The important story of an interracial family that can be traced through multiple generations and into the 21st century.

The African-American Montier family traces its roots to the British-born Caucasian son of Philadelphia’s first mayor, Richard Morrey, who had a relationship with Cremona, a young woman who had been enslaved by the Morrey family, resulting in five mixed-race children. Before his death, Richard would pass to Cremona 200 acres of land, giving her an almost unique position in 18th-century Philadelphia. On this land a small Black town known as Guineatown would grow up, with an associated cemetery.
 
Cremona’s descendants and luminaries associated with the family include Cyrus Bustill, a black activist and baker who made bread for the Continental Army; David Bustill Bowser, a 19th-century activist who designed and created the colors for eleven African-American regiments at Camp William Penn; the great Paul Robeson, renowned scholar, lawyer, diplomat, athlete, singer, and actor; and William Pickens, Sr., a co-founder of the NAACP. The Montiers traces this unique family to the present day.

À propos de l'auteur

Scott, Donald

Don “Ogbewii” Scott is a 1977 graduate of Cheyney University and 1990 graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and lives in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania. Scott has written two books about Camp William Penn, as well as many articles about the Montiers for publications like America’s Civil War Magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, England’s National Archives Magazine, and more. He has contributed to major Black-history book projects for the Oxford University Press and Houghton Mifflin. His lectures have been televised statewide and he’s delivered live Black-history segments on WURD 900 AM, as well as appeared on television’s PBS-WHYY, WPVI-ABC and PCN.