The Legacy and Leadership of Howard W. Coles
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sat, 02/14/2026
Please help us keep this calendar up to date! If this activity is sold out, canceled, or otherwise needs alteration, email mindy@kidsoutandabout.com so we can update it immediately. If you have a question about the activity itself, please contact the organization administrator listed below.
Journalist and historian Howard Wilson Coles made an indelible impact on Rochester in the twentieth century. He is perhaps best known for serving as the editor of Monroe County’s longest-running Black newspaper, The Voice, and for writing the landmark African American history book, The Cradle of Freedom. But Coles was also a pioneering local Civil Rights figure. Join Dr. Anthony C. Siracusa and Chris Thom as they discuss Coles’ work with the Rochester branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), his involvement with FIGHT, and his efforts to preserve the Memorial AME Zion church building during the Urban Renewal era.
This research was made possible through a “Supporting Historical Assets “ grant funded by the Lloyd E. Klos Fund and the Plumb-Miller Fund at Rochester Area Community Foundation.
Dr. Anthony C. Siracusa is assistant professor of history and community engagement at St. John Fisher University. His book, Nonviolence Before King: The Politics of Being and the Civil Rights Movement, was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2021.
Chris Thom is a recent history graduate from St. John Fisher whose research has focused on the city of Rochester in the 20th century.
Registration is recommended, but not required.
This is an in-person program that will also be livestreamed at: https://www.youtube.com/@RochesterPublicLibraryNY/streams
This event is presented by the Local History & Genealogy Division.
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.