The following are short descriptions of the groups and organizations which have contributed to the shaping of African American history. These encyclopedia entries serve as a starting point for much more inclusive descriptions and discussions that appear in other sources. For additional information please consult the print or website sources cited in the entry.
Image Ownership: Public Domain The National Urban League (NUL) was formed on October 11, 1910, to help African American migrants assimilate into urban life. The NUL began with the merger of three smaller groups, The National League for the Protection of Colored Women, The Committee … Read MoreNational Urban League (1910 – )
In February 1832, a group of “females of color” in Salem, Massachusetts organized the first women’s antislavery society in the United States. Like most free black antislavery societies, the Salem organization addressed a variety of issues important to free blacks in addition to the campaign … Read MoreFemale Anti-Slavery Society, Salem, Massachusetts (1832-1866)
The Friends of Negro Freedom (FNF) was created by A. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen, the owners of The Messenger magazine. They formed the organization with goals of garnering support for black-owned businesses and helping provide African American workers with training in labor union organizing … Read MoreFriends of Negro Freedom (1920-1930)
The Afro-American Council (AAC) was established in Rochester, New York, in September 1898 by newspaper editor T. Thomas Fortune and Bishop Alexander Walters of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. They envisioned the organization as a revival of the earlier National Afro-American League (NAAL), which … Read MoreAfro-American Council (1898-1907)
The Seattle Civic Unity Committee was formed by Seattle Mayor William F. Devin in 1944 in response to rising racial tension in the city. During World War II Seattle, like other west coast cities, received an influx of African Americans raising its black population from … Read MoreSeattle Civic Unity Committee
The Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) was founded by Malcolm X, John Henrik Clarke, and other Black nationalist leaders on June 24, 1964 in Harlem, New York. Formed shortly after his break with the Nation of Islam, the OAAU was a secular institution that sought … Read MoreOrganization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) 1965
The Harlem Globetrotters have gained worldwide recognition for combining their basketball playing skills with comedic tricks and stunts. Over the past eight decades the Globetrotters have competed in more than 20,000 games in over 100 countries. The Harlem Globetrotters began in Chicago in 1926 as … Read MoreHarlem Globetrotters (1926- )
The Coon Chicken Inn was a fried-chicken restaurant chain located in the Pacific Northwest from the late 1920s through the late 1940s. The chain was famous for its ubiquitous “Coon” logo, a caricatured African-American male rooted in 19th century minstrel theatre and early 20th century … Read MoreCoon Chicken Inn
The Phyllis Wheatley Women’s Clubs were named after Phyllis Wheatley, an enslaved poet who lived from 1753 to 1784. The first Phyllis Wheatley Women’s Club was established in 1895 in Nashville, Tennessee. The founders sought to improve the status of African American women in American … Read MorePhyllis Wheatley Women’s Clubs (1895- )
Black and Tan Republicans were African Americans in the Reconstruction-era South who were loyal to the Republican Party. When the Republican Party was founded in 1854, few African Americans joined. By the time of the election of Abraham Lincoln, the Party began to attract support … Read MoreBlack and Tan Republicans
