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
Today's blog post was written by Daria Labinsky, Archivist at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. When you work in an archives, you frequently discover amazing events that make you wish for a time machine (and a guest pass). One such event took place at the White House on February 23, 1979, when President Jimmy and … Continue reading “An Inspiration Throughout the World”: President Carter Presents Living Legacy Awards
Today’s blog post was written by Bob Nowatzki and Joshua Schroeder in Research Services at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland “completely unwarranted and unjustified” -President’s Commission on Campus Unrest, 1970 From May 13th to May 15th, 1970, Jackson State College, by then a nearly century-old Historically Black College and University (HBCU), erupted in … Continue reading Two Dead in Mississippi: Remembering the Jackson State Killings of 1970
"You can jail a Revolutionary, but you can't jail the Revolution" ~Fred Hampton Fred Hampton was born on August 30, 1948 in Maywood, Illinois. He was gifted in academics and athletics. As a child, he wanted to play for the New York Yankees when he finished school, but ended up studying pre-law at Triton Junior … Continue reading Fred Hampton: Vanguard Revolutionary
Today’s post was written by Steven Booth, Archivist at the Barack Obama Presidential Library in Hoffman Estates, IL This week cities across the United States commemorated the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was killed on April 4, 1968. The day prior to his death, Dr. King traveled to … Continue reading The Week of April 4, 1968: A Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park Late in 1946, Attorney General Tom Clark, concerned about the direction American life was taking in the wake of World War II, decided something dramatic was needed to increase public awareness of their heritage of freedom and the … Continue reading The Freedom Train and the Contagion of Liberty, 1947-1949
Today's blog was written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Supervisory Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland At 7:48 am on December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes and bombers began their surprise attack on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. In two waves of attack, the Japanese sunk 4 battleships, … Continue reading 75th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor: Dorie Miller, War Hero
In 1966, Black Power emerged as a rallying call for African Americans to shift their focus from freedom now to the embrace of black cultural, political, and economic power. In a speech during the March against Fear in Mississippi, Stokely Carmichael made public the phase Black Power and moved the civil rights movement towards a … Continue reading Revolutionary Movements Then and Now: Black Power and Black Lives Matter
Today’s blog was written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Supervisory Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland The March against Fear that took place in June 1966, is considered the last great march against racism of the 1960s Civil Rights era in the South. Participants of this march included the Southern Christian Leadership … Continue reading “Turn this Town Out”: Stokely Carmichael, Black Power, and the March against Fear
Today’s blog was written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Lead Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland The ideology of Black Power promotes cultural appreciation and black self-determination. Although it sometimes has negative connotations, the phrase "Black Power" represented racial pride, political and economic empowerment, and community service among those of African descent. … Continue reading Black Panther: A News Reel Video
