Hall of Negro Life, Texas Centennial Exposition, 1936

The Hall of Negro Life, the first official recognition of African American achievements by a world’s fair in the United States, was a featured and well-visited part of the Texas Centennial Exposition at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas, in 1936. Early in the planning stages of … Read MoreRead MoreHall of Negro Life, Texas Centennial Exposition, 1936

54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (1863-1865)

The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was the first Northern black volunteer regiment enlisted to fight in the Civil War.  Its accomplished combat record led to the general recruitment of African-Americans as soldiers. They ultimately comprised ten percent of Union Army and Navy.  The Fifty-fourth’s successful … Read MoreRead More54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (1863-1865)

Pearl Hobson (1879- ?)

In the decades prior to the Russian Revolution, Pearl Hobson became the most popular African American dancer and singer in Imperial Russia.  Known by various names but mostly by her Russian stage name which translated into English was “Mulatto Sharpshooter,” Hobson captivated elite audiences from St. Petersburg to Moscow although apparently … Read MoreRead MorePearl Hobson (1879- ?)

Harry Haywood (1898-1985)

A radical theoretician, anti-colonialist, labor organizer, and civil rights activist, Harry Haywood was one of the most prominent and influential African American Communists of the twentieth century.  Haywood, the son of former slaves, was born in South Omaha, Nebraska in 1898. He migrated to Chicago … Read MoreRead MoreHarry Haywood (1898-1985)

Central State University [Ohio] (1887- )

Central State University (CSU) was one of the first colleges in the United states to be administered by African Americans. It was also unique as a state-funded institution which for sixty years was part of a private college. The school’s beginnings can be traced back … Read MoreRead MoreCentral State University [Ohio] (1887- )

Langston Hughes’ Visit to the Soviet Union (1932-1933)

In June of 1932, poet Langston Hughes, political activist Louise Thompson, and 22 other African American artists, filmmakers, and actors, traveled to the Soviet Union (USSR) to create a film about African American life in the American south. The film, aptly titled Black and White, was to focus on the many examples of racial discrimination … Read MoreRead MoreLangston Hughes’ Visit to the Soviet Union (1932-1933)