InfoGuides: Black History Month: African American History

Black History in America

March on Washington, 1963. Images Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, Contributed by University of Illinois.

Black History in America

Black History is interwoven within American History, since the beginning, when Europeans began to colonize this land over 400 years ago. The many triumphs achieved by the African-Americans help our country to shine, when not pushed to the side and overlooked. However, the many challenges African-Americans have faced and continue to face highlights the continuing work our country has to do to treat all its citizens equitable. This section seeks to highlight and explore the rich history that is Black History.

Books

Videos

Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, Part 1: Out of the Shadows (2016)
A 4 part series that begins at a turning point in American history: the Selma marches and Watts riots that marked a new phase in the black struggle. Gates explores the rising call for Black Power, redefining American culture, politics, and society.
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise (4 part series)
This series looks at the last five decades of African American history through the eyes of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., exploring the tremendous gains and persistent challenges of these years. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, scholarly analysis and rare archival footage, the series illuminates our recent past, while raising urgent questions about the future of the African American community—and our nation as a whole.

By River, By Rail: History of the Black Migration (1994)
In the early 20th century, blacks moved north in hope of a better life with little more than a prayer and the shirts on their backs. In this program, poet Maya Angelou, NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, and a host of other African-Americans recount the story of the migration, of separated families, and of the hardships, prejudice, and struggle for acceptance in the North that resulted in disillusionment. Black luminaries include James Cameron, author of A Time of Terror; Jacob Lawrence, artist and creator of The Black Migration series; and Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and the Back to Africa movement of the 1920s.

Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (2017)
Black colleges and universities are a haven for Black intellectuals, artists, and revolutionaries and have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities examines the impact these institutions have had on American history, culture, and national identity.

A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life (2015)
Historian Allyson Hobbs tells the story of countless African Americans who passed as white, leaving behind families and friends, roots and community. A talk given at the National Archives.

Websites

Podcast

1619 Podcast