Today's blog was written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland The passage of the Civil Rights in 1964 gave African Americans hope for equality in America. The act allowed for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate lawsuits on behalf of individuals who were discriminated against on … Continue reading After the Civil Rights Act, Now What?
Today's blog is written by Alan Walker, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland Only a short time after President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, the National Archives had it on exhibit. It made a big impression on visitors who came from across the country and around the world to view the … Continue reading Displaying the Civil Rights Act, 1964
Today’s blog is written by Dr. Tina L. Ligon, Archivist and Damon Turner, doctoral student at Morgan State University and summer intern at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. At the conclusion of World War II, African Americans began an aggressive campaign to achieve equal rights in America. Organizations such as the National Association … Continue reading The Road to the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Today’s blog is written by Alan Walker, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland Harold T. Pinkett, born on April 7, 1914 in Salisbury, Maryland was the first African-American Archivist at the National Archives. He graduated summa cum laude from Morgan College (now Morgan State University) in 1935, and received his master’s degree … Continue reading Dr. Harold T. Pinkett, The First African-American Archivist at the National Archives
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
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 history. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 27, 1897, Anderson had established her career as a contralto singer, performing throughout the … Continue reading Marian Anderson and the Easter Sunday Concert, April 9, 1939
Today’s blog is introduced and compiled by Dr. Tina Ligon, with the assistance of fellow archivists, specialists, and technicians at the National Archives. May 17, 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision regarding education in America. The Oliver L. Brown et. al. v. Board of Education of Topeka (KS) ruling declared … Continue reading Federal Records Relating to the Brown v. Board of Education Case
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
“…the black men who were killed at Fort Pillow...and elsewhere, fighting as gallantly and as bravely as any men under the flag, be their complexion what it will, should be recognized by the Government…” (Congressional Globe, 38 Cong., 1 sess., June 24, 1864) April 12, 2014 marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fort … Continue reading “Remember Fort Pillow”: The 150th Anniversary of the Fort Pillow Massacre
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
