J. A. Rogers: Author, Journalist As Well As Historical Illustrator

Photo of Joel Augustus Rogers aka J.A. Rogers (b. 9/6/1880 - d. 3/26/1966)

Joel Augustus Rogers was born September 6, 1880 inward Negril, Jamaica in addition to died on March 26, 1966 inward New York City.  Rogers was a historian, journalist in addition to writer whose works made groovy contributions to the history of Africa in addition to its diaspora. Of mixed-race parentage in addition to ane of 11 children, J.A. Roger's manful individual raise was Samuel John Rogers, a school-teacher, government minister in addition to a plantation director inward Jamaica. Information virtually Roger's woman raise has been hard to find.
 
What is known is that inward 1906, afterward serving inward the British Army at Port Royal, Jamaica, J.A. Rogers moved from Jamaica to Harlem, New York, where he would eventually reside during the bulk of his adult life, living with his married adult woman Helga M. Rogers. Rogers did brand Black Chicago his abode for a time, piece working equally a Pullman Porter in addition to reporter.

In 1909, Rogers enrolled inward the Chicago Art Institute. According to his biographer, Thabiti Asukile, he attended fine art classes at that topographic point piece supporting himself financially equally a Pullman Porter, where he would operate until 1919. As a resultant of his existence able to move widely inside the USA equally a Pullman Porter, Rogers was surely able to access a broad diverseness of libraries that had developed inward dissimilar cities across the country. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 voracious bibliophile, Rogers compiled data virtually African history in addition to began to write in addition to self-publish his query findings.

"I industrial plant life inward Chicago a friend who introduced me to books inward which I industrial plant life the names of several groovy men of Negro ancestry past times in addition to present," states Rogers inward his bulk World's Great Men of Color, Vol. 1. "In my spare time, in addition to with no idea of writing a book, I began to collect some of these names. That was virtually 1911."

Early photograph of J. A. Rogers.

Rogers outset bulk was Superman to Man, privately published inward 1917 in addition to printed past times the M.A. Donohue Co. In Superman to Man, Rogers used the classic literary technique of developing the cardinal theme of a written operate around a debate -- a tool oftentimes used past times ancient historians. In the book, nosotros run into a Pullman Porter debate a white supremacist from the South regarding politics in addition to religion. The ensuing debate served equally a forum for Rogers to counter many of the stereotypes that prevailed at the fourth dimension virtually race. Rogers' Pullman Porter argued that the concept of race, inward fact, lacked scientific proof.

Rogers served equally a unusual correspondent for a diverseness of African American newspapers, peculiarly afterward he moved to Harlem inward 1921. In improver to his published works for the Chicago Enterprise in addition to Chicago Defender newspapers, Rogers wrote for the Pittsburgh Courier in addition to served equally sub-editor for the Daily Negro Times -- the latter published past times Marcus Garvey. The editors of the Pittsburgh Courier sent Rogers equally a correspondent to encompass the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I inward Ethiopia. Additionally, Rogers was noted equally the exclusively Black U.S. state of war correspondent during World War II. He would issue widely inward publications such equally the New York Amsterdam News, the Messenger Magazine, in addition to others -- making him ane of the leading Black journalist of his times.

Book published past times J.A. Rogers -- 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro with Complete Proof

Rogers made groovy contribution to publishing in addition to distributing picayune know African history facts through books in addition to pamphlets such equally 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro with Complete Proof in addition to The Five Negro Presidents. His greatest involvement was inward exploring the concept of race that was developing into a themed possession with historians of European descent. In response, Rogers published the three-volume operate Sex in addition to Race betwixt 1941 in addition to 1944. From 1946 to 1947, Rogers published his pioneering operate The World's Great Men of Color, printed inward 2 volumes.

Copy of an illustrated operate J.A. Rogers published inward newspapers in addition to inward books. Many of his amazing facts were substantiated past times subsequent writings on the topic. For example, read to a greater extent than virtually Scota of Arab Republic of Egypt in addition to the origins of the Scottish people at "The pharaoh's immature lady who was the woman raise of all Scots," from The Scotsman publication.

The mutual thread inward Roger's query was his unending aim to counter white supremacist propaganda that prevailed inward segregated communities across the USA against people of African descent.The works of Rogers exclusively became assigned reading inward the most independently-developed, academy curriculum of African-centered history professors -- in addition to fifty-fifty then, afterward Rogers had passed away. The noted historian physician John Henrik Clarke states that Rogers "looked at the history of people of African origin, in addition to showed how their history is an inseparable purpose of the history of mankind." His works bring enlightened many people interested inward uncovering the suppressed histories of African people. His legacy continues through the groovy bulk of works he has left behind.

J.A. Rogers Works, Chronological past times Publication Date:

•     From "Superman" to Man. Chicago: J. A. Rogers, 1917. —novel.
•     As Nature Leads: An Informal Discussion of the Reason Why Negro in addition to Caucasian are Mixing inward Spite of Opposition. Chicago: M. A. Donahue & Co, 1919. —novel.
•     The Approaching Storm in addition to Bow it May go Averted: An Open Letter to Congress Chicago: National Equal Rights League, Chicago Branch: 1920.
•     "Music in addition to Poetry — The Noblest Arts," Music in addition to Poetry, vol. 1, no. 1 (January 1921).
•     "The Thrilling Story of The Maroons," serialized inward The Negro World, March–April 1922.
•     "The West Indies: Their Political, Social, in addition to Economic Condition," serialized inward The Messenger (Volume 4, Number 9, September 1922).
•     Blood Money (Novel) serialized inward New York Amsterdam News, Apr 1923.
•     "The Ku Klux Klan Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Menace or Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Promise," serialized inward The Messenger (Volume 5, Number 3, March 1923).
•     "Jazz at Home" The Survey Graphic Harlem, vol. 6, no. half dozen (March 1925).
•     "What Are We, Negroes or Americans?" The Messenger, vol. 8, no. 8 (August 1926).
•     Book Review, Jazz, past times Paul Whiteman." Opportunity: The Journal of Negro Life (Volume 4, Number 48, Dec 1926).
•     "The Negro's Experience of Christianity in addition to Islam," Review of Nations, Geneva (January–March 1928)
•     "The American Occupation of Haiti: Its Moral in addition to Economic Benefit," past times Dantes Bellegarde. (Translator). Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life (Volume 8, Number 1, Jan 1930).
•     "The Negro inward Europe," The American Mercury (May 1930).
•     "The Negro inward European History," Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life (Volume 8, Number 6, June 1930).
•     World's Greatest Men of African Descent. New York: J. A. Rogers Publications, 1931.
•     "The Americans inward Ethiopia," nether the pseudonym Jerrold Robbins, inward American Mercury (May 1933).
•     "Enrique Diaz," inward Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life, vol. 11, no. half dozen (June 1933).
•     100 Amazing facts virtually the Negro with Complete Proof. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Short Cut to the World History of the Negro. New York: J. A. Rogers Publications, 1934.
•     World's Greatest Men in addition to Women of African Descent. New York: J. A. Rogers Publications, 1935.
•     "Italy Over Abyssinia," The Crisis, Volume 42, Number 2, Feb 1935.
•     The Real Facts About Ethiopia. New York: J.A Rogers, 1936.
•     "When I Was In Europe," Interracial Review: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 magazine for Christian Democracy, Oct 1938.
•     "Hitler in addition to the Negro," Interracial Review: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Journal for Christian Democracy, Apr 1940.
•     "The Suppression of Negro History," The Crisis, vol. 47, no. v (May 1940).
•     Your History: From the Beginning of Time to the Present. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Courier Publishing Co, 1940.
•     An Appeal From Pioneer Negroes of the World, Inc: An Open Letter to His Holiness Pope Pius XII. New York: J. A. Rogers, 1940.
•     Sex in addition to Race: Negro-Caucasian Mixing inward All Ages in addition to All Lands, Volume I: The Old World. New York: J. A. Rogers, 1941.
•     Sex in addition to Race: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 History of White, Negro, in addition to Indian Miscegenation inward the Two Americas, Volume II: The New World. New York: J. A. Rogers, 1942.
•     Sex in addition to Race, Volume III: Why White in addition to Black Mix inward Spite of Opposition. New York: J. A. Rogers, 1944.
•     World's Great Men of Color, Volume I: Asia in addition to Africa, in addition to Historical Figures Before Christ, Including Aesop, Hannibal, Cleopatra, Zenobia, Askia the Great, in addition to Many Others. New York : J. A. Rogers, 1946.
•     World's Great Men of Color, Volume II: Europe, South in addition to Central America, the West Indies, in addition to the United States, Including Alessandro de' Medici, Alexandre Dumas, Dom Pedro II, Marcus Garvey, in addition to Many Others (New York: J. A. Rogers, 1947).
•     "Jim Crow Hunt," The Crisis (November 1951).
•     Nature Knows No Color Line: Research into the Negro Ancestry inward the White Race. (New York: J. A. Rogers, 1952).
•     Facts About the Negro. (Drawings past times A. S. Milai) (booklet) (Pittsburgh: Lincoln Park Studios, 1960).
•     Africa's Gift to America: The Afro-American inward the Making in addition to Saving of the United States. With New Supplement Africa in addition to its Potentialities. (New York: J. A. Rogers, 1961).
•     She Walks inward Beauty. Los Angeles: Western Publishers, 1963. —novel
•     "Civil War Centennial: Myth in addition to Reality," Freedomways, vol. 3, no.1 (Winter 1963).
•     The Five Negro presidents: According to What White People Said They Were. New York: J. A. Rogers, 1965.

(Publication Chronology courtesy of Wikipedia)