Black History

Honoring W.E.B. Du Bois 2012

Dr. Tukufu Zuberi | Posted 04.24.2012

Dr. Tukufu Zuberi

The Board of Trustees at the University of Pennsylvania appointed Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois Honorary Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies on February 17th 2012. This short video captures the day's activities.

Is Othello Really Black?

Ben Arogundade | Posted 04.23.2012

Ben Arogundade

William Shakespeare's character Othello is generally regarded as a black African. But is this true? Could he have been an Arab or a Spanish Moor?

Bringing the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement Into 21st Century Classrooms

Charlayne Hunter-Gault | Posted 04.12.2012

Charlayne Hunter-Gault

How do we encourage young people at home and abroad, in South Africa and now those young people heavily invested in the as yet unsettled Arab Spring, to "keep on keepin' on," as the footsoldiers of the Civil Rights Movement used to pledge?

The Real Story Behind Howlin' Wolf's 'Killing Floor'

Debra Devi | Posted 04.03.2012

Debra Devi

"Wolf had seven wives. One was named Helen. She shot him with a double barrel shotgun with buckshot. Out the second floor window. This woman, oh man, he wrote that song about her!"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Children's Book Highlights Black Achievements

Posted 03.28.2012

George Washington Carver and Madame C. J. Walker are names at the top of virtually every black inventors list, but how about fellow creators such as J...

Early Underground Railroad Ran South To Florida

AP | BRUCE SMITH | Posted 03.18.2012

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- While most Americans are familiar with the Underground Railroad that helped Southern slaves escape north before the Civil War, the...

Diploma Of Harvard's First Black Alum Discovered In Condemned Chicago House

Posted 03.15.2012

An abandoned home near 75th and Sangamon, on Chicago's South Side, was the unlikely hiding place for an important piece of black history -- the papers...

Now That Black History Month Is Over

Suzan McDowell | Posted 05.07.2012

Suzan McDowell

I consciously chose not to write this blog during February. Why bother? There is more than enough. The story I want to recount is how history is made every day with black people, white people, all people through the power of friendship.

African American String Band Plucks Joy From Sorrowful Era

Marty Lipp | Posted 05.05.2012

Marty Lipp

At a recent show, guitarist Hubby Jenkins joked that a white person playing banjo in the mid-1800s was like "Vanilla Ice rapping in the 1980s."

BlackVoices History Quest: Finale

Posted 03.01.2012

We've had such an amazing journey traveling through some of the greatest black history landmarks all over the country. With your help and advice, ...

Celebrating Black History Month and the Achievements of African American Women

Donna Brazile | Posted 04.29.2012

Donna Brazile

The strength, talents and successes of contemporary black women have deeply influenced the Obama Administration and continue to shape American history and improve the lives of all our citizens.

Black History Is American History, All Year Round

Teach Plus | Posted 04.29.2012

Teach Plus

Meaningful discussions about black history, women's history -- indeed, all histories -- should not come and go with the passing of the calendar.

Lincoln, Obama, and Military Benefits for Same-Sex Couples

Ian Moss | Posted 04.23.2012

Ian Moss

President Barack Obama's admiration for Abraham Lincoln is well known. He even calls Lincoln his "favorite president." Both were confronted with the greatest civil rights issue of their generation. For Obama, it is gay rights and for Lincoln, it was the institution of slavery.

Black History Month Is Real

Tio Hardiman | Posted 04.23.2012

Tio Hardiman

Black History Month provides everybody in the world with a window into the lives of African-American pioneers and pacemakers that had overcome adversity on all levels. That's why Black History Month is real!

Smithsonian Groundbreaking Snubs Obama: Were They Low on Shovels? (Updated)

Dee Evans | Posted 04.23.2012

Dee Evans

It would be interesting to know what the thought process was behind the decision not to have the first black president participate in the shovel part of the ceremony for the first national museum dedicated to African American history; heck, Obama is African American history!

I Will Be Forever Grateful

Karen Jordan | Posted 04.16.2012

Karen Jordan

There was one student who sat pensively most of the morning, but his question ended up riveting me the most. It still haunts me to this day: "Do you think it is possible to be a success in life if you don't come from a successful family?"

Black Women Make History Too -- An Interview On Coretta Scott King

Martha Burk | Posted 04.13.2012

Martha Burk

Before her death in 2006, in preparation for a new biography, Coretta King met many times with Dr. Barbara Reynolds, one of the founding editors of USA Today. I recently interviewed Dr. Reynolds on her time with Mrs. King.

Trymaine Lee

Andrew Young III, Son Of Civil Rights Icon, Carries Torch In His Own Direction

HuffingtonPost.com | Trymaine Lee | Posted 02.13.2012

When Andrew "Bo" Young III was a teenager, strangers would come up to him and tell him that he should be more like his father. The community needed hi...

David Sands

Stunning Images From Artists Of The Black Power Movement

HuffingtonPost.com | David Sands | Posted 02.10.2012

A new art show and run of films set to screen at the Cass City Cinema will offer Detroiters a fresh and much-needed second look at the city's last hal...

This Black History Month, Remember the Past and Change the Future

Rep. Marcia L. Fudge | Posted 04.11.2012

Rep. Marcia L. Fudge

Why in 2012 are we returning to the days of limiting the vote rather than encouraging it? How can we forget how far we've come as a nation?

Inspire Yourself

Corey Gaines | Posted 04.10.2012

Corey Gaines

There are a lot of people that believe the path is already set for them or they don't have options, but none of that is true. If you want something changed, change it yourself. Don't wait for someone else to come along. Only rely on yourself to get you to where you want to be.

Utah Students Asked About Black History By Comedian In Blackface (VIDEO)

Posted 02.08.2012

Brigham Young University isn't exactly known for its diverse student population. In fact, just 176 out of the Utah school's 30,000 students are Africa...

Jesmyn Ward: What Black History Month Means To Me

Jesmyn Ward | Posted 04.03.2012

Jesmyn Ward

What I learned of Black History when I was younger was personal, built on a family history of resistance

The Saving Grace Of Gospel

Posted 02.02.2012

Vy Higginsen was born and raised in Harlem and graduated from college in the 1970s, quickly rising through the ranks in the urban magazine world -- as...

NBA Winner Nikky Finney: The Bare Arms Of Angry Black Women

Nikky Finney | Posted 04.02.2012

Nikky Finney

We are called angry Black women because we are not afraid of bare arms. We pay close attention to our arms, holding our children tight inside of them.