author
Mifflin Wistar Gibbs
A true 19th-century trailblazer, this abolitionist and entrepreneur crossed borders and careers with unusual courage. His life moved from Philadelphia activism to Gold Rush California, colonial British Columbia politics, and the courtroom in Arkansas.
1 Audiobook
Shadow and Light An Autobiography with Reminiscences of the Last and Present Century
by Mifflin Wistar Gibbs
About the author
Born free in Philadelphia in 1823, Mifflin Wistar Gibbs became involved in the abolitionist movement while still a young man. He worked with other Black activists, spoke out against slavery, and later joined the wave of fortune seekers heading to San Francisco during the Gold Rush.
In California and then in Victoria, British Columbia, he built a reputation as a businessman, newspaper publisher, and community leader. He helped launch what is described as the first Black newspaper in California, and in British Columbia he became the first Black person elected to public office there, serving on the Victoria City Council.
Later, Gibbs returned to the United States, studied law, and settled in Arkansas. There he continued a remarkable public career, serving as a judge and diplomat, and he also wrote an autobiography, Shadow and Light, preserving the story of a life shaped by persistence, political skill, and a steady fight for Black civil rights.