African Americans in Buffalo: A Story of Struggle, Change, and Achievement
The first black man to come to Buffalo was Joseph Hodge. He arrived in the late 1700’s. Hodge was taken prisoner by the Senecas during the Revolutionary War era. He was released by them to the authorities at Fort Stanwix in December 1784. Hodge then returned to the Seneca Nation.
He became a hunter and fur trader. Hodge established a fur trading business and a tavern. Known as black Joe, he was very helpful to the early white settlers as a guide and interpreter. Hodge married a Seneca woman. He became fluent in the language of the Senecas.
He built his home on the bank of the Buffalo Creek. His presence at Buffalo Creek was noted in a report in a counsel meeting of the Seneca Nation in 1788. One of his sons was killed in the War of 1812. The arrival of Joseph Hodge was just the beginning of a community of blacks in Buffalo that saw many changes both good and bad.
Although the population of blacks in Buffalo was small in the early years, the struggle for equal rights was constant. The Buffalo Anti-Slavery Society was formed on July 4, 1834. In August of 1843, the National Convention of Negro People held a great convention in Buffalo. A Presbyterian preacher named Henry Highland Garnett, gave a stirring address. His speech was entitled: “Address to the Slaves of the United States of America.” He called upon them to rise up and fight for their lives and liberty.
The Free-Soil Party held a national meeting in Buffalo on August 9, 1848. It was one of the largest political gatherings ever held in the country. The theme of this convention was “Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor and Free men.” The National Liberty Party also held a convention in Buffalo in Lafayette Square on August 30, 1848. The members adopted a resolution calling for the abolition of slavery.
The struggle for equal rights continued in the area of education. Henry Moxley was one of the people who fought constantly for equal education for blacks. He was a fugitive slave born in Virginia in 1808. He escaped to Buffalo around 1832 and in a short time he established a barber shop and purchased property by 1870. He later owned almost three thousand dollars in property.
Moxley became an activist for better education. He organized a series of meetings with prominent blacks such as Peyton Harris and Dr. Benjamin C. Taylor. They protested the inferior black Vine Street School which was located in a basement under a city market. The Vine street school was described by Frederick Douglass as “a low, damp, dark cellar better fit for an ice house.” Moxley finally took his case to the State Supreme Court. It was a long fight and Moxley was defeated three times. Finally, the Buffalo Common council closed the last African school in 1880.
The struggles continued and the early 1900’s saw the formation of the Niagara Movement in 1905. The emergence of black leadership made an impact with such people as Rev. Jesse Edward Nash, Mary Burnett Talbert, William Talbert, Monroe Trotter, W.E.B. Dubois, John Hope and 29 others. They were not able to get hotel accommodations in Buffalo. They traveled to the Fort Erie Beach Hotel in Ontario for their first meeting which was held from July 11 – 13, 1905. The demands of the Niagara Movement were written in a document called the “Declaration of Principles” that condemned racial discrimination and called for equal opportunities for blacks. The Niagara Movement was the forerunner of the NAACP.
Despite the challenges, blacks prevailed in a number of areas in Buffalo. They excelled in law, business, education, the media, and the arts and sports. Many became wealthy even in the 1800’s with such people as Dr. Benjamin Taylor, the first black doctor in Buffalo who struck it rich in the California gold rush. He returned to Buffalo and along with William Talbert invested heavily in real estate purchasing large areas of land on Grand Island.
Black literary societies and debate clubs were formed in the early 1800’s. Blacks owned hotels such as the Manhattan in 1908 and the Little Savoy in 1902. The Little Harlem hotel located at 494 Michigan avenue was a popular entertainment spot that featured such people as Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Cab Calloway, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and many others. A black cab company known as the Brown Bomber Fleet featured drivers dressed in leather coats and hats. It was named in honor of the great heavyweight fighter Joe Louis.
The Colored Musicians Club continues to honor the jazz history of Buffalo. CEO Sheila Brown is the owner the black radio station WUFO, 1080 and 96.5 AM. Black Newspapers were established such as the Criterion in 1925, the Challenger, the Buffalo American, and the Voice. The Criterion newspaper is now the oldest Black newspaper in Western New York published by the Merriweather family.
The Criterion is 100 years old and still recording African American History in Western New York. It has been recognized by a number of community organizations including the New York State Assembly. The Juneteenth Committee has also honored the Criterion for its 100th Year Anniversary!! The Criterion also received the Legend Award from the Black Achievers in Industry this past year.
It was also recognized by the City of Buffalo for its outstanding contributions to Buffalo. The Criterion was also nominated for the Ethics in Business Award by this Columnist for its professional and community contributions The entire Merriweather family continues to carry on the traditions of the Late publisher Frank E. Merriweather, Jr.