Selma: The Marches that Changed America

Today’s post was written by Billy R. Glasco, Jr., archivist at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum The Selma Marches were a series of three marches that took place in 1965 between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. These marches were organized to protest the blocking of Black Americans’ right to vote by the systematic racist structure of … Continue reading Selma: The Marches that Changed America

Record of the Week: Selma, Edmund Pettus Bridge FBI Case File

Today’s post was written by Netisha Currie, Archives Specialist at the National Archives in College Park. This weekend the 87th annual Academy Awards will air, and many of the Best Picture nominees’ subjects are culled from historical events or people. Selma (directed by Ava DuVernay) is a dramatization of the events that happened around the Selma to Montgomery … Continue reading Record of the Week: Selma, Edmund Pettus Bridge FBI Case File

Experiencing Black Joy through Federal Records

Joy is defined as an emotion of great delight or happiness that is often caused by a positive or an extraordinary experience. Joy can be good for one’s health and wellness. Scientists and psychologists have studied the effects of joy on people, and determined that joy can prevent stress, improve heart health, reduce pain, and … Continue reading Experiencing Black Joy through Federal Records

The People v. Jim Crow: Federal Cases that Inspired the Freedom Rides of 1961

Today’s post was written by Billy R. Glasco, Jr., archivist at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. In 1961, the Freedom Riders purposely challenged a system that ignored a series of civil rights cases, ruling segregation of interstate commerce unconstitutional.  The legal battles that inspired the Freedom Rides were fought by a World War … Continue reading The People v. Jim Crow: Federal Cases that Inspired the Freedom Rides of 1961

Andrew Young: A Giant Among Us

Today’s post was written by Billy R. Glasco, Jr., archivist at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. March 12, 2021 marked the 89th birthday of a leader that serves as a gatekeeper to our understanding of the most preeminent era in Black History. A pastor who spread the practice of non-violence in the rural … Continue reading Andrew Young: A Giant Among Us

Bruce Boynton: The Original Freedom Rider

Today’s post was written by Billy R. Glasco, Jr., archivist at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. On December 20, 1958, Bruce Carver Boynton, a black law student at Howard University was on his way home to Selma, Alabama via Trailways bus line for the Christmas Holidays.  On his way home, Boynton bus stopped … Continue reading Bruce Boynton: The Original Freedom Rider

Portal Spotlight: Voting Rights

Today’s post was written by Joshua Schroeder, archives technician at the National Archives in College Park. The National Archives latest Black History portal delves into one of the most important threads of American history: securing the right to vote. Suffrage for Black Americans remains an important aspect of American history because voting is an essential … Continue reading Portal Spotlight: Voting Rights

In the Long Tradition of Civil Rights: Tribute to C. T. Vivian and John Lewis

“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

Black History Month 2017: Blogs Related to the Civil Rights Movement

Happy Black History Month! This year the Rediscovering Black History blog at the National Archives would like to highlight select posts from the past. This public blog was created to inform researchers, scholars, students, and anyone interested in records related to African-American history at the National Archives and Presidential Libraries on the vast amount of … Continue reading Black History Month 2017: Blogs Related to the Civil Rights Movement

Commander-in-Chief: U.S. Presidents and their Executive Power

Today’s post was written by Alexis Hill, Assistant Registrar in the Exhibits Division at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland How has a Commander-in-Chief used his executive power to help shape a diverse nation?  With the stroke of a pen, he has used this power to command, appoint, veto, remove, and pardon. This year, … Continue reading Commander-in-Chief: U.S. Presidents and their Executive Power