The following are short descriptions of the places 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.
Fox Lake, near Angola, Indiana, is a thriving resort community for African Americans. Fox Lake took its name from its original owner Daniel Fox, who first claimed the land around the lake during the initial years of settlement of the region. He established his land … Read MoreFox Lake, Angola, Indiana (1927- )
Preserving Martin Luther King County’s African American History Thanks to a generous grant from 4Culture, the BlackPast.org staff has created a special section on the history of the black residents of Martin Luther King County, Washington. Included below are brief profiles of the individuals, organizations, … Read MorePreserving Martin Luther King County’s African American History
Hunters Point is a neighborhood of southeastern San Francisco set on a peninsula jutting into the San Francisco Bay. The neighborhood is adjacent to the site of a former naval base, the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Hunters Point has become an economically underdeveloped neighborhood of … Read MoreHunters Point (San Francisco)
The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI) is Seattle’s longest-lived performing arts venue for programming primarily by and about people of African descent. It is located at 104 17th Avenue South in the Central Area, the traditional heart of the African American and Diaspora community. … Read MoreLangston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (1969- )
Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, part of Massachusetts’ Cape Cod Islands, is one of several historic African American summer resort communities along the Atlantic seaboard founded in the 1890s. The” Inkwell” or Town Beach in Oak Bluffs is the name of the popular beach frequented … Read MoreThe Inkwell, Martha’s Vineyard (1890s- )
The Inkwell was a popular beach for African Americans in Southern California through the middle decades of the Twentieth Century. The beach at Bay Street fanning out a block to the north and south was derogatorily called “The Inkwell” by nearby Anglos in reference to … Read MoreThe Inkwell, Santa Monica, California (1905-1964)
Quindaro was an abolitionist town on the border between the slave state of Missouri and free state settlers in Territorial Kansas. By its existence, Quindaro undermined the attempted blockade of the Missouri River by proslavery advocates against additional free state supporters flowing into Kansas. Quindaro … Read MoreQuindaro, Kansas Territory (1857-1862)
The Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco Image Courtesy: total13 (CC BY-SA 2.0) Although Third Baptist Church, the first black church of San Francisco, was established in 1852 in the Fillmore District, located west of downtown San Francisco, this historic area has been the home to a … Read MoreFillmore District, San Francisco
The Watts Towers are a folk art assemblage built by Simon Rodia, between the years 1921 and 1955 in the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Rodia, an Italian immigrant, bought a modest house on a narrow, triangular lot in 1921, and immediately began the … Read MoreWatts Towers (1921- )
Whitesboro, New Jersey was established in 1902 as a town exclusively for African Americans. The idea came in response to increasing white resistance to black residents in Cape May County, New Jersey. The African-American Equitable Industrial Association, founded by Reverend J.W. Fishburn and four other … Read MoreWhitesboro, New Jersey (1902- )
