Kelly Miller

Essayist

Birthday July 23, 1863

Birth Sign Leo

Birthplace South Carolina

DEATH DATE Dec 29, 1939 (76)

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About

Remembered for his numerous racial equality-themed essays and articles, as well as for his book Out of the House of Bondage, this Washington, D.C.-based journalist, author, and prominent African-American intellectual earned the nickname of "Bard of the Potomac."

Before Fame

He excelled in his studies at Howard University and Johns Hopkins University and was the first African-American to study at the latter institution. He earned a law degree from Howard University in the early 1900s.

Trivia

For over a decade, he served as Dean of Howard University and was responsible for the creation of the institution's Negro-Americana Museum and Library.

Family Life

Born in South Carolina, he and his nine siblings were the children of ex-slave Elizabeth Miller and free man-turned-Union Army soldier Kelly Miller, Sr. His marriage to Annie May Butler resulted in five children.

Associated With

He and W. E. B. Du Bois co-edited the NAACP's journal The Crisis.