Today's post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. Aileen Bertha Stewart, c. 1918 (NAID 2662312) In 1917, the United States formally entered the First World War. Medical professionals registered for military service and volunteered to meet the needs of wartime healthcare systems. More than 100 Black doctors … Continue reading A Woman to Know: Aileen Bertha Stewart
Since the dissolvement of the Freedman’s Bank, the peculiar history of financial institutions and the African American community has been woven into America’s cultural fabric. This is why the appointment of Azie Taylor Morton to President Jimmy Carter’s administration was, and still is revolutionary. On September 12,1977, President Carter appointed Azie Taylor Morton Treasurer of … Continue reading Azie Taylor Morton: The One and Only
Today’s post comes from Zoë A. Zaharakis, a history education undergraduate student at Temple University, with the help of Archivist Grace Schultz. Zoë interned with the National Archives at Philadelphia virtually this fall as a part of the Cultural Fieldwork Initiative (CFI), a partnership with the Temple University College of Education Social Studies faculty and … Continue reading “No Lye,” the FDA Inspection of G.T. Young, Inc.
“As a country, we are in a state of denial about issues of race and racism. And too many of our leaders have concluded that the way to remedy racism is to simply stop talking about race.” ~Lani Guinier Lani Guinier, 1993 (flickr) On January 7, 2022, attorney, law professor, and author Lani Guinier passed … Continue reading “Lift Every Voice”: A Tribute to Lani Guinier
“I always wanted to be someone better the next day than I was the day before.” ~Sidney Poitier On January 6, 2022, Oscar award winning actor, director, ambassador, and civil rights activist Sidney Poitier KBE passed away at the age of 94 in Los Angeles, California. His dignity, style, and grace made Poitier one of … Continue reading “They Call Me Mister Tibbs!”: A Tribute to Sidney Poitier
These were the most viewed posts of 2021! Thanks so much for reading Rediscovering Black History, we look forward to bringing you more stories from the National Archives relating to Black history in 2022! #6 Before Kamala - Black Women in Presidential Administrations Black women who have served in Presidential administrations. Marking the occasion of … Continue reading Rediscovering Black History Top 5 Posts of 2021
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." ~ Desmond Tutu On December 26, 2021, the Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, former Archbishop of Cape Town, passed away at the age of 90 in Cape Town, South Africa. Tutu led a life … Continue reading No Future Without Forgiveness – A Tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Today's post was written by Netisha Currie, archives specialist at the National Archives at College Park. On November 30, 2021, Josephine Baker was bestowed the honor of Panthéonisation - being inducted into the national mausoleum of heroes at the French Pantheon. She is the first entertainer, Black woman, American, and only the sixth woman to … Continue reading An American Original Inducted into the French Pantheon – Josephine Baker
During the Civil War, approximately 17,000 men of African heritage served in the Union Navy. As noted by historian Joseph P. Reidy, this number represented approximately 20 percent of the enlisted men in the U.S. Navy at that time, which was “nearly double the proportion of black soldiers who served in the U.S. Army during … Continue reading African American Seamen of the Antebellum Era: Using Seamen’s Protection Certificates to Document Early Black Mariners
Marriage of a colored soldier at Vicksburg by Chaplain Warren of the Freedmen's Bureau (Library of Congress) During the Reconstruction period of U.S. history (1865-1877), many people who had previously been enslaved tried to reunite with family members from whom they had been separated by their enslavers. This collective search can be seen as another … Continue reading Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the Reconstruction of Black Families
