in that city, graduating from Newark High School with honors. Rather than follow a single profession, he moved quickly through a variety of business roles, gaining experience that would later prove essential in the rapidly changing world of motion pictures and theatrical exhibition. Backer arrived in Englewood in 1914, drawn by what he saw as an untapped opportunity. At the time, the city’s entertainment options were limited, and he believed Englewood deserved a modern, first-class theater comparable to those in larger urban centers. Acting on this conviction, he negotiated for property on Palisade Avenue and oversaw the excavation and construction of what became the Englewood Theatre. Despite setbacks—including a serious construction accident that temporarily halted progress—the theater was completed later that year and quickly became a focal point of local cultural life. After operating the Englewood Theatre for several years, Backer sold the property in 1916 and turned his attention westward. By early 1917 he was on the Pacific Coast, where he financed and managed his own motion-picture production company. This venture eventually became known as East Coast Studios, an unusual name that reflected his intention to bring East Coast sensibilities into a film industry increasingly dominated by Hollywood. Under his direction, the studio produced a number of films and worked with prominent actors of the era, giving Backer firsthand experience as both a producer and distributor. Between the late 1910s and early 1920s, Backer’s career took him across the country as he personally promoted and marketed his films, blending showmanship with business acumen. His producing work included popular adventure and dramatic pictures, and his years in film were among the most financially successful of his career. Yet despite his national reach, he retained a strong attachment to theater buildings themselves—the physical spaces where audiences gathered. That attachment ultimately drew him back to Englewood. After years of planning and negotiation, Backer spearheaded the construction of the Plaza Theatre on North Van Brunt Street. Designed as a modern entertainment venue, the Plaza reflected both his experience in film production and his belief that suburban communities deserved cultural institutions of the highest quality. The opening of the Plaza coincided with his forty-first birthday, a symbolic milestone in a life marked by relentless ambition and reinvention. By the mid-1920s, Franklyn E. Backer was recognized not only as a theater owner but as a figure who bridged local entertainment and the national motion-picture industry. His career illustrated the entrepreneurial spirit of the silent-film era, when individual vision and risk-taking could shape the cultural landscape of an entire community. In Englewood, his theaters left a lasting imprint, helping establish the city as a center of popular entertainment during a formative period in American film history. "Legitimate Shows and Musical Plays Coming to Plaza." The Record, 7 Mar. 1928, p.6. "Plaza Theatre Has Met With Success." The Record, 19 Jan. 1927, p.17. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived The Record Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available newspaper.com Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 19, 1927 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Entertainment Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1933? Death Date 2003-02-07 Occupation Activist, Civil Rights Source of File Attached "Sit-In Released." The Record, 6 Feb. 1962, p. 2. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Baer, Anne Stewart (1933?-2003) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Sit-In Released." The Record, 6 Feb. 1962, p. 2. "<a href="https://opac2.mdah.state.ms.us/phpmanuscripts/z2309.php">Z 2309.000 Baer (Byron M.) Freedom Riders Collection</a>." MDAH Mississippi Archives. "Baer." The Record, 13 Feb. 2003, p.L-8. Subject The topic of the resource Civil Rights Movement, Freedom Rides Description An account of the resource Anne Stewart Baer was involved in the Civil Rights Movement Freedom Rides. In 1962 she was arrested briefly for her protesting. She lived in Englewood with her husband, Byron M. Baer. They divorced in 1983. She had two children, David and Laura Baer Levine. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Activism Civil Rights Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1929-10-18 Birthplace Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Death Date 2007-06-24 Occupation Politician Government Official Activist, Civil Rights Source of File Attached “<a href="https://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Baer">Byron Baer</a>” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 June 2024. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Baer, Byron Mark (1929-2007) Subject The topic of the resource Politics, Federal Politics, State Civil Rights Movement, Freedom Rides Description An account of the resource <div class="text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"> <div class="[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn"> <div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"> <div class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&]:mt-1"> <div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]"> <div class="markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling"> Byron M. Baer (October 18, 1929 – June 24, 2007) was a civil rights activist, community organizer, and longtime Democratic legislator whose public life was deeply rooted in Englewood, New Jersey. Long before he became one of the state’s most influential champions of open government, Baer built his reputation locally—as an agitator for racial justice, a relentless advocate for fair housing, and a bridge-builder during one of Englewood’s most turbulent eras. Baer moved to Englewood in the late 1950s after leaving a crowded New York City apartment in search of a better environment for his family. He and his wife Laura settled in the city with their young son, arriving at a moment when Englewood—like many northern communities—was grappling with segregation in schools, housing, and municipal services. Though he initially viewed civil rights issues as problems affecting other places, particularly Europe’s recent past, the rising national movement of the early 1960s transformed his outlook. Reflecting later on that period, Baer acknowledged that the Freedom Rides of 1961—and the violence that accompanied them—forced him to confront what he described as a citizen’s responsibility to act against injustice. During the early 1960s, Baer emerged as a visible leader in the Englewood chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). He organized protests, sit-ins, and demonstrations challenging discriminatory practices locally and across Bergen County. These actions targeted school segregation, exclusionary housing policies, and unequal municipal services—issues that revealed the persistence of racial inequality in northern suburban life. Newspaper accounts from the period consistently placed Baer at the center of these efforts: leading delegations, confronting school boards and city officials, and helping coordinate interracial coalitions. His activism extended beyond New Jersey in 1961, when he volunteered to join one of the Freedom Rides traveling from New York City to Jackson, Mississippi. There, after deliberately entering segregated waiting rooms to challenge discriminatory practices, Baer and his fellow activists were arrested and charged with breach of the peace. He ultimately spent approximately forty-five days in Mississippi’s Parchman State Prison, an experience he later described as both harsh and transformative. Conditions inside Parchman were severe. Prisoners endured intense heat during the day and freezing ventilation at night, were denied regular exercise, and survived largely on starch-heavy meals occasionally supplemented by pork fat. Yet the prison also became, in Baer’s words, a place for reflection. He later recalled that isolation gave him time to think deeply about issues of equality and justice, strengthening his resolve to devote his life to defending human dignity. During his confinement, he improvised ways to pass time—fashioning chess pieces from bread and playing games scratched onto the floor—small acts that reflected resilience under pressure. For Baer, the experience at Parchman reinforced a belief that civil rights struggles were not confined to the South but were deeply embedded in northern communities as well. He returned to New Jersey with renewed determination, convinced that the most meaningful battles for equality would occur not in distant states, but in the neighborhoods where families lived and children attended school. Englewood, he believed, would be the place where those struggles were tested. By the mid-1960s, Baer’s activism began to merge with formal political engagement. In 1965, local attorney Arnold Brown asked him to serve as his campaign manager during a pivotal political contest in Englewood. When Brown was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, Baer became his legislative aide, helping draft an ambitious slate of bills aimed at strengthening protections for tenants and vulnerable residents. Among the legislation they introduced was the New Jersey Relocation Assistance Law, which required municipalities to ensure that displaced tenants had access to adequate housing before eviction—a reform that Baer later described as one of his proudest achievements. Baer’s work also shaped local politics directly. After the Democratic victory in Englewood’s 1967 municipal elections—the first such victory in decades—he was appointed housing secretary to the mayor. In this role, he helped guide programs aimed at improving housing conditions, addressing overcrowding, and integrating neighborhoods. His appointment generated controversy among political opponents, who accused city officials of creating a position specifically for him. Supporters countered that his extensive experience and years of unpaid activism made him uniquely qualified to translate civil rights demands into municipal policy. Throughout the late 1960s, Baer chaired housing task forces, served on advisory committees, and participated in planning initiatives that connected federal urban renewal programs to local needs. These efforts reflected his growing conviction that protest alone could not achieve lasting change. Policy, transparency, and public participation were equally essential tools in the struggle for equality. Baer carried Englewood’s lessons into a legislative career spanning more than three decades. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1972 to 1994 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1994 to 2005, representing a district anchored in eastern Bergen County. His signature achievement—the Open Public Meetings Act, later renamed in his honor—embodied the same philosophy that guided his early activism: democracy functions best when government operates openly and citizens have access to information. He also sponsored landmark legislation establishing New Jersey’s Office of the Child Advocate, strengthening identity-theft protections, and improving labor conditions for vulnerable workers. His commitment to workers’ rights was reinforced by a violent incident in 1974, when he was assaulted during an inspection of a migrant workers’ camp and suffered multiple fractures to his arm—an episode that underscored the risks he was willing to face in pursuit of justice. In Englewood, Baer was remembered less as a polished politician than as a moral presence—someone willing to be arrested, challenged, or physically harmed in pursuit of fairness. Those who worked alongside him often described him as principled, persistent, and deeply humane. Even after decades in state government, he remained closely tied to the local struggles that shaped his political conscience. Baer died in 2007 at age 77, but his imprint on Englewood endures—in integrated schools, in fair-housing reforms that reshaped neighborhoods, and in a civic culture transformed by the insistence that democracy must be transparent, participatory, and just. For Baer, the defining battles of civil rights were never abstract or distant. As he once reflected, the greatest challenge was not elsewhere—it was at home. "Baer Named Mayor's Secretary Over Protest of Republicans." The Record, June 5, 1968. "Baer Naming Due Tonight." The Record, June 4, 1968. "Interracial Group From Bergen With Baltimore Demonstrators." The Record, December 4, 1961. "The man with the golden arm." The Record, July 18, 1974. "Lawmaker remembered as advocate, gentelman." The Central New Jersey Home News, July 3, 2007. Sherry, Frank and Eric Hartell. "Dozens Sleep In City Hall." The Record, 2 Feb. 1962. "N.J. legislator Byron Baer, 77." Newsday, 25 June 2007, p.32. “<a href="https://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Baer">Byron Baer</a>” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 June 2024. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Activism Politics Race