Linda Allen Hollis (born 1951) is an American historian and biographer. She is a direct descendant of West Ford,[2] who, in Ford's oral history, is the African-American son of George Washington.[3] Her work focuses mainly on early American history and race relations.
Linda Hollis | |
|---|---|
 Linda Allen Hollis speaking at slave commemoration at Mt. Vernon, 2021 | |
| Born | Linda Allen Hollis 1951 Peoria, Illinois, United States |
| Other names | Linda Allen Bryant[1] |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Known for | West Ford Legacy |
| Notable work | I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True Story of George Washington's African American Descendants (2004) |
Early life and education
editHollis was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, in a large family of eleven children.[3] Her mother, Elise Ford Allen, was a newspaper editor and publisher of the Traveler Weekly, and her father was an inventor and owner of the Traveler Printing Company.[4]
Hollis attended Manual High School and received her undergraduate degree from Bradley University in Geology. She obtained her master's degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in the same discipline.[5]
Career
editHollis started her career by joining Anaconda Mineral Company and later for several other pharmaceutical companies. She has written various books on American history, as well as on the West Ford family. She also writes as Linda Allen Bryant and L.A. Hollis.[3]
Hollis' work focuses mainly on early American history and race relations. Her work is particularly associated with George Washington and his relationship with slavery.[6] She written a memoir, I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True Story of George Washington's African American Descendants.
Personal life
editHollis resides in Southern California with her husband, Emerson Mark Hollis, an educator. The couple has six children together.[5]
Publications
edit- As Linda Allen Bryant
- I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True Story of George Washington's African American Descendants (2004)[7]
- One newspaper article discusses this book[8]
- As L.A. Hollis
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Biography". L.A.Hollis. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ "Who Was West Ford? by Linda Allen B. Hollis". The Traveler Weekly. 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ a b c "Did George Washington Have an Enslaved Son?". The New Yorker. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ Renken, Leslie; Star, Peoria Journal (2021-11-06). "'The pen has power': Peoria's first Black female newspaper founder dies at age 100". Journal Star. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ a b "Linda Allen Hollis". Blackpast. August 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ Marcus, Josh (March 8, 2022). "George Washington had secret son with enslaved woman, family claims". The Independent (Online); London London: Independent Digital News & Media – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Linda Allen B. Hollis". Official Website of West Ford Legacy. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ Hunneman, John (2003-02-17). "Book claims women is kin of slave son of George Washington". North County Blade-Citizen. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ Hollis, L. A. (2010). Going in circles. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse Inc. ISBN 978-1-4502-2682-0. OCLC 1244789298.
- ^ Hollis, L. A. (2016). Blood Virus: A Pandemic By Design. iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-4917-8526-3. OCLC 1124372702.