Background
Ferguson was born in Jamaica, British West Indies, on January 27, 1904.
Ferguson was born in Jamaica, British West Indies, on January 27, 1904.
Howard University.
He is perhaps best known for his autobiographical trilogy, I Dug Graves at Night to Attend College by Day (1968-1970). In 1919, he was sent to the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia for treatment and correction of his very poor eyesight. He was classified as "functionally blind," as his vision could be only partially corrected.
Nevertheless, he said, "I always felt I was only half blind, and never considered myself handicapped." He lived in the United States for the remainder of his life, ultimately making San Francisco his home.
