African Americans & the Arts in the Federal Government This series of blogs were written by Tina L. Ligon, Supervisory Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland This year the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is celebrating the countless contributions of African Americans in the arts. The … Continue reading African American Artists & the Harmon Foundation
Today's blog was written by Kaitlin Rogers, Archives Technician at the National Archives at College Park “The Most Dangerous Creation of Any Society is the Man Who has Nothing to Lose.” ~James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924, in Harlem, New York. His mother Emma Berdis Jones married David Baldwin when … Continue reading Happy 100th Birthday James Baldwin!
“I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work.” ~ Augusta Savage Collection H: Photograph of Augusta Savage (NAID 559182) Augusta Christine Fells Savage was born on February 29, 1892, in … Continue reading Happy Birthday Augusta Savage!
What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? ~"Harlem" by Langston Hughes … Continue reading Happy Birthday Langston Hughes!
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
