Welcome to the BlackPast.org website. This 3,000 page reference center is dedicated to providing information to the general public on African American history in the United States and on the history of the more than one billion people of African ancestry around the world. It includes an online encyclopedia of hundreds of famous and lesser known figures in African American history, Global African history and specifically the history of African Americans in the West. BlackPast.org also has full text primary documents and major speeches of black activists and leaders from the 18th Century to the present. There are links to hundreds of websites that address the global history of people of African ancestry including major black museums and archival research centers in the United States and Canada. Other features are listed in the left column. Click African American History, African American History in the West, or Global African History to explore our comprehensive resources and knowledge base.