Looking for evidence of Africans in the wider world is often a serendipitous experience. I was recently traveling for 18 days in Iran. While there have been articles and videos documenting Afro-Iranians and I have mentioned them in this blog before, I was not specifically … Read MoreFleeting Glimpses
There is no shortage of people who, during both ordinary and extraordinary times, are heroes to be celebrated because of their quiet courage, determination, and perseverance in the face of racism and obstructionism. Three of these heroes have just recently passed away. They fought and … Read MoreReflections on Heroes During these Dog Days of August
July has been a banner month (so far!) for accolades and entries into the history books. We begin by tooting our own horn: BlackPast.org! The National Education Association (NEA) has a 150 year history of advocating for the educational rights of all children and particularly … Read MoreJuly: a Month of Milestones
James Beckwourth Little is known about exploration by people from Africa to other parts of the world, whether on and off the continent. If “African Explorers” is Googled, up comes information about European and Arab explorers to and in Africa. If “Black Explorers” is Googled, … Read MoreExploration and Travel
The Middle East is home to a variety of ethnic, religious, cultural, and ex-pat communities. Prior to the drawing of national boundaries in the early twentieth century with the fall of the Ottoman Empire, major cities (Damascus, Aleppo, Baghdad, Tehran, Beirut, etc) were the political … Read MoreBlack Communities in Surprising Places
Science fiction is an important component of fiction. Often dismissed as not ‘serious’ or ‘literary’, nothing could be further from the truth. Within the discipline, there are various sub-genres: highly technical/scientific, fantasy, speculative, and combinations of them. One of the most important aspects of science … Read MoreScience Fiction
The excitement surrounding urban farming in the African American community and beyond (see the post http://www.blackpastblog.org/2012/07/urban-farmingwho-knew.html) brings to bear the question of what is happening to rural African American farmers. Small farmers (Black, White, Latino) all around the country have struggled in the face of … Read MoreBlack Farmers in America
This past year, 2014, was a year of learning and growth. This blog covered a wide variety of topics, which I hope readers found interesting and spurred them to do further research. The topics showcased African Americans enriching the history, culture, and civics of our … Read MoreHappy New Year 2015
The business of wine (growing, making, distributing, selling, serving, teaching, drinking) is complex and competitive. Wine making is nearly as old as farming, 10,000 years! Wine is made, in one form or another, in most parts of the world. In the USA, there are approximately … Read MoreFruits of the Vine
There is a rich heritage of architectural design in America by African Americans. While the number of these architects was not large, their influence has been and is far reaching (for instance, in 1930, of the 22,000 architects in the US, only 60 were African … Read MoreArchitectural Design in America
