March 24, 1966: Supreme Court Officially Abolishes Last Vestige of Poll Taxes
A U.S. Supreme Court decision bans poll taxes for state and local elections.
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Theme: African American
African American
Glory
Film. Directed by Edward Zwick. 1989. 122 minutes.
The all-Black 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment is brought to the screen in this star-studded Civil War film.
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The all-Black 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment is brought to the screen in this star-studded Civil War film.
Texas Freedom Colonies Project Atlas & Study
Digital collection. This digital mapping project documents historic Black settlements, called "freedom colonies," founded across Texas from 1866-1930.
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At the River I Stand
Film. Directed by David Appleby, Allison Graham, and Steven Ross. 1993. 58 minutes.
Documentary film on the African American sanitation workers' 1968 fight for human dignity and a living wage in Memphis.
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Documentary film on the African American sanitation workers' 1968 fight for human dignity and a living wage in Memphis.
April 7, 1954: Norfolk’s African American Baseball Fans Win Desegregation Victories
A successful boycott of the Norfolk Tars by Black sports fans leads the team to desegregate both the players and stadium seating.
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Stolen Justice: The Struggle for African American Voting Rights
Book — Non-fiction. By Lawrence Goldstone. 2020. 288 pages.
This young adult book documents the long and ongoing struggle for voting rights for African Americans.
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This young adult book documents the long and ongoing struggle for voting rights for African Americans.
The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
Film. Directed and produced by Stanley Nelson. 1999. 83 minutes.
This documentary chronicles 150 years of Black journalists, printers, and Black-owned newspapers in the United States.
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This documentary chronicles 150 years of Black journalists, printers, and Black-owned newspapers in the United States.
July 29, 1835: Abolitionist Literature Removed from Post Office and Burned
Late night raid on the Charleston post office by a mob of white supremacists and the burning of abolitionist mail.
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Unpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice
Book — Non-fiction. By Lawrence Goldstone. 2018. 288 pages.
This young adult book provides students with the history of the 1873 massacre of unarmed African Americans in Colfax, Louisiana and the subsequent Supreme Court Case.
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This young adult book provides students with the history of the 1873 massacre of unarmed African Americans in Colfax, Louisiana and the subsequent Supreme Court Case.
Biddy Mason Speaks Up
Book — Non-fiction. By Arisa White and Laura Atkins. 2019. 112 pages.
An illustrated children's book tells the story of real-life champion for civil rights Bridget "Biddy" Mason.
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An illustrated children's book tells the story of real-life champion for civil rights Bridget "Biddy" Mason.
She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman
Book — Non-fiction. By Erica Armstrong Dunbar. 2019. 176 pages.
This book blends traditional biography with illustrations, photos, and engaging sidebars that illuminate the life of Harriet Tubman.
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This book blends traditional biography with illustrations, photos, and engaging sidebars that illuminate the life of Harriet Tubman.
Trans-Atlantic and Intra-American Slave Trade Database
Digital collection.
Through this website, over 130,000 voyages made in the Trans-Atlantic and Intra-American slave trade can be searched, filtered, and sorted by variables including the port of origin, the number of enslaved Africans on board, and the ship's name.
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Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision
Book — Non-fiction. By Barbara Ransby. 2024 (Second Edition). 512 pages.
This biography chronicles Baker's long and rich political career as an organizer, an intellectual, and a teacher, from her early experiences in depression-era Harlem to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
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This biography chronicles Baker's long and rich political career as an organizer, an intellectual, and a teacher, from her early experiences in depression-era Harlem to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson
Book — Non-fiction. By Barbara Ransby. 2013. 373 pages.
This biography of cosmopolitan anthropologist Eslanda Cardozo Goode Robeson explores her influence on her husband's early career, their open marriage, and her life as a prolific journalist, a tireless advocate of women's rights, and an outspoken anti-colonial and antiracist activist.
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This biography of cosmopolitan anthropologist Eslanda Cardozo Goode Robeson explores her influence on her husband's early career, their open marriage, and her life as a prolific journalist, a tireless advocate of women's rights, and an outspoken anti-colonial and antiracist activist.
The Moment Was Now: Musical About Reconstruction
The musical "The Moment Was Now" is set in Reconstruction era Baltimore with debates about labor, women's right to vote, and the rights of African Americans.
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May 26, 1956: Tallahassee Bus Boycott Sparked by Students’ Protest
Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson sparked a city-wide boycott in Tallahassee, Florida when they were arrested for refusing to move from the whites-only seats of a segregated bus.
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Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream
Book — Non-fiction. By Blair Imani. 2020. 192 pages.
An illustrated chronicle of the Great Migration and African American history in the 20th century.
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An illustrated chronicle of the Great Migration and African American history in the 20th century.
Tigerbelle: The Wyomia Tyus Story
Book — Non-fiction. By Wyomia Tyus and Elizabeth Terzakis. 2018. 288 pages.
A young adult sports history that chronicles the life of Wyomia Tyus, the daughter of a tenant dairy farmer, who became the first person to win gold medals in the 100-meter sprint in two consecutive Olympic Games.
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A young adult sports history that chronicles the life of Wyomia Tyus, the daughter of a tenant dairy farmer, who became the first person to win gold medals in the 100-meter sprint in two consecutive Olympic Games.
A Black Women’s History of the United States
Book — Non-fiction. By Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross. 2020. 288 pages.
A history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of African American women to show how they are — and have always been — instrumental in shaping our country.
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A history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of African American women to show how they are — and have always been — instrumental in shaping our country.
June 5, 1865: Norfolk’s Black Community Presents Address for Equal Rights
The Colored Monitor Union Club organized and released their address for equal rights in Norkfolk, Virginia, soon after the Civil War ended.
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Chokehold: Policing Black Men
Book — Non-fiction. By Paul Butler. 2018. 320 pages.
A former federal prosecutor explains how the criminal justice system works against the people and how we can disrupt its abuse.
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A former federal prosecutor explains how the criminal justice system works against the people and how we can disrupt its abuse.
Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All
Book — Non-fiction. By Martha S. Jones. 2021. 368 pages.
This book excavates the lives and work of Black women from the earliest days of the republic to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and beyond.
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This book excavates the lives and work of Black women from the earliest days of the republic to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and beyond.
Behind the Veil Oral History Project
Digital collection. Oral history interviews chronicling African-American life during the age of legal segregation in the American South, from the 1890s to the 1950s.
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June 21, 1925: Black Baseball Team Beats Klan Players
The Wichita Monrovians bested a squad fielded by the white-supremacist Ku Klux Klan terrorist organization at the height of Jim Crow apartheid.
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July 7, 1948: Katz Drug Store Denies Service to Edna Griffin
When WWII veteran Edna Griffin was denied service at a Des Moines drug store, she took the company to court and the lawsuit became a test case.
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