Abraham Lincoln DeMond was the first African-American to graduate from the Cortland Normal School, in 1889. He would continue his studies at Howard University concentrating on theology. DeMond was from Townsendville, New York but later moved to several regions within the American South. His family are descendants of former slaves.
In the late 19th century, DeMond took a position as the Principle of the Lincoln School for Colored Children in Fort Payne, Alabama. He was revered as a politically active pastor who delivered a sermon titled the "Negro element in American life" at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama (the same church Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began his pastorship).
In 2019, DeMond was recognized at SUNY Cortland with the newly formed Abraham Lincoln DeMond Chapter of the W.E.B. Du Bois Honor Society, launched by the Institutional Equity and Inclusion Office.
On the right-hand side, there are a couple local historical articles giving insight into some of DeMond's experiences.
Photograph courtesy of "Find a Grave." Photographs on DeMond are extremely scarce.
Cortland standard., May 19, 1893, Page 8.
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Cortland standard., June 23, 1893, Page 8.
