Oscar Devereaux Micheaux - Born on 2nd January 1884 and died 25th March 1951 was an African American Author and Film Director and Independent Producer of more than 44 films. Although is short live Lincoln Motion Picture Company produce some films he is regarded as the First Major African American feature film maker the most successful African American film maker of the first half of the twentieth century and the most prominent producer of race films. He produce both silent and "Talkies" after the industry changed to incorporate speaking actors. Micheaux was born in a farm in Metropolis, Illinois on January 2nd 1884 he was the fifth child born to Calvin S. and Belle Micheaux who had a total of thirteen children. In his later years Micheaux added an "e" to his last name. His father was born a slave in Kentucky.
Because of its surname his father family appear to have been associated with the French descendant settlers. French Huguenot refugees had settled in Virginia in the 1700, their descendant took slaves west when they migrated into Kentucky after the American Revolution. Micheaux was born when African American were trying to succeed in a world dominated by whites. Micheaux struggled with social oppression as a young boy which is reflected in writing in later years. To give their children education, his parents relocated to the city for better schooling. Micheaux attended a well established school for several years before the family eventually ran into money troubles and were forced to relocate to a farm. This when Micheaux became a handfu
l for the family as he was a trouble maker and would not fit in.
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