Seraile, William, 1941-

Professor of African American studies, Herbert H. Lehman College, New York, N.Y.

William Seraile was a professor of history with the Department of Black Studies at Herbert H. Lehman College, CUNY. He is the author of several books including: "Bruce Grit: The Black Nationalist Writings of John Edward Bruce" (2003), "New York's Black Regiment During the Civil War" (2001), "Fire in His Heart: Bishop Benjamin Tucker Tanner and the A.M.E. Church" (1999), and "Voice of Dissent: Theophilus Gould Steward (1843-1924) and Black America" (1991), the focus of this collection.

Theophilus G. Steward was a clergyman, author and educator. Steward became a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1861 and served congregations in Macon, Georgia, Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Delaware, Washington, D. C., and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He was also the chaplain for the U.S. 25th Colored Infantry Regiment where he served in the Philippine Islands and Cuba (1898-1900). In 1907 Steward joined the faculty of Wilberforce University, with which he was associated until his death, serving as vice-president, chaplain and professor of history, French and logic.