"Noah Thompson" (1878-?)

Journalist and activist Noah Thompson became one of the most influential leaders in Los

Angeles,California during the early twentieth century.Born in Baltimore,Maryland on June 9,Noah fled Baltimore as a young adult in search of success in the United States'burgeoning urban centers.After rising to prominence in Los Angeles as a dedicated journalist and real estate investor,Noah utilized his social,political,and  economic gains to promote the improvement of black Angelenos.Like many African Americans at the end of the nineteenth century,employment opportunities encouraged him to migrate to Chicago,Illinois.While working in various industrial sectors,he took courses at Greg's Business College.In 1909,Noah accepted a position at Booker T. Washington's Educational Institute and moved to Tuskegee,Alabama.After learning about the economic success of the emerging black community in Los Angeles,California,Noah fled there in 1911.Taking advantage of the real estate opportunities in L.a.,he invested in apartment complexes and office space.In addition,he developed a successful career as a journalist and wrote for the evening press,morning Tribune,of Los Angeles,Los Angeles Times, and the Liberator of Los Angeles.Most significantly,writing for local Race Papers,he urged blacks to flee Southern and Northern states for the economic opportunities awaiting them in Los Angeles.Noah even advertised his apartment complexes and office spaces in the California Eagle to encourage black migration.Dedicated to the development of a successful black Los Angeles,Noah helped direct the Commerical Council of Los Angeles,where he and other prominent African Americans encouraged the development of black enterprises.The organization even offered monetary support to black entrepreneurs migrating to Los Angeles.Seeking to bring the ideologies of black progress Westward,Noah abandoned Marcus Garvey's UNIA and set up the Pacific Coast Negro Improvement Association (PCNIA) to support blacks in the west.His prominence in Los Angeles was propelled through his involvement in local and international politics.Noah served with the chamber of commerce,was elected as a Four-Minute Man,served on the Soliders'and Sailors'Welfare Commission of L.A.,and the National Colored Soldiers'Comfort Committee.Additionally,his community service led local government officials to endorse him for a position as U.S. Minister to Liberia.