The Life of John Gilmore Riley John Gilmore Riley was a prominent member of the African American community. John, who was born in Tallahassee, Florida on September 24, 1857, started his life off as a slave laborer. He spent most of his days working alongside other slaves until the brutal act ended in 1865. During this time, he was denied the right to educate himself, meaning he had no knowledge on how to read. However, after his enslavement ended, he decided to pursue his education and learned how to read and write from literate family members of his. This experience led him to eventually become an educator himself. He began his teaching career in 1877, at Lincoln Academy in Wakulla County. He continued his career as a teacher before eventually
