This day in black history: George B. Vashon becomes 1st Black admitted to NY State Bar

As a scholar, poet and abolitionist, George B. Vashon broke barriers in the 1800s. He was the first African American to graduate from Oberlin College in Ohio. In 1847, Vashon became the first black attorney in the state of New York when he passed the New York State Bar. In addition, he was the first African American professor at Howard University.