1/1853 cover Scientific American featured design for electric railway by William Deitz, a Black man fr. #Albany. He was son of people enslaved in Hill Towns. Deitz started out as manservant to US Senator Charles Dudley. After Dudley’s death Deitz he became the

2/business agent for Dudley’s widow. Deitz attended several Colored Conventions, the focus of national Black politics. In 1873 he sued #Albany to integrate schools. While lawsuit failed that year NYS enacted 1st Civil Rights law, and schools integrated.

3/in 1874 Deitz took job in Washington DC. Daughter Blandina attended @Howarduniversi1 , an HBCU, and, ironically, taught in the DC segregated schools for decades.

4/ In 1870 the El became first train in NYC. #albany introduced horse drawn trolleys in 1864 and electric trolley c. 1886