Louis E. Martin, Assistant to President Jimmy Carter (NAID 181236) On his 108th birthday, The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum highlights the life of African American journalist and political activist, Louis E. Martin. Although inconspicuous, Martin’s contributions to the political empowerment of African Americans is undeniable. Martin’s political prominence influenced some of the most historical Presidential … Continue reading Louis E. Martin: The Godfather of Black Politics
“It’s about life, and who you are as a human being. Today is a sad day in that we lost two of the most powerful activists we’ve ever had – C.T. Vivian and John Lewis. The impact they had on America is unbelievable…” ~Chris Paul On July 17, 2020, two icons of the Civil Rights … Continue reading In the Long Tradition of Civil Rights: Tribute to C. T. Vivian and John Lewis
Today's post was written by Netisha Currie, archives specialist at the National Archives in College Park, MD. The wonderful thing about the massive amounts of paper that the National Archives has is that there will always be another story to uncover. At the beginning of this year, I came across the article “The First Drag … Continue reading William Dorsey Swann, the Queen of Drag
“…there is no East, no West, no North, no South, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole, wide world:” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sermon at the Marienkirche, East Berlin, September 13, 1964 In 1964, the city of Berlin was divided between East and West Berliners, much like the United States was segregated … Continue reading “…there is no East, no West..:” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visits Cold War Berlin
“ I always tried to do the best. I knew I couldn’t always be the best, but I tried to be.” ~Frank Robinson On February 7, 2019, Hall of Fame baseball player Frank Robinson passed away at the age of 83 in Los Angeles, California. During his career, he had nearly 3,000 hits, .294 … Continue reading Tribute to Hall of Famer Frank Robinson
November 18, 2018 marked 40 years since the passing of 918 people in the jungles of Guyana. While debate still exists as to whether or not the event was one of mass suicide or mass murder, the event was a tragedy resulting in the greatest single loss of American civilian life until the events of … Continue reading Remembering Jonestown 40 Years Later
“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” ~Kofi Annan On August 18, 2018, Kofi Annan passed away at the age 80 in Bern, Switzerland. He was the first person from sub-Saharan Africa to lead the United Nations (UN). Under Annan’s leadership, the UN re-established … Continue reading The Gentle Peacemaker: Tribute to Kofi Annan
“You cannot define a person on just one thing. You can’t just forget all these wonderful and good things that a person has done because one thing didn’t come off the way you thought it should come off.” ~Aretha Franklin On August 16, 2018, legendary singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin passed away at the age … Continue reading R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Tribute to the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin
Today's blog was written by Tina L. Ligon, Supervisory Archivist in Textual Processing at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland The boycotts, protests, and marches of the 1950s and 1960s contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act (1965). These pieces of legislation assisted with the … Continue reading Resurrection City: The Continuation of King’s Dream
“[B]inary opposites fit nicely the formulation of history as written, but they do little to capture the mess, inchoate reality of history as live.” ~ Ira Berlin On June 5, 2018, Ira Berlin passed away at age 77, in the Washington, D. C. area. He was an award-winning historian and Distinguished Professor of History at … Continue reading Many Thousands Gone: Tribute to Ira Berlin
