Delilah Beasley

Delilah Beasley (1867-1934) was a pioneering historian and journalist. She brought attention to the barriers to achievement African Americans faced. She began her journalism career by writing social notices for African American newspapers when she was 12.
Beasley settled in Oakland and trained herself in historical research. Her book The Negro Trail-blazers of California is based on nine years of research and interviews. She went into debt to publish it herself.
With her weekly column in the Oakland Tribune, Beasley became a leading chronicler of the African American experience and a crusader for ending racist language in newspapers.