Cyrus F. Adams, born in Louisville, KY, was an author, a historian, a teacher, a newspaper man, a businessman, and dedicated Republican. He was also a civil rights advocate who used the newspaper to speak out against racism and prejudices. Adams also served as the Assistant Register of the U.S. Treasury.
Adams was listed as mulatto in the 1870 Census as well as the other family members living in the home. In 1888, he assisted his brother John Q. Adams with the distribution of the The Appeal newspaper that had been established in St. Paul, MN; Cyrus was the editor and manager of The Appeal newspaper operation in Chicago. The newspaper would become the most-read African American newspaper in Chicago during the late 1800s. While he was managing the newspaper office in Chicago in 1888, Cyrus F. Adams was also a lecturer and a teacher.
He wrote “Col. William Pledger,” an article in the Colored American Magazine, June 1902,” and he also wrote “George L. Knox: his life and work,” in the Colored American Magazine, October 1902. The following year he wrote the article “The Afro-American Council, the story of its organization — What it stands for — Its personnel,” Colored American Magazine, March 1903. In 1912, he authored the book title The Republican Party and the Afro-American: a book of facts and figures.
In 1905, he was elected president of the newly formed Washington Philatelic Society. Cyrus F. Adams died on February 18, 1942.
source:
http://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/3139
2 Comments
My question about all of these ‘unknown’ achievers for the ‘black’ community is why were their names not
revered and passed on to the young ones in those ‘communities’ where they served so well? Why were they
not the discussion around family gatherings and dinner tables? Why were their names not made bywords
and iconic heroes for a people so down trodden? Where does the responsibility for knowledge of such people really lie? With people whom they served so well or the people who thought them to be inferior to their race? Annie Malone did exemplary work in both St. Louis and Chicago during the early and mid 1900’s, yet only recently has she even been mentioned by this particular website. As the first black female multi-millionaire and mentor of Madame Walker among others there should be statutes and monuments in every ‘black’ community honoring her and those others. Where are they? I’m quite sure negroes will have no problem
stampeding to spend millions of their dollars next year to see the enticing white movie mogul produced
‘Black Panther’ neurotic fantasy motion picture and have those dollars fly out of their hands and into the
coffers and bank accounts of the white male producers and investors who have conjured up that tempting
three hour or so joke to fool power hungry people into indulging for that short period of time a feeling of
power which as Teddy Roosevelt once remarked may take them six thousand four hundred years before
they are actually that kind of people experiencing that kind of “impossible equality”!
Erick Dean Tippett
Retired Musician/Teacher
Chicago, Illinois
Amazingly said! I often wonder the same exact thing. Where was the knowledge of these African Americans kept? Why was it kept from other African Americans? Why was it not added to our school systems…ALL school’s?? I am 61 years old and I have learned more about my people in the last 20 years than I did during my High School years…1970-74!!