In a July 1918 editorial in The Crisis, W.E.B. DuBois urged African Americans to set aside their differences with their countrymen over the nation’s treatment of its black citizens and “close ranks” in the war against Imperial Germany and its Allies. Ten months later, after … Read MoreW.E.B. DuBois, “Returning Soldiers,” Editorial from The Crisis, May 1919
Kenneth Brian Edmonds, known professionally as “Babyface,” would become one of the most successful music producers in the nation in a career that spanned nearly three decades. Edmonds was born on April 10, 1959 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds. He began his musical career at the age of … Read MoreKenneth Brian “Babyface” Edmonds (1959- )
“If We Must Die,” written in 1919 by Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay, became for many African Americans an anthem for resistance against the anti-black violence then sweeping the nation. His words appear below. If we must die—let it not be like hogs Hunted and … Read More“If We Must Die” (1919)
The Black Panther Party Ten-Point Program Written October 15, 1966 1. We Want Freedom. We Want Power to Determine the Destiny of Our Black Community. We believe that Black people will not be free until we are able to determine our destiny. 2. We Want … Read MoreThe Black Panther Party Ten-Point Program (1966)
Map of the City of New Orleans, 1841 Image Ownership: Public domain Eulalie de Mandeville was born in 1774 in New Orleans, Louisiana, from the alliance between the prosperous French nobleman, Pierre Philippe Mandeville de Marigny, and one of his slaves, Marie-Jeanne. Eulalie was freed by her paternal grandparents … Read MoreEulalie de Mandeville (1774-1848)
In July 1998, Erroll Mingo Brown became the first African American admiral in the United States Coast Guard in its 207-year history. Brown was born in Ocklawaha, Florida. He grew up in St. Petersburg and although he had planned to attend Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, his interest in engineering and … Read MoreErroll M. Brown (1950- )
The Black Lives Matter Movement has grown into the largest black-led protest campaign since the 1960s. While specific goals and tactics vary by city and state, overall the movement seeks to bring attention to police violence against African Americans and in particular the use of … Read MoreThe Black Lives Matter Movement (2013- )
On May 19, 2017, New Orleans, Louisiana Mayor Mitch Landrieu addressed an audience in his city as a backdrop and explanation of the city’s recent decision to remove statues of General Robert E. Lee and other Confederate military and political leaders from public squares in … Read MoreNew Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Address on the Removal of Confederate Monuments in New Orleans (2017)
On January 14, 1963, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel gave the speech “Religion and Race,” at a conference of the same name that assembled in Chicago, Illinois. There he met Dr. Martin Luther King and the two became friends. Rabbi Heschel marched with Dr. King at … Read More(1963) Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, “Religion and Race”
On May 20, 1893, women’s activist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper gave this speech before the World’s Congress of Representative Women, meeting in their conference in Chicago, Illinois. Image Ownership: Public domain If before sin had cast its deepest shadows or sorrow had distilled its bitterest … Read More(1893) Frances E.W. Harper, “Woman’s Political Future”