Charles W. ChesnuttCharles Waddell Chesnutt was an American author, essayist, political activist and lawyer, best known for his short stories and novels. He was born on June 20, 1858 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Andrew Chesnutt and Ann Maria. His grandfather was a white slav. Though Chesnutt was identified as African American he was considered as white for seven to eight years. But by one drop rule adopted in 1920s, he was classified legally black due some African ancestry. His father had a grocery store that failed because of his father's poor business practices and the struggling economy due to the Civil War. Oscar Micheaux, an African-American director and producer made two silent films in 1926 and 1927 based on Chesnutt's books. Chesnutt married Susan Perry in 1878 and moved to New York. He has four daughters among which Helen Maria Chesnutt wrote biography of her father. Chesnutts moved to Cleveland to escape poverty of the South, and to pursue a literary career. Many of his books were republished and got recognition. He participated in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and wrote articles supporting education as well as legal challenges to discriminatory laws. He was considered as one of the most influential African American fiction writer during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Read More Read Less