Charles Chesnutt (1858 - 1932)

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Charles Chesnutt was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to North Carolina after the end of the Civil War. At the start of his career, he taught in rural Southern schools before becoming a principle of the Fayetteville State Normal School. In 1883, he moved back to Cleveland with his family, passed the state’s bar exam, and opened a successful court reporting firm. He remained active in civic affairs and was an important member of the NAACP, working alongside Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois to fight segregation and advocate for racial equality.

In 1887, Chesnutt became the first African American author to publish in the renowned literary journal The Atlantic Monthly. He is an important figure in literary realism and published novels alongside his short stories, including The House Behind the Cedars (1900) and The Marrow of Tradition (1901). His work often explores the racial tensions of Reconstruction, including the politics of passing. Chesnutt’s fiction was reclaimed during the Civil Rights Movement as more and more scholars and activists recognized the continuing relevance of his work.