African activists used letters, print culture, imperial pressure points, and personal networks to oppose practices that had kept thousands of Africans in bondage, demonstrating the power of marginalised communities to compel power-holders to close the gap between laws and lived reality.
Category: Black History
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Crisis of Civil Rights Education: What Our Classrooms Aren’t Teaching
Civil rights education is essential for students to understand the full legacy of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and Fred Hampton, and to prepare for the future by teaching them about the fight for justice and equity.
Posted inBlack History
The 14th Amendment Promised Justice. Some Of Us Are Still Waiting.
The 14th Amendment, ratified 157 years ago, promised equal protection under the law and expanded civil rights for marginalized groups, but its principles are still being fought for today as the current administration attempts to suppress them.
Posted inBlack History
Nelson Mandela: The Troublemaker Who Changed the World
Nelson Mandela, a young boy from a small African village, became a leader in the fight against apartheid, spent 27 years in prison, and eventually became the first Black president of South Africa, leaving a legacy of hope and forgiveness.
Posted inBlack History
Ida B. Wells: Princess of the Press
Ida B. Wells, a pioneering journalist and activist, exposed the truth about lynchings in the Jim Crow South, becoming the first Black woman to run for an Illinois State Senate seat, and in a time where journalism is being attacked, we can learn from her muckraking journalism.
Posted inSpiritual
At 94, AME Trailblazer Rev. Vivian Baker Castain Is Still Going Strong
Rev. Vivian Baker Castain became the first woman to serve as pastor in the Second Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, despite initial opposition from her Baptist relatives, and has continued to serve the church in various ways, including as a mentor to other women in ministry.
Posted inMuseums
Museum Exhibit Reminds How Black Panthers Planted Seeds for Change
Former Black Panther Party members gathered at the California Museum to share reflections on the organization’s legacy and lasting impacts, while also encouraging continued activism and community service to honor the BPP’s legacy.
Posted inOpinion
This July 4, the Ultimate Act of Patriotism Is Calling for Reparations Â
A new report by the New Jersey Reparations Council proposes a transformative framework for reparative justice in New Jersey, which could serve as a model for other states, to address the centuries-long impact of slavery and racist policies and practices.
Posted inSocial Justice
Alexander Gumby: A Gay Harlem Revolutionary
Alexander Gumby, a forgotten figure of the Negro Renaissance, was a gay intellectual who established the Gumby Book Studio in Harlem, where he hosted intellectual circles and was a fierce gay revolutionary, and his scrapbooks are now preserved in Butler Library’s rare book room.
Posted inTravel
‘The Ancestors Were Speaking’: My Pilgrimage to Ghana
Thousands of Black Americans visit Ghana each year to connect with their heritage and seek racial healing, with many opting to move to the country and others receiving African names in traditional ceremonies.
