Harpers Ferry in Jefferson County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
The Niagara Movement at Storer College
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 13, 2012
1. The Niagara Movement at Storer College Marker
The battle we wage is not for ourselves alone but for all true Americans.
W.E.B. DuBois
In 1906, the Niagara Movement held its second annual meeting on the Storer College campus.
The Niagara Movement was the first national organization of Negroes which aggressively and unconditionally demanded the same civil rights for their people which other Americans enjoyed.
Elliot M. Rudwick, historian, 1957
Symbolically important as the first meeting of the group on American soil, the conference organizers carefully selected the location of the meeting. They chose Harpers Ferry for its rich history, including the John Brown raid to end slavery, and Storer College for its commitment to education for people of all races.
We claim for ourselves every single right that belongs to a freeborn American, political, civil and social
W.E.B. DuBois speaking at the 1906 Niagara Movement meeting
[Photo caption reads]
Attendees at the 1906 Niagara Movement conference posed at Anthony Hall, the building in front of you. General Secretary W.E.B. DuBois is seated fifth from the right.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
this page online
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 19.442′ N, 77° 44.445′ W. Marker was in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in Jefferson County. It could be reached from Mather Place. Marker is just east of Anthony Hall, on the grounds of the NPS Mather Training Center. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Harpers Ferry WV 25425, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in the Eastern Panhandle. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: The Second Meeting of the Niagara Movement (here, next to this marker); Stephen Tyng Mather (a few steps from this marker); That was the happiest time of my life. (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named A Land Divided (within shouting distance of this marker); Foundations of Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); Storer College Veterans Memorial Gate (within shouting distance of this marker); The Niagara Movement (within shouting distance of this marker); John Brown (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harpers Ferry.
Other
Photographed by Unknown, 1906
2. Photo on The Niagara Movement at Storer College Marker
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker, "The Second Meeting of the Niagara Movement"
Also see . . .
1. Storer College. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park website entry (Submitted on December 19, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. The Niagara Movement. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park website entry (Submitted on December 19, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. The Niagara Movement Declaration of Principles (1905). Yale University website entry (Submitted on December 19, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 13, 2012
3. The Niagara Movement at Storer College Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 19, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,213 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 19, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
