Morris King, Evelyn (c. 1913 – 2008)

Evelyn Morris King was raised in West Brighton, but lived in Stapleton for more than 60 years. She was a member of the prominent Morris family, and her great-grandfather, Nicholas (Klaus) DeHart, is believed by the family to have been Staten Island's last known slave. Her father, William A. Morris, was a business and community leader, who was among the founders of Staten Island's chapter of the NAACP, and who helped build the Shiloh AME Zion Church, which Evelyn attended throughout her life.

Evelyn spent nearly 30 years teaching before being named coordinator for black history for Staten Island public schools. In this role she co-authored the first reference and curriculum guide for teaching black history and advocated for the creation of Black History Month in NYC's schools.

Evelyn served four terms as president of the Island's NAACP chapter, was a member of the National Council of Negro Women, and the Staten Island League for Better Government. She was also a founder of the Staten Island Human Rights Committee, and the Whitney M. Young Day Care Center in West Brighton. (Information courtesy of silive.com).

Evelyn Morris was one of the first historians of African American history on the Island, and was a trailblazer for the work found in this App. She was also involved in collecting for the Black Man on Staten Island archives. This was a 1970s effort by the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences (now the Staten Island Museum) and community members and scholars to document Black history on Staten Island through oral histories, genealogical research, and study focused on Sandy Ground. The resulting archives are split between the Staten Island Museum and Sandy Ground Historical Society.

Read Evelyn's obituary at: https://tinyurl.com/yxl2rjf4.