William Howard Day
Day graduated from Oberlin College in 1847.
Day was first elected to the Harrisburg School Board of Directors in 1878.
He also was a dedicated political activist, campaigning on behalf of the Republican party and serving as the chair of the Dauphin County Republican Convention in 1884.
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He was the Superintendent of Colored Schools in Maryland and Delaware from 1867 until he moved to Harrisburg in in 1871.
Day’s accomplishments during his six terms on the school board included integrating the Boy’s High School, recruiting teachers for the district, and making textbooks more accessible to students.
Day was also involved in organizations like the Equal Rights League and the Order of the Odd Fellows, civil rights organizations that were key players in the African American community in Harrisburg.
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Day lived with Cassius M. Brown and published Our National Progress, a civil rights newspaper, until 1875.
Day was active in the religious community of Harrisburg as well. He was a minister of the A.M.E. Zion Church and acted as the superintendent for the Sunday schools in Harrisburg.
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