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Juneteenth: The Celebration of a New Freedom in America

Today's post was written by Billy R. Glasco, Jr., archivist at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. To understand Juneteenth’s significance, one must understand how geography, military occupation, timing, and the resilience of a proud people solidified June 19, 1865 as the date that symbolizes freedom for African Americans. The National Archives is the … Continue reading Juneteenth: The Celebration of a New Freedom in America

facade of Churh showing bell tower and entrance

Richard Allen and the Origins of the AME Church

Today's post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. Richard Allen was born February 14, 1760, enslaved to Benjamin Chew, a Quaker lawyer in Philadelphia.  As a child, he was sold to Stokley Sturgis, a plantation owner in Dover, DE where Allen taught himself to read and write.  … Continue reading Richard Allen and the Origins of the AME Church

man sits in chair while Black medical staff holds a stethescope to chest, Red Cross workers stand in background

“The Responsibility is Placed in Your Hands Entirely” – Red Cross Relief after the Tulsa Race Massacre

Today's post was written by Netisha Currie, archives specialist at the National Archives at College Park. This article also appeared in Social Education vol. 85, no. 1. **Please note some of the images that are linked from this blog are graphic and disturbing, but we include them as  important evidence in the historical record.** Among … Continue reading “The Responsibility is Placed in Your Hands Entirely” – Red Cross Relief after the Tulsa Race Massacre

view of a street w/burned out/destroyed buildings

“Everything was burned down to the ground”: The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Today’s post was written by Bob Nowatzki, Archives Technician in Research Services at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. **Please note some of the images are graphic and disturbing, but we include them as  important evidence in the historical record.** The Tulsa Race Massacre of May 31-June 1, 1921 was one of the deadliest … Continue reading “Everything was burned down to the ground”: The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

view of exit ramp showing Alex Haley museum sign

From Structure to Literature: The National Parks Register of Historic Places that Gave Voice to the Black Experience

Today's post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. The National Archives Catalog now includes digital scans of the applications for places that have been considered for National Historic Places and Landmarks status.  National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 – 2017 (NAID … Continue reading From Structure to Literature: The National Parks Register of Historic Places that Gave Voice to the Black Experience

illustrated bus terminal building

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

man standing on top of a circular stone structure with the beams for the roof that is about to be completed

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Camp Thunderbird of the Civilian Conservation Corps!

Today's post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. The Washington State Park Civilian Conservation Corps Historic District (NAID 63818134) in Washington County, Missouri is protected by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as of March 4, 1985. This site was home to the Civilian Conservation Corps … Continue reading It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Camp Thunderbird of the Civilian Conservation Corps!

elevator entrance w/ornate art deco design

“You people go back and wait for the second trip:” Racism at the Hoover Dam

Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives in Denver Author’s historical note: While originally named the Hoover Dam in 1931, the dam was renamed Boulder during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency and called this in 1936, when the following story takes place. In 1947, the name reverted back to Hoover Dam, … Continue reading “You people go back and wait for the second trip:” Racism at the Hoover Dam

view of ballpark ca. 1938 w/marked segregated areas

The First Time Jackie Robinson Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier

Today's post was written by Bob Nowatzki, Archives Technician in Research Services at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. For good reason, Jackie Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947 at Ebbets Field is seen by many as a major event in the history of U.S. civil rights as well as … Continue reading The First Time Jackie Robinson Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier

Young w/hand on Bible standing in front of Thurgood Marshall, with President Carter in background

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. Andrew Young, a Democratic Congressman from Georgia, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing left, May 6, 1976 (Library of Congress) March 12, 2021 marked the 89th birthday of a leader that serves as a gatekeeper to our understanding … Continue reading Andrew Young: A Giant Among Us