(1949) Ralph J. Bunche, “The Barriers of Race Can be Surmounted”

In his years as a Howard University professor in the 1930s, Ralph J. Bunche subscribed to Marxist ideas.  However by 1949 Bunche was Acting United Nations Mediator for Palestine and had become much more conservative.  His then contemporary views were reflected in a commencement address … Read More(1949) Ralph J. Bunche, “The Barriers of Race Can be Surmounted”

(1922) Marcus Garvey, “The Principles of The Universal Negro Improvement Association”

In this speech given in New York City on November 25, 1922, Marcus Garvey explains the objectives of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, the organization he believed would lead the worldwide movement toward black liberation. Over five years ago the Universal Negro Improvement Association placed … Read More(1922) Marcus Garvey, “The Principles of The Universal Negro Improvement Association”

(1920) Archibald Grimke, “The Shame of America, or the Negro’s Case Against the Republic”

Archibald Grimke was born enslaved in Charleston, South Carolina in 1849.  After the Civil War, Archibald and his younger brother Francis, enrolled at Lincoln University.  Archibald graduated in 1872 and then entered Harvard Law School.  After graduation he practiced in Boston.  By the 1880s Grimke … Read More(1920) Archibald Grimke, “The Shame of America, or the Negro’s Case Against the Republic”

(1918) Rev. Francis J. Grimke, “Victory for the Allies and the United States a Ground of Rejoicing, of Thanksgiving”

Francis J. Grimke was born a slave in Charleston, South Carolina on November 4, 1850.  After the war he and his older brother, Archibald, went north to Lincoln University.  Francis graduated from Lincoln in 1870.  After working briefly at Lincoln, Grimke attended Princeton Theological Seminary … Read More(1918) Rev. Francis J. Grimke, “Victory for the Allies and the United States a Ground of Rejoicing, of Thanksgiving”

(1947) Moranda Smith Addresses The Congress Of Industrial Organizations Annual Convention, Boston

After World War II organized labor began to penetrate into some industrialized areas of the South where it inevitably confronted the issue of race. Unions such as the Food and Tobacco Workers affiliated with The Congress of Industrial Organizations, promoted racial integration and helped develop … Read More(1947) Moranda Smith Addresses The Congress Of Industrial Organizations Annual Convention, Boston

(1923) James Weldon Johnson, “Our Democracy and the Ballot”

Poet, novelist and U.S. diplomat, James Weldon Johnson is probably best known to millions as the author of the lyrics to “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the black national anthem. Johnson was also a civil rights activist and was Executive Secretary of the National Association … Read More(1923) James Weldon Johnson, “Our Democracy and the Ballot”

(1923) Bishop Randall Albert Carter, “Whence and Whither“

By the standards of African American history, Bishop Randall Albert Carter is a little known figure. Born in Fort Valley, Georgia on January 1, 1867, he was educated at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina and Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. An active pastor in … Read More(1923) Bishop Randall Albert Carter, “Whence and Whither“

(1922) Wyatt Mordecai Johnson, “The Faith of the American Negro“

Wyatt Mordecai Johnson was born in Paris, Tennessee in 1890. A lifelong educator, Johnson held degrees from a number of institutions including a 1911 A.B. from Morehouse College and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Howard University. Three years after his graduation from Howard he … Read More(1922) Wyatt Mordecai Johnson, “The Faith of the American Negro“

(1919) William Pickens, “The Kind of Democracy the Negro Expects”

William Pickens was born in 1881, the year Tuskegee Institute was founded. By the time of Booker T. Washington’s death in 1915, Pickens at age 35 had already become a major spokesperson on the direction of black education in the United States. Born in South … Read More(1919) William Pickens, “The Kind of Democracy the Negro Expects”

(1916) Robert R. Moton, “A Life of Achievement“

Robert Russa Moton is best known as the successor to Booker T. Washington as president of Tuskegee Institute. He assumed the presidency of the institution shortly after Washington’s death in 1915. Moton’s life reflects striking parallels to his predecessor. Like Washington, he was born on … Read More(1916) Robert R. Moton, “A Life of Achievement“