Comfort Baker (born ) was a teacher in the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

and was the first African American to graduate from a High School in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. Comfort was born in New Bern, North Carolina, about 1869. Her father died when she was very young. When she was 12 she moved to

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...

, where her mother, named Catherine, died within a year. She moved to Omaha to live with her uncle, Andrew Hendricks, and his wife. She started studies at Omaha High School at the age of 15, and the same year Mr. Hendricks died and her aunt was confined to a mental institution.Comfort Baker's Struggles. Omaha World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska) Thursday, June 27, 1889. Page: 1 In order to continue her studies, Comfort took a job as a domestic in the family of Watson B. Smith. Her final year in high school she left the Smith household and stayed with various Omaha African-American families. She graduated in 1889 after three years of high school study. After high school, Comfort intended to go to Memphis Normal School in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, but ended up graduating in 1893 from

Fisk University Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1930, Fisk was the first Africa ...

, a

historically black university Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

. Her college fees were paid by Omaha High School teacher, Belle H. Lewis.Products of Capitol Hill Omaha High School Commencement Exercises at Boyd's Last Night. Omaha World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska). Friday, June 23, 1893. Volume: 28 Page: 2 Her first job was to teach a summer school at

Newport, Arkansas Newport is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Arkansas, United States located on the White River northeast of Little Rock. The population was 7,879 at the 2010 census. Newport is home to a campus of the Arkansas State University ...

, to be followed by a position as principal of an African American school. She was well respected in Omaha and contributed writings to the newspaper, ''The Enterprise'' edited by Thomas P. Mahammitt and working with his wife,

Ella Mahammitt Ella Lillian Davis Browne Mahammitt (November 22, 1863 – September 9, 1932) was an American journalist, civil rights activist, and women's rights activist from Omaha, Nebraska. She was editor of the black weekly '' The Enterprise'', president ...

. In 1896, she taught at

Corsicana, Texas Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, 56 miles northeast of Waco, Texas. The population was 23,770 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Navarro County, and an important Agri-busines ...

. In 1905, she was teaching in

Gainesville, Texas Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Cooke County, Texas, United States. Its population was 16,002 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Texoma region and is an important Agri-business center. History Founded in 1850, the city of Gain ...

.Educational. Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas). Tuesday, May 30, 1905. Page: 6

References

External links

"A Biography of Comfort Baker"
by Adam Fletcher Sasse for NorthOmahaHistory.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Comfort 1860s births Educators from Omaha, Nebraska African-American life in Omaha, Nebraska African-American schoolteachers Year of death missing Fisk University alumni Year of birth uncertain Schoolteachers from Nebraska American women educators Omaha Central High School alumni