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, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...

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

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

. 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 List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, 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

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, but ended up graduating in 1893 from

Fisk University Fisk University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus i ...

, 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 serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

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. 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, Jackson County, Arkansas, United States located on the White River (Arkansas), White River, northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas, Little Rock. The population was 7,879 at the 20 ...

, 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. In 1896, she taught at

Corsicana, Texas Corsicana is a city in and the county seat of Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, 50 miles southeast of Dallas, Texas, Dallas. Its population was 25,109 at the 2020 census. Corsicana is considered an important ...

. 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 17,394 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Texoma region and is an important Agri-business center. History Found ...

.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 Americans in Omaha, Nebraska African-American schoolteachers Year of death missing Fisk University alumni Year of birth uncertain Schoolteachers from Nebraska 19th-century American women educators Omaha Central High School alumni