Happy Birthday Augusta Savage!

“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!

Happy Birthday Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois!

“It is a peculiar sensation, this double consciousness… one ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two un-reconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.” ~ W. E. B. Du Bois RG 79 "W.E.B. Dubois photo from NAACP Collection" … Continue reading Happy Birthday Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois!

Happy Birthday Frederick Douglass!

“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” ~Frederick Douglass RG 79 "Fred. Douglass, lawyer, ca. 1865" Washington, DC SP Douglass, Frederick, National Historic … Continue reading Happy Birthday Frederick Douglass!

Free Frank McWorter – Father of Freedom

Free Frank McWorter was an American frontiersman who found fortune, became the first African American to register a town, and spent his life liberating his family.  He was born enslaved  in 1777 in South Carolina.  His mother, Juda had been kidnapped from West Africa and his father is thought to be her enslaver[1].  Frank moved … Continue reading Free Frank McWorter – Father of Freedom

exterior view of church showing front steps and stained glass windows on side

Places of Worship as Epicenters for Change: Highlights from the National Register of Historic Places

Today’s post was written by Alicia Henneberry, Archives Specialist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. The United States is an eclectic patchwork of diverse faiths and religious beliefs that manifest physically in a community of believers and the places of worship in which they gather. Throughout history, some of these places of worship … Continue reading Places of Worship as Epicenters for Change: Highlights from the National Register of Historic Places

front view of 1 story school bldg w/bell on top

Westerly Winds and Big Skies, Finding Colonel Allen Allensworth at the National Archives

Today's post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. Allen Allensworth, nd (from findagrave) Allensworth, California was the first city to be established as an African American enclave in California.  It was officially founded on August 3, 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth, Chaplain to the 24th Infantry, a … Continue reading Westerly Winds and Big Skies, Finding Colonel Allen Allensworth at the National Archives

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Juneteenth: The Celebration of a New Freedom in America

Today's post was written by Billy R. Glasco, Jr., archivist at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. To understand Juneteenth’s significance, one must understand how geography, military occupation, timing, and the resilience of a proud people solidified June 19, 1865 as the date that symbolizes freedom for African Americans. The National Archives is the … Continue reading Juneteenth: The Celebration of a New Freedom in America

facade of Churh showing bell tower and entrance

Richard Allen and the Origins of the AME Church

Today's post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. Richard Allen was born February 14, 1760, enslaved to Benjamin Chew, a Quaker lawyer in Philadelphia.  As a child, he was sold to Stokley Sturgis, a plantation owner in Dover, DE where Allen taught himself to read and write.  … Continue reading Richard Allen and the Origins of the AME Church

view of exit ramp showing Alex Haley museum sign

From Structure to Literature: The National Parks Register of Historic Places that Gave Voice to the Black Experience

Today's post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. The National Archives Catalog now includes digital scans of the applications for places that have been considered for National Historic Places and Landmarks status.  National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 – 2017 (NAID … Continue reading From Structure to Literature: The National Parks Register of Historic Places that Gave Voice to the Black Experience

view of ballpark ca. 1938 w/marked segregated areas

The First Time Jackie Robinson Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier

Today's post was written by Bob Nowatzki, Archives Technician in Research Services at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. For good reason, Jackie Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947 at Ebbets Field is seen by many as a major event in the history of U.S. civil rights as well as … Continue reading The First Time Jackie Robinson Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier