Delilah L. Beasley was the first African American woman to be regularly published in a major
metropolitan newspaper and the first author to present the history of African Americans in
early California.
Growing up in Ohio, Beasley started writing social columns for black and white newspapers
while still a teenager. After her parents’ deaths, she sought a career path that would better
support her younger siblings, working as a hairdresser, massage therapist, nurse, and maid
for many years. In 1910 she moved to Oakland California where she immersed herself in the
local black community and again started writing articles in local newspapers.
In 1915 Beasley started writing a weekly column in the Oakland Tribune. Her articles protested
the stereotypes contained in the movie The Birth of a Nation. Through a column called
“Activities among Negroes,” she campaigned for African-American dignity and rights.
Highlighting activities of local churches, women’s clubs, literary societies, along with national
politics, and achievements of black men and women, her column aimed to give all readers
a positive picture of the black community and demonstrate the capabilities of African
Americans.
Deeply interested in the history of black Californians, Beasley trained herself in archival
research and oral histories. In 1919 she self-published The Negro Trail-Blazers of California, a
groundbreaking book chronicling the lives of hundreds of black Californians from the pioneer
period through the early 20th century. Her book included an unprecedented amount of Black
women’s history, focusing on the strong roles women played in their communities and featuring
countless biographies of
women leaders.
In the thirties, Beasley was
the driving force behind the
passage California’s first antilynching bill. She continued
her column and was active
in the community until her
death in 1934.
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