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As a response to slavery, racial prejudice, and the colonization movement, the black abolitionist movement commenced in the early 19th century. Being race-conscious and politically active, Jehiel Beman was deeply involved in the anti-slavery movement from 1831. Jehiel very much believed in the power of writing. Both as an agent and a writer, he heavily … Read more

With his manumission, Cesar named himself Cesar Beman, for he aspired to explicitly claim his right to “be a man.” This is the start of the Beman family, of whose members were active participants in many of the social and political activist movements of the 19th century. After serving in the Revolutionary War, Cesar gained … Read more

from  “Jehiel C. Beman: A Leader of the Northern Free Black Community” by Jennifer Lee James, published in Winter 1997 in Vol. 82 of The Journal of Negro History

Founded by Reverend James Anderson in 1823, the Cross Street A.M.E. Zion Church was formed before the Civil War forced an end to the institution of slavery. Strenuously following the race-conscious mission statement, the Church provides a secure place for people of color to worship freely. With the help of many men and women who … Read more