Pezavia O'Connell facts for kids
Pezavia O’Connell (1861–1930) was an important African American leader. He was a minister, a teacher, and someone who worked hard for equal rights. He was the first African American to get a PhD in Semitic languages, which are ancient languages from the Middle East. He earned this special degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1898.
Early Life and Learning
Pezavia O’Connell was born in Natchez, Mississippi, in 1861. This was a time of big changes in the United States. After the American Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, he focused on getting an education.
He earned his first college degree in 1888. This was a Bachelor's degree in divinity, which means he studied religion. He got this degree from Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. This school was (and still is) a Historically Black College (HBCU). These schools were very important for Black students during a time when many other colleges did not accept them.
O'Connell wanted to learn even more. He went on to study for his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. His program was called "Semitics," which focused on ancient languages like Hebrew. In 1898, he earned his PhD. His big research paper, called a dissertation, was about words in Hebrew that mean "clean" and "unclean."
His Work and Teaching
After getting his PhD, Pezavia O'Connell became the leader of Princess Anne Academy in Salisbury, Maryland. He worked there from 1899 to 1902. This school was also an HBCU. Today, it is known as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).
After that, O'Connell became a pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He served as a minister from 1902 to 1911.
He then moved to Washington, D.C., where he taught at Howard University Divinity School from 1911 to 1913. From 1913 to 1916, he returned to Atlanta. He taught at his old school, Gammon Theological Seminary. In 1920, he became a professor of History and Philosophy at Morgan College. This school is now Morgan State University, another important HBCU in Baltimore, Maryland. He taught there until he passed away in 1930.
Pezavia O'Connell moved to different jobs often. This might have been because of his strong beliefs. He was very outspoken about the need for Black people to defend themselves. Some Black leaders at the time thought his ideas were too strong. A famous historian, Carter G. Woodson, wrote about O'Connell in 1921. Woodson said that O'Connell "has all but suffered professional martyrdom" because he always bravely supported Black people. He meant that O'Connell faced challenges in his career because his strong views did not always fit with what everyone else believed.
Lasting Impact
Pezavia O'Connell died on November 26, 1930, when he was 69 years old. After he died, people remembered him as a powerful speaker who always looked for the truth. They said he was brave in showing when "white friends" of Black people were not truly helping. He spoke up when people kept giving up on the rights of Black Americans.
To honor his memory, a student residence hall at Morgan State University was named O’Connell Hall in 1964.
