James Adolphus Fisher, longtime educator and historian of Black life in California, passed away on June 20. He was 82 years old.
Born in Wharton, Texas, Dr. Fisher moved with his family to Stockton, California, as a child and graduated from Edison High School in 1960. He began his postsecondary education at Sacramento City College and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in history from California State University, Sacramento, followed by his doctorate in history from Stony Brook University in New York.
As a scholar, Dr. Fisher conducted extensive research on the social and political history of Black Americans in California. While on the faculty at Sacramento City College, he helped to develop the institution’s first courses in ethnic studies and launched the Oak Park School for Afro-American Thought, a program that introduced college-level education to members of Sacramento’s Oak Park community. During this time, Dr. Fisher also lectured at the University of California, Davis. After leaving academia, he began a career as public historian, working with the California Office of Historic Preservation and the architectural history department within the California Department of Transportation.
