Heritage
Frederick Douglass: ‘What Is July 4th to the Negro?’
The legendary abolitionist’s speech ‘The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro’ became his most famous statement on America’s struggle to live up to its own creed. What can we learn from it today?
Remembering the Black Wall Street Massacre
On that Memorial Day weekend, June 1st, 1921, Greenwood, Oklahoma, was brought to an abrupt end. Black wall street was wiped off the map. 300 African Americans murdered, possibly more. Our rural and urban Black communities deserve better. Take our stories and biblical connections and use them to make a difference.
The soundtrack of the Sixties demanded respect, justice and equality
Perhaps in no other time in American history did popular music more clearly reflect the political and cultural moment than the soundtrack of the 1960s – one that exemplified a new and overt social consciousness.
Duke Ellington’s melodies carried his message of social justice
From spirituals about the trials of slavery to the fight for civil rights and the modern rhythms of swing music, Duke Ellington told a story about black life that was both beautiful and complex.
How Black poets and writers gave a voice to ‘Affrilachia’
Three decades after poet Frank X. Walker coined the term ‘Affrilachia,’ the region’s poets and artists continue to create work that probes the world of a people long ignored.
How civil rights leader Wyatt Tee Walker revived hope after MLK’s death
In a sermon two weeks after MLK’s funeral, civil rights leader, Wyatt Tee Walker, urged young seminarians to be hopeful and take action for making change happen. His sermon has valuable lessons today.
Black sororities have stood at the forefront of Black achievement for more than a century
Members of the nation’s four Black sororities, including Vice President Kamala Harris, commit to lifelong acts of service for their communities.
Fighting school segregation didn’t take place just in the South
In the 1950s, Harlem mother Mae Mallory fought a school system that she saw as ‘just as Jim Crow’ as the one she had attended in the South.
How Black people in the 19th century used photography as a tool for social change
Cameras played a critical role in the quest for social equality for Black Americans in the post-slavery era.
Henry Louis Gates’ new book and TV series distills centuries of Black church history
Gates’ book, “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song,” will be released Tuesday (Feb. 16), the same day the four-hour documentary will begin a two-day run on PBS stations. Musicians John Legend and Yolanda Adams are featured in the series.
Do you know the history of The Brownies’ Book?
At the turn of the 20th century, with few children’s books featuring Black characters, one young editor implored his peers to ‘Let us make the world know that we are living.’
An Innovative and Interactive Way to Learn Black History
When you first see the Black History 365 curriculum book, it looks like any other textbook. But take a peek inside and that’s where the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
The story of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, America’s first black pop star
When Greenfield appeared on the scene, she shattered preexisting beliefs about artistry and race.
How the Ebenezer Baptist Church has been a seat of Black power for generations in Atlanta
The church has played a vital role in America’s civil rights struggle. It was the spiritual home to MLK, to the generations that shaped the vision of the late civil rights leader, and now to Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.
In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., we’ve compiled several of the stories we’ve published over the years about his life and ministry.
Meet the theologian who helped MLK see the value of nonviolence
African-American minister, theologian and mystic, Howard Thurman, left a profound influence on Martin Luther King Jr.
W.E.B. Du Bois embraced science to fight racism as editor of NAACP’s magazine
As editor of the magazine for 24 years, Du Bois featured articles about biology, evolution, archaeology in Africa and more to refute the rampant scientific racism of the early 20th century.
Podcast Shorts: How Do People of Faith Address Violence?
The constant drumbeat of negative news stories about violence, from the rioters who stormed the Capitol to the latest neighborhood or school shooting, is all so unnerving. Dr. Melvin E. Banks offers biblically based, two-minute podcast shorts that cover injustice, gang violence, drug dealers, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
New Mississippi flag almost official: Lawmakers move for final ratification
Today, the Mississippi state Senate is expected to pass on to the governor final ratification of a new state flag — sans the divisive Confederate battle emblem that flew for 126 years.
A century ago, James Weldon Johnson became the first Black person to head the NAACP
The influential civil rights group got its start following a wave of brutal white-led violence against Black people in Springfield, Illinois.
One-on-One with Nikole Hannah-Jones on the 1619 Project and more
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist on the reaction to the 1619 Project, racial disparities during the pandemic, and the fight for a true democracy.
Women, Black History, and the Right to Vote
Roslyn M. Brock, Associate Minister at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, and the youngest person elected Chairman of the NAACP National Board, speaks on social justice, Black history, and celebrating the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote.
Black Panthers and Black Lives Matter — parallels and progress
Comparing the 1960s and 1970s Black Panther Party and today’s Black Lives Matter movement reveals parallels and progress.
John Lewis traded the typical college experience for activism, arrests and jail cells
Though he had a speech impediment and came from humble beginnings, John Lewis went on to become a giant of the civil rights movement.
Black religious leaders are up front and central in US protests – as they have been for the last 200 years
From the earliest days of the anti-slavery movement, Black religious leaders have infused the fight for civil rights with spirituality.
An Innovative and Interactive Way to Learn Black History
When you first see the Black History 365 history curriculum book, it looks like any other textbook. But take a peek inside and that’s where the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
Mary Lou’s Sacred Jazz
Commentary: Mary Lou Williams inspired Duke Ellington and a generation of future jazz legends. But it’s her sacred jazz, and journey of faith, that captivated my spirit.
Juneteenth: Freedom’s promise is still denied to thousands of blacks unable to make bail
Just as with so many other criminal justice policies, pretrial detention disproportionately affects African-American men and women, destabilizing black families in the process.
Miniseries about Madam C.J. Walker Leaves Out Philanthropic Legacy
America’s first self-made female millionaire and founder of a black hair-care empire supported the NAACP and the Tuskegee Institute, helped preserve Frederick Douglass’ home. She also tried to used her prominence to stop lynching.
America’s always had black inventors, even when excluded from patents
Though U.S. patent law was created with color-blind language to foster innovation, the patent system consistently excluded black inventors born or forced into American slavery from recognition.
Meet the Black snowshoers who walked 621.3 miles across Canada in 1813
The Canadian soldiers who took part in one of the biggest feats of the War of 1812 included Black soldiers of the 104th New Brunswick Regiment of Foot.
Let America be America again
An uncompromising voice for social justice, Langston Hughes is heralded as one of America’s greatest poets. It wasn’t always this way.
60 Years Later, SNCC Offers Important Lessons for Today’s Student Activists
April 15, 2020, marks 60 years since the founding of SNCC, one of the most important organizations to engage in grassroots organizing during the modern civil rights movement, radically transforming youth culture.
How civil rights leader Wyatt Tee Walker revived hope after MLK’s death
In a sermon two weeks after MLK’s funeral, civil rights leader, Wyatt Tee Walker, urged young seminarians to be hopeful and take action for making change happen. His sermon has valuable lessons today.
7 lessons from NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson’s life and career
NASA scientist Katherine Johnson was instrumental in getting people to the moon. Here are some of the lessons one mathematics professor believes she taught us all.
How one man fought to end whites-only Dem primaries – and why that matters now
South Carolina’s black community has a long history of fighting for democratic rights.
The power of a song in a strange land
Spirituals were created out of the experience of enslaved people in the US. They weren’t songs of anger – but of an abiding belief in the victory of good over evil.
How a heritage of black preaching shaped MLK’s voice in calling for justice
A long heritage of black preachers who played an important role for enslaved people shaped Martin Luther King Jr.’s moral and ethical vision.
Often-reticent Justice Clarence Thomas speaks about his faith in new documentary
Justice Clarence Thomas, the member of the Supreme Court known for his reticence, speaks for much of a new two-hour documentary about his life called “Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words.”
On the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues, a look back at what was lost
While segregation was a shameful period in baseball history, the Negro Leagues were a resounding success and an immense source of pride for black America.
How African American folklore saved the cultural memory and history of slaves
All over the world, community stories, customs, and beliefs have been passed down from generation to generation. This folklore is used by elders to teach family and friends about their collective cultural past. And for African Americans, folklore has played a particularly important part in documenting history too.
Hidden figures: How black women preachers spoke truth to power
Since the 19th century, a long line of black women preachers set in motion a tradition that spoke against injustices and questioned patriarchal attitudes. Here’s their story.
The Forgotten Voices of Race Records: Pullman Porters, the Rev TT Rose, and the ‘Man with a Clarinet’
The Pullman Porters, the Rev TT Rose, and the ‘Man with a Clarinet’ — In the 1920s, many black musicians were exploited by record companies, and faded into anonymity. Here are some of their stories.
Powerful Stories Hidden in Abandoned Cemeteries
African-American cemeteries across the country have largely been neglected, their powerful histories obscured by weeds, debris and, as much as anything, the passage of time.
Why Christians Should Celebrate Black History Month
Jemar Tisby, co-founder of the Reformed African American Network, makes a case for the relevance and importance of Black History Month.
A brief history of black names, from Perlie to Latasha
A scholar disproves the long-held assumption that black names are a recent phenomenon.
MLK’s vision of love as a moral imperative still matters
In the face of violence directed at communities of color and deepening political divisions in the country, King’s words and philosophy are perhaps more critical for us today than at any point in the recent past.
Here’s why MLK Day is more than just another day off
As our nation continues to fight issues of social injustice and racial tension, many question whether or not the ideals memorialized on MLK Day hold true throughout the year.
What Everyone Should Know About Reconstruction
COMMENTARY: Based on my experience teaching social studies and my current work preparing social studies educators, I consider understanding what happened during the Reconstruction essential for exploring black power, resilience, and excellence.
Reform Jews call for reparations for slavery
Delegates to the Union for Reform Judaism’s biennial meeting in Chicago on Friday (Dec. 13) voted overwhelmingly to advocate for the creation of a federal commission to study and develop proposals for reparations to African Americans for slavery.