© 2024 WEAA
THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Help us keep this community resource alive by making a contribution today!

Mornings with Mykel Blackity Black Facts: Mathius de Sousa

Google image of Mathius de Sousa

(WEAA) Today we are acknowledging an early settler to Maryland named Mathius de Sousa. 

 

 

Only a few documents record the details of his life, nevertheless, he is recognized as the first, free person of African descent to live in Maryland. 

 

Mathius de Sousa learned skills as a sailor and fur trader to win his freedom.  

 

He was an indentured servant who eventually became captain of a trading ship owned by a secretary in the Maryland government. 

 

In 1641 Mathias De Sousa, a free black man, was elected to the Maryland General Assembly.

 

Hear Blackity Facts Monday through Friday on “Mornings with Mykel” @ 8:40AM

As the host of Mornings with Mykel, Mykel Hunter's warm, honey-toned voice is one of the first WEAA listeners hear each morning. The savvy multi-media personality delivers a deep natural passion for everything media and motivating and connecting with people from all walks of life. Mykel is a graduate of Morgan State University and is a sought-after professional voice-over artist who has worked for an Atlanta-based reality show, Empowerment Temple Church in Baltimore, and various other companies.