Today's post was written by Daniella Furman, archivist at the National Archives in College Park, MD Ida Bell Wells-Barnett was born into slavery on July 16, 1862, and freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. She held a career as an educator and later a journalist chronicling the African American experience in the early 1800’s. Her work … Continue reading The Honorable Agitator
We have come to a close of the second week of Black History Month 2021. This year, the Say it Loud! Employee Affinity Group is hosting a Black History Basic Training (inspired by GirlTrek campaigns from the past year), where we highlight individuals, organizations and events that made significant contributions to the African American experience. This week, … Continue reading 2021 Black History Basic Training, Week 2
Today's post was written by Cara Moore Lebonick, reference archives specialist at the National Archives at St. Louis Disclaimer: Some of the partial records featured contain language that does not reflect modern accepted terminology. Please keep this possible sensitive language in mind when reviewing the records. Orders for Fannie Foote Y3c The United States entered … Continue reading Mustering Out: the Navy’s First Black Yeowomen
In 1917, when the United States declared war on Germany and entered the Great War, African Americans were supportive. The patriotic spirit of the era encouraged Black men and women to enlist in the military, in order to fight for freedom and democracy. Although their patriotism was just as great as their white American counterparts, … Continue reading Portal Spotlight: World War I
Today's post was written by Joshua Cain, Archives Technician at the National Archives in College Park, MD In the 1920s, the neighborhood of Harlem in Manhattan was the epicenter for a new movement that empowered African Americans to express themselves and their experiences in various facets of the arts. New poems, books, paintings, and literature … Continue reading Not Just a Harlem Thing
Today's post was written by Gabrielle Hutchins, Ph.D, an archivist at the National Archives in College Park, MD George Edmund Haynes Dr. George Edmund Haynes is one of many remarkable figures in the history of the African American labor movement. During the 1920s, Dr. Haynes truthfully captured Black laborers' stories as he traveled throughout the … Continue reading Dr. George Edmund Haynes: Social Crusader in Black Economics
Written by Michael Hancock Like hundreds of thousands of young American men, Henry Johnson returned from the First World War and tried to make a life for himself in spite of what he had experienced on the battlefields of Europe. Escaping with bullet and shrapnel wounds in the dozens, he was fortunate that he even … Continue reading “We Remember Our Heroes”: Henry Johnson
Today’s Blog is written by Barbara Lewis Burger, a retired National Archives Still Picture Senior Archivist The above photograph of nine World War I soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment is one of several iconic photographs in the National Archives and Records Administration that document African American soldiers during the war. This particular image has been … Continue reading “And They Thought We Couldn’t Fight:”* Remembering the Nine Soldiers in a World War I Photograph
This blog was written by Kierra Verdun, a rising senior at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan and is a summer intern in the Textual Processing Division at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. Civic engagement is vital to the success of a representative democracy. By voicing concerns to elected officials, constituents ensure that their voices … Continue reading Institutional Racism in Woodrow Wilson’s America
Today's blog was written by Timmia King, undergraduate student at Howard University and spring intern in the Textual Processing Division at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland Coming into this project, I did not think I would find many records relating to Marcus Garvey. One thing I failed to realize, is that today, although … Continue reading Two Views: Marcus Garvey the Leader and the Threat
