Linda Hollis
Linda Hollis | |
|---|---|
 Linda Allen Hollis speaking at slave commemoration at Mt. Vernon, 2021 | |
| Born | Linda Allen Hollis 1951 Peoria, Illinois, United States |
| Other names | Linda Allen Bryant[1] |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Known for | West Ford Legacy |
| Notable work | I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True Story of George Washington's African American Descendants (2004) |
Linda Allen Hollis (born 1951) is an American historian and biographer. She is a direct descendant of West Ford,[2] who, in Ford's oral history, is the African-American son of George Washington.[3] Her work focuses mainly on early American history and race relations.
Early life and education
[edit]Hollis was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, in a large family of eleven children.[3] Her mother, Elise Ford Allen, was a newspaper editor and publisher of the Traveler Weekly, and her father was an inventor and owner of the Traveler Printing Company.[4]
Hollis attended Manual High School and received her undergraduate degree from Bradley University in Geology. She obtained her master's degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in the same discipline.[5]
Career
[edit]Hollis started her career by joining Anaconda Mineral Company and later for several other pharmaceutical companies. She has written various books on American history, as well as on the West Ford.[3]
Hollis' work focuses mainly on early American history and race relations.Over three decades, she has meticulously researched her lineage and the extended Ford family, becoming a recognized expert in early American race relations and genealogy. Her work is particularly associated with George Washington and his relationship with slavery.[6] She written a memoir, I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True Story of George Washington's African American Descendants. She also writes as Linda Allen Bryant and L.A. Hollis.[3]
As president of the West Ford Legacy Foundation, Hollis organizes descendant reunions, public talks, and preservation initiatives focused on Gum Springs, Virginia — the community founded by West Ford in 1833 and the oldest African American settlement in Fairfax County, Virginia. She currently is involved with the Major George W. Ford, Buffalo Soldier Exhibit.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Hollis resides in California with her husband, Emerson Mark Hollis, an educator. The couple has six children together.[5]
Publications
[edit]- As Linda Allen Bryant
- I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True Story of George Washington's African American Descendants (2004)[7]
- One newspaper article discusses this book[8]
- As L.A. Hollis
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Biography". L.A.Hollis. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ "Who Was West Ford? by Linda Allen B. Hollis". The Traveler Weekly. 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ a b c d "Did George Washington Have an Enslaved Son?". The New Yorker. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ Renken, Leslie; Star, Peoria Journal (2021-11-06). "'The pen has power': Peoria's first Black female newspaper founder dies at age 100". Journal Star. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ a b c "Linda Allen Hollis". Blackpast. August 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ Marcus, Josh (March 8, 2022). "George Washington had secret son with enslaved woman, family claims". The Independent (Online); London London: Independent Digital News & Media.
- ^ "Linda Allen B. Hollis". Official Website of West Ford Legacy. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ Hunneman, John (2003-02-17). "Book claims women is kin of slave son of George Washington". North County Blade-Citizen. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ Hollis, L. A. (2010). Going in circles. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse Inc. ISBN 978-1-4502-2682-0. OCLC 1244789298.
- ^ Hollis, L. A. (2016). Blood Virus: A Pandemic By Design. iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-4917-8526-3. OCLC 1124372702.