Almost since its inception in 1925, Black History Month has served the broad purpose of educating all Americans about the roles African-Americans have played in the history of the U.S.More >>
A surprisingly large number of "B" sides on old 45s of gospel songs deal with civil rights, despite the fact that the musicians' involvement might have been risky for them.More >>
In 1926, Carter G. Woodson, the son of slaves, established Negro History Week to promote the teaching of African-American history to blacks and whites alike.More >>
Although intended for students and teachers, this list also includes some suggestions for parents and other adults who want to learn more about the subject.More >>
Up Close and Personal: Visiting Black HistoryBlack History Month: ShrinesMore>>
The National Park Service maintains a number of historic sites associated with black history. Ten of those sites are featured here, each with a link to visitors information from the park service.More >>
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site commemorates the Supreme Court's landmark decision to end segregation in the country's public schools.More >>
The Black Heritage Trail on Boston's Beacon Hill pieces together the story of the free African American community that lived here during the decades leading up to and during the Civil War.More >>
Fort Davis is important in understanding the presence of African Americans in the West and in the frontier military because the 24th and 25th U.S.More >>
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1818, and was given the name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey (Baly), after his mother Harriet Bailey.More >>
On October 16, 17, and 18, 1859, John Brown and his "Provisional Army of the United States" took possession of the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry.More >>
Jazz, much of it created and played by black musicians, is an important part of African-American cultural history as well as the social history of New Orleans.More >>
The national memorial at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine recalls the largest homeland disaster of World War II and helps tell the story of the segregated military that fought that war.More >>
The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail was established by Congress in 1996, to commemorate the events, people, and route of the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama.More >>
In spite of adversity and limited opportunities, African Americans have played a significant role in U.S. military history over the past 300 years.More >>
Black Americans You Never Heard Of (But Should Know)Black History Month: BiographiesMore>>
Bessie Coleman was born into poverty and picked cotton to help support her family. As WWI ended, her dream was to fly, but every flying school turned her down because of her gender and race.More >>
African-Americans have contributed to American society in every walk of life, and one purpose of Black History Month is to call attention to some of those who may have escaped notice. Here are 10 brief biographies from the Profile America series produced by the U.S. Census Bureau.More >>
A century ago, bread bought at stores was hand-made, a time intensive process. That changed when a baker from Boston, Joseph Lee, invented the automatic bread-making machine.More >>
When William Grant Still mounted the podium and began conducting the L.A. Philharmonic in 1936, it marked the first time that an African-American had led a major symphonic orchestra.More >>
Sarah Breedlove Walker was born the daughter of former slaves and orphaned at the age of seven. She went on to become America's first African-American woman millionaire business-owner.More >>
On a hot summer night in Chicago, in 1893, a deliveryman was rushed to the emergency room of Provident Hospital. He had been stabbed in the heart in a barroom brawl.More >>
Paul Williams was orphaned at the age of 4 and no one paid much attention to the child's artistic talent. But he earned his engineering degree and went on to become one of the nation's premier architects.More >>
Dr. Condoleezza Rice became Secretary of State on January 26, 2005. Prior to this, she was the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, since January 2001.More >>
The Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Infantry was established in early 1863 under the direction of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. The first all-black Union regiment of the Civil War.More >>
Colin L. Powell was nominated by President Bush on December 16, 2000 as Secretary of State. After being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State on JanuaryMore >>
Civil Rights leader Ralph David Abernathy was born on March 11, 1926 in Linden, AL. He served as Martin Luther King's chief aide during the Civil Rights struggle of the 1950's and 1960's. More >>
The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) was organized December 5, 1955, following the conviction of Rosa L. Parks for refusing to yield her seat on a segregated Montgomery, Alabama, city bus. More >>
The USS Mason was a WWII warship manned mostly by African-Americans. In some circles it was referredt to as "Eleanor's Folly" because Eleanor Roosevelt was an advocate of desegregating thearmed forces. ThereMore >>
In 1865 two former slaves - William Savery and Thomas Tarrant of Talladega attended a meeting in Mobile of new freedmen. At the meeting it was decided that education of the children and an emphasis onMore >>
Paul Robeson was a lawyer, writer, orator, musician, and linguist. He was born in 1898 and would go on to appear in 13 feature films, perform songs in concert over four decades, and act on Broadway. More >>
May McLeod Bethune was born July 10, 1875 in Maysville, S. Carolina the child of slaves. As a child she spent her time in the cotton fields yet yearned for education so deeply she walked nearly 10 milesMore >>
MARIAN ANDERSON 1897-1993 The first African-American singer to perform with the Metropolitan Opera. A glorious God-given voice, nurtured in the choir of the Union Baptist Church, brought recognitionMore >>
Benjamin Banneker was a self-taught man of extraordinary ability. He was a gifted mathematician, astronomer, inventor, surveyor and almanac writer. More >>
Educator, scientist, and innovator are only three of the titles by which George Washington Carver may be called. An ardent researcher, Carver loved trying to understand the the natural world and finding practical uses for nature's resources.More >>
Fred Gray has been and is one of the most recognized lawyers in the state of Alabama. He has a long history of involvement in the civil rights struggle. More >>
Rev. Vernon Johns was the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL from 1948-1952. In the 1940s he was considered among the top black preachers of the time.More >>
Dr. Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman to enter space. Dr. Jemison has a chemical engineering degree from Stanford and a M.D. from Cornell. Jemison spent two years in Africa with the PeaceMore >>
Considered by many to be the pre-eminent civil rights leader in American History, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GA. More >>
Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American appointed to the United States Supreme Court and played a vital role in the civil rights history of the United States. Thurgood Marshall graduated fromMore >>
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