Downtown: Martin R. Delany

Martin R. Delany
BORN: 1812.(1)
DIED: 24 January 1885.(2)
BURIED:

•                               Martin R. Delany
                                  1812 - 1885
  
                         A promoter of African-American
                         nationalism, Delany published a
                         Black newspaper, The Mystery,
                         at an office near here. He
                         attended Harvard Medical School,
                         practiced medicine in Pittsburgh,
                         and was commissioned as a major
                         in the Civil War.(3)
  

• Historians now generally agree that the ideological roots of black nationalism can be traced back to the efforts of a group of black Pittsburghers in the 1840s, particularly Delany, who has become known as the Father of Black Nationalism. (4)

• After meeting Delany in Pittsburgh in 1846, black abolitionist Frederick Douglass remarked, "I thank God for making me a man simply, but Delany always thanks Him for making him a black man." (5)

• Delany was probably best known for his exploration of Niger River Valley in Africa and his efforts to colonize that country and Nicaragua. (6)

• His widely known book, "The Condition, Elevation, Emigration and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States, Politically Considered," was published in 1852. (7)

• His unselfish service to suffering humanity during the tragic cholera epidemic of 1849 was so outstanding that City Council and the board of health held a public meeting to present him with a certificate of appreciation for healing the sick, regardless of race or economic condition. (8)

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