This blog was written by Dr. Trichita M. Chestnut, Management and Program Analyst in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland This will be the first blog post on a series of blogs on the lynching of women in the United States. Lynching remains one of the … Continue reading Lynching of Women in United States Blog Series Part 1: The Lynching of Sisters Eula and Ella Charles
Today’s post was written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Lead Archivist at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus to a white man. She was arrested and charged with violating the city’s segregation laws. Her act of civil … Continue reading 60th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Today’s Tribute was written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland “It’s important that young people know about the struggles we faced to get to the point we are today. Only then will they appreciate the hard-won freedom of blacks in this country.” ~ Amelia Boynton Robinson On … Continue reading Amelia Boynton Robinson, Leader in the Voting Rights Movement
This post was submitted by Ray Bottorff, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. Ray is also a comic books enthusiast, so we present this record of the week in celebration of Awesome Con, happening this weekend in Washington, DC. From the series General Records, 1942–July 1943 (NAID 12126610) in RG 44 George J. … Continue reading Record of the Week: African-American Comics During World War II
Today's blog was written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland Most of the records that are held at the National Archives related to women in the US Navy, primarily focused on their involvement as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). The few selected series contains photographs, … Continue reading Pictorial History of Black Women in the US Navy during World War II and Beyond
Today's blog was written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland The movie Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay and released in January 2015, brought to life the struggle for voting rights in America. This Academy Award nominated film, which starred David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tom Wilkinson, Lorraine Toussaint, … Continue reading FBI Case File #44-28492: Bloody Sunday
This post is dedicated to the memory of Maya Angelou - born April 4, 1928. Maya Angelou was a revered American author, poet, activist, holder of many other occupations, and icon. The impact and power of her words were immediately felt with the publication of her first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), … Continue reading Dr. Maya Angelou’s Legacy through the National Archives
Today’s blog is written by Alexis Hill, Assistant Registrar in the Exhibits Division at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. 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 … Continue reading Marian Anderson and the Easter Sunday Concert, April 9, 1939
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
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
