earliest african americans missionary spent years africa primarily best known efforts atrocities committed peoples king efforts contributed contemporary debate european region particularly african american community noted traditionally received little attention literature subject early life born virginia march née martin free dark month end american civil war records exist confirm status slave speculated slaves forced serve confederacy union troops marched south barber family described closest middle class blacks achieved given time place age stable boy white family miles away continuing attend school remembered year stay maintained written correspondence family years worked newly created instructors program allowed students work day attend classes night significant influence appreciation native cultures curiosity room school founder maintained collection native hawaiian native american works art later life collect artifacts specifically bring room evidenced letters home september addressed letter general africa artifacts spears idols etc saving curiosity room graduation recommended dedicated library honor alabama met near end time engaged marry years cultivated desire preach africa despite support founder establish mission ordained served pastor church atlanta georgia adapt life urban black heavily segregated area years writing baltimore maryland starting mission africa frustrated vague rationale rejection letters took train baltimore ask chairman person man informed board send black man white supervisor eager inexperienced white man wealthy family finally enabled journey africa inaugurated unique principle sending equal ecclesiastical rights far possible equal numbers white colored workers mission activities africa enabled man atrocities later attempt expose pair traveled london route met general american ally king friend friend father promised power help pair arranging audience king visited belgium secular catholic interested work eager newly acquired territory begin process natives rule missionaries oblivious true motives pair way writings letters home suggest viewed natives markedly different manner foreigners considered foreign acquired nickname black white man despite african descent believed stereotypes time africa inhabitants idea african natives savage quickly views changed exemplified journal entry grew found finest looking race seen africa graceful courageous honest open smiling knowledge weaving wood carving highest africa natives resistance conversion bothered viewed explorer missionary trip visit fellow missionary explorer familiar natives hunting techniques language helped famine thirty contracted malaria times years africa contact having language culture took team men edge territory original plan ask directions village guise purchasing supplies chief village allowed men variety tricks way kingdom including having scout follow group traders famously eating eggs townspeople longer supply scout able gain access village find eggs eventually encountered villagers allow plan king son prince arrived arrested men king executing told village deceased son king declared spared lives men political king danger overthrown encouraged interest strangers direct attention away stay village collected artifacts people eventually secured permission presbyterian mission king allowed leave condition return year unable years time overthrown leader rival clan documentation belgian atrocities late nineteenth century king started receive criticism treatment natives free state united_states main outlet criticism presbyterian church involved death report crimes saw later help form world humanitarian organizations january new_york_times published report said fourteen villages burned ninety local people killed country warriors sent collect taxes administration report based letters southern presbyterian missionaries stationed subsequent investigation visited camp apparently taken government official openly shown bodies victims saw evidence counted eighty right hands cut dried taken state officers achieved found women confined pen massacre caused published king years later mentioned referred account massacre january published report colonial abuses newsletter morrison sued libel prominent belgian rubber contractor area case went court september missionaries support lawyer prominent belgian socialist judge acquitted morrison acquitted earlier premise editorial named major company smaller charter companies instead likely case decided favor result international politics socially support missionaries questioned validity king rule reports portrayed actions state broke laws set european nations documented cases cruelty violence direct violation berlin act gave control long care improvements conditions moral material help suppressing slavery legacy efforts contributed contemporary debate european region particularly african american community historians noted traditionally received little recognition contributions course journeys amassed sizable collection art donated alma mater art display possibly african american collector african art art collection notable acquired art objects africa levels society context daily existence art considered highly developed african visual art forms collection large time arrival free state final departure years later collecting art artifacts cultures collection useful time culture known outside world african studies example collection feature large number carved human figures connected deity sort taken evidence religion expressed art issue collection scientific value southern journal wrote meets requirements artist scientists establish origins culture tribe archival collections philadelphia pennsylvania collection photographs personal papers collection includes pictures fellow missionaries native people dwellings landscapes personal papers society collection include correspondence wife sermon notes newspaper
William Henry Sheppard