Today’s blog is written by Alan Walker, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland Harold T. Pinkett, born on April 7, 1914 in Salisbury, Maryland was the first African-American Archivist at the National Archives. He graduated summa cum laude from Morgan College (now Morgan State University) in 1935, and received his master’s degree … Continue reading Dr. Harold T. Pinkett, The First African-American Archivist at the National Archives
When Marian Anderson, the renowned African-American contralto singer, performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial 75 years ago, she had no idea that her performance would become a pivotal moment in civil rights history. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 27, 1897, Anderson had established her career as a contralto singer, performing throughout the … Continue reading Marian Anderson and the Easter Sunday Concert, April 9, 1939
Today’s blog is introduced and compiled by Dr. Tina Ligon, with the assistance of fellow archivists, specialists, and technicians at the National Archives. May 17, 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision regarding education in America. The Oliver L. Brown et. al. v. Board of Education of Topeka (KS) ruling declared … Continue reading Federal Records Relating to the Brown v. Board of Education Case
Today’s Blog is written by Barbara Lewis Burger, a retired National Archives Still Picture Senior Archivist. A significant percentage of African Americans lived in rural communities until the middle of the 20th century. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 1900, the black population was slightly more than 8.8 million or 11.6% of the U.S. … Continue reading Family, Farming, and Community: Photographs of African American Life in Putnam County, Georgia in 1941
“…the black men who were killed at Fort Pillow...and elsewhere, fighting as gallantly and as bravely as any men under the flag, be their complexion what it will, should be recognized by the Government…” (Congressional Globe, 38 Cong., 1 sess., June 24, 1864) April 12, 2014 marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fort … Continue reading “Remember Fort Pillow”: The 150th Anniversary of the Fort Pillow Massacre
Today’s blog is written by Dr. Jametta Davis, Appraisal Archivist at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. The Great Depression was one of the most devastating economic periods of the twentieth century. Between 1929 and the early 1940s, countless American citizens experienced high unemployment rates, increased poverty, and great uncertainty. For black girls and … Continue reading Providing a New Deal for Young Black Women: Mary McLeod Bethune and the Negro Affairs Division of the NYA
Today’s blog is written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland Black women have a long history of work in the United States. They have toiled in hot fields, cared for other people’s children, cleaned homes, worked in factories, taught in poorly funded schools, and held numerous professional … Continue reading I too, am Rosie
February 12, 2014 marked the 105th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Founded in 1909, by a diverse group of people, which included educator W. E. B. Du Bois and activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett, the NAACP has had a long history of fighting for equal rights for people of … Continue reading 105th Anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Today’s blog is written by Kevin L. Bradley, Archives Technician in the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Division at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland African-American art has been a vital part of the American experience from the time of slavery in America to the present. Black artists and their artwork have been documented … Continue reading African-American Art: From the Congo to 42nd Street and Beyond
Today’s blog is written by Vera J. Williams, IT Specialist in the BP Project Assistance Division at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland On January 15, 2014, the 85th birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a family member, Clayton Adams and I walked in the path of our Great-Great-Great Grandfather Solomon Northup - the … Continue reading Descendants of Solomon Northup Walk in His Path
