John Francis Cook Jr. (September 1833 – January 20, 1910) was a prominent educator, politician, tax collector, businessman, community organizer, civil rights activist, and member of the African-American, Washingtonian elite of the late 19th century.
Born into an established, middle-class family in Washington D.C., Cook was believed to be D.C.'s richest black resident in 1895 with a net worth of over two hundred thousand dollars.
At 16 years old, Cook Sr.'s industrious aunt, Alethia "Lethe" Tanner, bought him, his mother and several of his siblings freedom for $1,450.
[7] Though no longer in charge, Cook remained active in Union Seminary until its closure in 1867, the same year public schools were opened for black children.
Cook was a trustee for many cultural and philanthropic institutions throughout his adult life, including the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association, the Home for Destitute Women and Children, and the Coleridge-Taylor Musical Society, among others.
[10] These institutions, in tandem with Cook's educational and political efforts, strived to enrich African-American culture and uplift the black community of D.C.
However, Cook also had to expend his effort, money, and political influence to battle dangerous and discriminatory laws and practices against the black community.
Cook and two other members of the SCSA were in a committee of five African-Americans who on August 14, 1862 addressed an unimpressed President Lincoln on the subject—Lincoln being an advocate of colonization.
The delegation included Cook, Benjamin McCoy, John T. Costin, Cornelius Clark, and chaired by Edward Thomas.
[12] Cook was one of the leaders of the First Ward Civil Rights Association, and he helped to get a petition signed by 2,500 citizens and into Congress to be debated, which pushed for democratic representation and the boycotting of many segregated white establishments.
[14] Despite these concerns, Cook presided over a July 4 parade that many freed blacks attended, celebrating the Emancipation Proclamation, the Union Army's victory, and the passing of the 13th Amendment.
[16] With his inheritance, Cook made real estate investments, and in 1895 he was reported to be D.C's wealthiest black resident, worth over two hundred thousand dollars.
Due to this wealth, in addition to his political power, Cook and his wife repeatedly appeared on D.C.'s "elite black 400," a list of prominent African-American socialites.