African American History
New National Monument in Kentucky Honors Black Civil War Troops
Over 10,000 African-American troops mustered at Camp Nelson, which also offered refuge for their enslaved wives and children
Developers and Preservationists Clash Over Underground Railroad Stop
Opponents say a plan to build 67 townhomes near Hovenden House and Abolitionist Hall outside Philadelphia will destroy the area's heritage space
Preserving Negro League History Has Never Been Easier, or Harder, Depending on Who You Ask
While digitization of old newspapers has led to a statistical renaissance in baseball archives, the stories of those who played the game are being lost
Self-Taught Artist Clementine Hunter Painted the Bold Hues of Southern Life
On view at NMAAHC, Hunter’s colorful artworks depict work in the field, church on Sundays, and laundry on the line
The Woman Who Made a Device to Help Disabled Veterans Feed Themselves—and Gave It Away for Free
World War II nurse Bessie Blount went on to become an inventor and forensic handwriting expert
Bill Traylor Depicted His Brutal Lifetime With Vibrant Art
A new Smithsonian show, seven years in the making, takes a deep dive into the life of a self-taught artist and former slave
Tulsa to Search for Mass Graves From the Race Massacre of 1921
During the pogrom, a white mob killed an estimated 300 black Tulsans. According to eyewitnesses, the dead are buried in unmarked mass graves in Greenwood
The Deadliest Massacre in Reconstruction-Era Louisiana Happened 150 Years Ago
In September 1868, Southern white Democrats hunted down around 200 African-Americans in an effort to suppress voter turnout
Smithsonian Film Festival Examines African-American Life Through Dozens of Distinct Lenses
The first of its kind, the late-October event brings together perspectives both historical and contemporary
NYC Pop-Up Exhibition Traces Broken Windows Policing’s Toll
The show explores how the policing of minor crimes has caused an uptick in racial profiling, particularly targeting African American and Latino communities
Remembering Arthur Mitchell, the Barrier-Breaking Black Ballet Dancer
Mitchell joined the New York City Ballet in 1955 and later founded the Dance Theater of Harlem
Terrorized African-Americans Found Their Champion in Civil War Hero Robert Smalls
The formerly enslaved South Carolinian declared that whites had killed 53,000 African-Americans, but few took the explosive claim seriously—until now
Did Francis Drake Bring Enslaved Africans to North America Decades Before Jamestown?
The English privateer arrived on the Carolina coast after sacking Spanish lands in the Caribbean, but who, if anyone, did he leave behind?
Researcher Finds Earlier Birth Date for Langston Hughes
It has long been believed that the famed poet was born in 1902, but his name appears in newspaper articles from 1901
The Massacre of Black Sharecroppers That Led the Supreme Court to Curb the Racial Disparities of the Justice System
White Arkansans, fearful of what would happen if African-Americans organized, took violent action, but it was the victims who ended up standing trial
Black Panther Co-Founder Elbert 'Big Man' Howard Dies at 80
Howard was a key Panther organizer and played an important role in community activism
What Happened When Violence Broke Out on Cleveland's East Side 50 Years Ago?
In the summer of 1968, the neighborhood of Glenville erupted in “urban warfare,” leaving seven dead and heightening police-community tensions
The South Carolina Aristocrat Who Became a Feminist Abolitionist
After moving to Philadelphia and joining the Quakers, Angelina Grimké rededicated her life to fighting for racial equality
How Enslaved Chefs Helped Shape American Cuisine
Black cooks created the feasts that gave the South its reputation for hospitality
Remains of 95 African-American Forced Laborers Found in Texas
The deceased are believed to have been among thousands of black prisoners who were put to work as part of a post-Civil War “convict-leasing system"
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