An 1812 map of Africa by Arrowsmith and Lewis, printed in Boston by Thomas & Andrews. Source: 
It is rare in the field of African historical research and writing, that
African women are prominently mentioned. The work of Drusilla Dunjee Houston
is not only worth mentioning, but should be highlighted as an early, pioneering
historical narrative displaying scholarly depth and superb documentation.
Book 1: Nations of the
Cushite Empire, Marvelous Facts from Authentic Records was first published in
1926 in Oklahoma City. Houston intended this to be the first volume of a three
volume set that explored Nile civilizations and surveyed the strong influence of
Africa on Asian civilizations. She also examined the African background to
European civilization. African historians J.A. Rogers and Arthur Alfonso
Schomburg highly praised Mrs. Houston’s outstanding scholarship.
Drusilla Dunjee Houston was born in Winchester, Virginia in 1876. Her outlook
on race was instilled in her by her father, John William Dunjee, a “race man”
who counted among his colleagues, Frederick Douglas and Blanche K. Bruce.
At the age of twenty-two, Drusilla wed Price Houston, a store merchant. She
founded the McAlester Seminary in McAlester, Oklahoma. This was an educational
institution which she ran for twelve years. After settling in Oklahoma City,
Drusilla went to work as a journalist for her brother’s newspaper, the Black
Dispatch. She “aggressively” reported on cases of white atrocities committed
against Blacks in Oklahoma.
Her interest in ancient Africa and historical research was triggered by the
1915 publication of The Negro authored by W.E.B. DuBois. Her life-long pursuit
of Africa’s past and her devotion to her race places Drusilla Dunjee Houston in
the foremost ranks of Pan-Africanist historians.
On February 2, 1941, in Phoenix, Arizona, Drusilla Dunjee Houston died from
tuberculosis. “At the time of her death, she was working on another book on
Some Geneological Background on Drusilla Dunjee Houston From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. John William Dunjee (also John Dungy or John Dungee) (1833 … panafricannews.blogspot.com/2007/02/drusilla-dun…