Trivia 8-24-16 Who Am I?

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Morris W. Morris

Morris W. Morris, who later changed his name to Lewis Morrison. He was a Jamaican immigrant who fought in the Negro troops for the Confederacy at the beginning of the ACW and the first black and Jewish officer in the Confederate Army.
When Louisiana passed a law that prevented blacks from serving, Morris’ Louisiana Native Guard changed sides and he became the first black and Jewish officer in the Union Army.
After the war, Morris pursued what would be a life- long career in acting. Morrison’s great grandson, late talk show host Morton Downey Jr., said Morrison changed his name to draw attention away from his black and Jewish background. Morrison erased his black and Jewish heritage and passed the acting bug down to his daughter Adrienne Morrison Bennett.
source: http://mybeautifullife.me/2014/02/25/old-hollywood-and-the-one-drop-rule/
 
You were Morris W. Morris / Lewis Morrison (1845-1906)

Lewis Morrison was one of the most prominent stage actors of his time. He was best known worldwide for his portrayal of “Mephistopheles” in Faust. He was also the first black Jewish officer to serve during the Civil War.

Lewis Morrison was born in Kingston, Jamaica on September 4, 1845. He was named Morris W. Morris at birth, although some sources claim that Moritz W. Morris is the correct spelling. Very little is known about his family history. After the Civil War, he changed his name to Lewis Morrison for unknown reasons. His great great grandson, Phil Downey, later claimed that Morris changed his name to escape his African and Jewish heritage.

Morris left Jamaica for the United States as a youth. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, the first official black military regiment in the Confederacy, with other free blacks. He soon rose to the rank of lieutenant, becoming the first black Jewish officer to serve in the Confederate Army. When the Louisiana State Legislature banned people of color from serving in the Confederate Army in February 1862, the regiment was disbanded. Morris and about 10% of the other former 1st Louisiana Native Guard joined the Union Army in September 1862 and were organized into a new unit that was assigned the same name. There Morris became the first black Jewish officer in the Union Army. - http://www.blackpast.org/aah/morris-morris-w-lewis-morrison-1845-1906
 
Lewis Morrison (September 4, 1844 – August 20, 1906) was a Jamaican-born American stage actor, born Morris W. Morris, who was best known for his longtime performance as "Mephistopheles" in "Faust". Morris was of English, Spanish, Jewish, and African ancestry.

He served in the Confederate States Army in the Louisiana Native Guards during the Civil War. The unit was originally raised by the Confederates from the sizable free black population of New Orleans who volunteered their services. It was disbanded and reconstituted a few times as the Confederate government did not know what to do with the troops, until New Orleans was captured by Union forces. Officers of the Guard were partly composed of free black soldiers from New Orleans and the surrounding area. Morris served among them as a lieutenant. After the fall of New Orleans, some of the Confederate Louisiana Guard promptly switched allegiances to the Union, and its officers became the first black officers in the Union Army.

Source: Wiki
 
Lewis Morrison (September 4, 1844 – August 20, 1906) was a Jamaican-born American stage actor, born Morris W. Morris, who was best known for his longtime performance as "Mephistopheles" in "Faust". Morris was of English, Spanish, Jewish, and African ancestry.[1][2]

He served in the Confederate States Army in the Louisiana Native Guards during the Civil War. The unit was originally raised by the Confederates from the sizable free black population of New Orleans who volunteered their services. It was disbanded and reconstituted a few times as the Confederate government did not know what to do with the troops, until New Orleans was captured by Union forces. Officers of the Guard were partly composed of free black soldiers from New Orleans and the surrounding area. Morris served among them as a lieutenant. After the fall of New Orleans, some of the Confederate Louisiana Guard promptly switched allegiances to the Union, and its officers became the first black officers in the Union Army.[citation needed]

Morris W. Morris
 
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