“M” is for Miller, Kelly, Jr. (1863-1939)

“M” is for Miller, Kelly, Jr. (1863-1939). Educator, writer. Born a free Black man in Winnsboro, Miller attracted the attention of northern missionaries and received a scholarship to Howard University. He was the first Black American to attend Johns Hopkins University. In 1890 he was appointed a professor at Howard where he remained for his professional career.  From his position at Howard and his prolific writings Kelly became a national figure in the debate on race and America. Deemed by most to be moderate and harmonizer, he pursued a middle course between the accommodationist views of Booker T. Washington and the more radical views of W.E. B. Du Bois. Throughout his career as an educator and spokesman for African Americans, Kelly Miller, Jr., wrote numerous articles and pamphlets challenging the racial views of public figures.