In Defense of Black History: A BlackPast.org Manifesto

April 19, 2024

/ Contributed By: Quin'Nita F. Cobbins-Modica

Nashville Sit-ins

Nashville Sit-ins Courtesy U.S. Library of Congress

It is a story of strivers and achievers, of resilience and grace, of unthinkable pain and unbelievable triumph. It is Black history, and it is disappearing before our very eyes. Removed from school curricula, pulled from library shelves, vanished from public memory. Consider recent headlines:

• In Virginia, the governor sets up a tip-line for students to inform on teachers who teach such “divisive concepts” as Black history.

• In Florida, the governor blocks the College Board’s AP African American studies course.

• In Kentucky, a school board bans “Ruby Bridges Goes to School,” a book Bridges wrote for second graders about how she integrated New Orleans schools in 1960.

• In Texas, a teacher is formally reprimanded for having in her classroom a copy of the book, “This Book is Anti-Racist.”

• Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley says the United States has “never been a racist country.”

• Musician Kanye West calls slavery “a choice” Black people made.

This moment reminds us that we must be ever more vigilant in protecting our histories against distortions, lies, and myths. For nearly two decades, BlackPast.org has been precisely doing that. We are committed to providing a global audience with reliable and accurate information on the history of Black America and of people of African ancestry around the world.

As gatekeepers, we have a social responsibility to give an honest accounting of the past and recover Black stories, voices, and contributions. In fact, we have evolved into the largest online repository, covering every aspect of the Black experience. We provide over 7,000 encyclopedic entries, and dozens more are added every month. In addition, we have articles, speeches, court decisions, timelines, bibliographies, a music library, and other resources, all of which are available for free to students, educators, parents, and anyone with internet access. We do this because this knowledge challenges misleading narratives, and we believe that it will lead to greater understanding and constructive change in society.

Frederick Douglass is here. Wilson Pickett and Dr. Mae Jamison are here. Nelson Mandela, Miriam Makeba, and Barack Obama are here. Their stories and many others are here. You should be here, too.

With over 6.5 million visitors from more than 100 nations in 2023 alone, and over 56 million Life-of-Site visitors (since founding on Feb. 1, 2007), we hope that you will join us in defending Black history and affirming that Black life, Black voices, Black culture, and Black heritage matter.

About the Author

Author Profile

Quin'Nita F. Cobbins-Modica

Quin’Nita Cobbins-Modica is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she teaches courses in African American and civil rights history. Her teaching and research focus on the history of black women’s social activism and politics, particularly in the American West. Her most recent article, “Let Us…Take Our Places in Public Affairs: Black Women’s Political Activism in the Pacific Northwest, 1870-1920,” explores the early political activities of western black women and the ways they wielded their electoral and political influence to help shape concepts of freedom and progressive politics in the region. Currently, she is working on a forthcoming manuscript that examines the long history of black women’s organizing tradition, political engagement, and activism in Seattle that extended well beyond formal politics and the fight for women’s suffrage. While illuminating African American history in the Pacific Northwest, her work offers an expansive new interpretation of the symbiotic relationship between women’s activism, civil rights, and public service.

As a strong supporter of public history and the digital humanities, Cobbins-Modica works with local historical institutions and organizations and also contributes to online public-facing history projects. She is presently a participant in the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau Program, delivering engaging lectures across urban and rural areas in Washington state and highlighting the central role black women played in the state’s civil rights movement. She has served as a researcher and guest teaching lecturer for the Northwest African American History Museum and as a gallery exhibit reviewer, exhibition co-curator, and historical consultant for the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle. In 2017, she co-authored a book, Seattle on the Spot, that explored photographs of Black Seattle through the lens of photographer, Al Smith. She also has published articles profiling western black women activists for the Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 digital project.

Since 2013, Cobbins-Modica has been a dedicated member of the BlackPast.org team, having worked in several capacities, including webmaster, content contributor, associate editor, and executive director.

She completed her Ph.D in History at the University of Washington with a Bachelor's degree in History from Fisk University and a Master’s degree in History from the University of Georgia.

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CITE THIS ENTRY IN APA FORMAT:

Cobbins-Modica, Q. (2024, April 19). In Defense of Black History: A BlackPast.org Manifesto. BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/in-defense-of/in-defense-of-black-history-a-blackpast-org-manifesto/