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One vital but less-known story from early America is that of Onesimus, an African man enslaved in the colonies who helped change the...

Today, many are familiar with the term “filibuster,” a procedure to prolong debate and delay a vote — but less well-known is its com...

In 1965, James Baldwin and William F. Buckley — thought leaders from dramatically different backgrounds — made plans to debate race...

Born into a world awash in racism and sexism, the singer Billie Holiday soon became a beloved voice, known for her unique, jazz-infl...

Be Woke Presents Black History in Two Minutes (or so) Home Bill Russell; Michael Jordan; LeBron James. Black athletes have at times...

Black contributions in the volunteer and civic space have been around since the Revolutionary War. Out of those spaces came formal o...

In November 1870, four Black students created their own safe space to study in a Washington D.C. church. That space would eventually...

As the nation dealt with the darkness of the Great Depression, a Black leader by the name of Father Major Jealous Divine rose from t...

In 1955, Charles Diggs Jr. became the first Black person from Michigan elected to the House of Representatives. His election paved t...

College campuses became integral in the quest for social reform in the 1960s. With large numbers of Black students already present,...

College campuses became integral in the quest for social reform in the 1960s. With large numbers of Black students already present,...

Even though slavery ended in the 1860s, free Black Americans made up 10% of the United States Black population. While the rest of th...

America entered a special moment where freedom rang high and many of the promises of the constitution appeared to — in some ways — a...

Baseball is one of America’s staples that dates back to the 1800s. And while the culture of catchy tunes and snacks are shared from...

The 1893 World Fair took place in Chicago, Illinois, welcoming countries from around the world to feature their contributions for ev...

Nothing seemed more urgent than the collective quest of Black freedom after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Al...

Nothing seemed more urgent than the collective quest of Black freedom after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Al...

Home Black women have been no stranger to organizing since America’s earliest inception. But it would be during the Reconstruction e...

While more Black students sought formal education in a university setting, white organizations were not as open to embracing them in...

Brenda Travis of McComb, Mississippi, encountered the dangers of merely existing in Jim Crow’s America as a child after witnessing h...

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination not only further ignited the civil rights movement, but it also inspired students in...

While the Civil Rights Movement continued to spread across the US and the feminist movement evolved, one group felt neither movement...

Despite continued exclusionary practices, Black Americans slowly but surely made their way into the workforce after the Civil War. W...

From the inception of the United States, Black soldiers have answered the call to serve on the front lines. And in 1944, the US gove...

In 1730, Job Ben Solomon — a Senegalese man and active slave trader — was captured during an excursion in the Gambian River region....

As Black families left the South, their migration allowed them to bring their religion and musical practices along with them. But it...

As the US economy began to boom after World War II, so did the demand for alternate means of transportation. While personal car usag...

In 2019, researchers were able to properly authenticate the last known slave ship to enter the United States illegally. That ship, T...

The lynching of Emmett Till in 1955 became a pivotal point for race relations in the United States. Instead of sitting by silently,...

Well before formal legislation was passed, promising freed slaves certain land rights, Black farmers traveled west, exploring, and d...

The 15th Amendment was a monumental piece of legislation that gave Black men the right to vote. As a result of it, over 2,000 Africa...

Black soldiers have been an instrumental part of the armed forces since the Civil War. They put their lives on their line for their...

The People’s Voice Award vote for The Webby Awards ends tonight, May 6th, at midnight and the competition is tight. #WebbyAwards Let...

The People’s Voice Award vote for The Webby Awards ends tonight, May 6th, at midnight and the competition is tight. #WebbyAwards Let...

The People’s Voice Award vote for The Webby Awards ends tonight, May 6th, at midnight and the competition is tight. #WebbyAwards Let...

Transitioning from job to job as a teenager, Oscar Micheaux was able to write a story that was inspired by his experience on a farm....

At the turn of the twentieth century, W. E. B. Du Bois curated an exhibit at the Paris Exposition in France entitled “The Exhibit of...

The landmark case Brown v. Board of Education declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. However, for...

With the formal ending of slavery in place, many freed black people saw this as an opportunity to start anew. But, for those in the...

The Underground Railroad for many of us symbolizes the journey African slaves went on in the name of freedom. But, contrary to popul...

As the United States began to expand, the demand for cotton led to an increase of slave trades in the country. Eager to capitalize,...

In the early 1500s, the transatlantic slave trade commenced. Europeans invaded west and central Africa, capturing free people, ensla...

In 1973, DJ Kool Herc set up his turntables and introduced a technique at a South Bronx house party that would change music as many...

During the 2004 Democratic National Convention, a first-term senator named Barack Obama from Illinois delivered a speech that exuded...

Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica and experienced the impacts of colonization at the hands of the British. As a result, he developed...

In 1915, D.W. Griffith, released a film that would go down as one of the most disturbing representations of black Americans ever, Th...

In the early 1500s, a West African man named Juan Garrido joined the ranks of Spanish explorers who ventured out in hopes of discove...

During a time when the game of baseball lacked diversity, America’s beloved sport was on the brink of a major change when black spor...

Taking cues from American Bandstand, Soul Train became a black cultural phenomena. Created and hosted by Don Cornelius, a Chicago ra...

Be Woke Presents Black History in Two Minutes (or so) In 1861, the south’s threats of seceding the union led to the start of the Civ...

As European countries battled to claim territories in America, the Spanish state  — which is now known as Florida — became a haven f...

As the Union declared victory over the Confederacy, post-Civil War life seemed to be off to a good start for freed slaves. William T...

The events unfolding across the United States today in the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, are an eerie repetition of eve...

Lynching was an action used to terrorize the black community for generations, with the first known public display of this injustice...

In 1963, John Lewis’ excitement would meet his life’s purpose when he joined the Civil Rights Movement. He is now known as one of th...

White publications have sought to represent all voices in America since it’s discovery. But, in 1827, Samuel Cornish and John Russwu...

Black inventors have made significant contributions in the name of not only advancing the American brand, but by way of breaking dow...

Jack Johnson entered the world ready to fight in the most non-conventional way. As the son of slaves, he worked many unskilled jobs,...

While history celebrates the explorations of many white voyagers, there are multiple black people who successfully explored sea, lan...

?Webby Awards Peoples Choice Voting ends tonight at midnight! Click ?’s below to cast yours now! ?? 1) Podcast: Documentary https://...

? ONE MORE DAY TO VOTE!!! USE ?’S BELOW!!! 1) Best Podcast: Documentary: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/podca...

Black innovators and creators have a long history of studying the framework and exploring new ways of advancing modern technology. T...

Religion as we know it infiltrated the black community during slavery. While the objective leaned on pacifying slaves, black people...

Opportunities for freed black children to further their educational journey after high school were limited. As a direct response to...

Many people recognize the passage of the 13th Amendment as an end to slavery in the south. However, slavery was commonplace in all 1...

Born into slavery as Frederick Douglass in 1818, this renowned lecturer and author would become one of the greatest public speakers...

Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Katherine Johnson is a powerhouse unlike any other. Entering college at the tender age of 15...

In February 1951, a young African-American woman by the name of Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cervical ca...

After graduating from Shaw University, Ella Baker moved to New York City and began her career as a grassroots organizer. Joining the...

Black women and their commitment to freedom and equality has often been minimized in history books. However, with black women standi...

After years of requesting an all-black unit in the National Guard, the governor of New York finally put the order into place. In Jan...

In 1965, one of the last traceable remnants of Jim Crow ideology were thought to be taken off the books with the passage of the Voti...

The civil rights movement was an organized effort where African-Americans united and rallied to put black progressiveness at the for...

In 1932 the United States Public Health Service commissioned a study on the effects of untreated syphilis. 600 poor black men from A...

President Lyndon B. Johnson made it clear that a shift was greatly needed in America. No longer could we preach about a land of oppo...

Born in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana, jazz made its way onto the scene. With African-Americans at the helm, the red-light dis...

The Double V Campaign was launched by a prominent black newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier, in 1942. The campaign came in response to...

Be Woke Presents Black History in Two Minutes (or so) htpps://blackhistoryintwominutes.com In 1983, Reverend Jesse Jackson launched...

Electrified by the rhetoric of Malcolm X, founding members Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale created an organization aimed at protectin...

Despite footage of police officers beating the late Rodney King in 1991, justice, for many in South Central Los Angeles, was not ser...

After joining the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X became known as a human rights activist whose teachings led the charge of black progres...

In 1872, Booker T. Washington traveled 500 miles on foot to the Hampton Institute in Virginia. That journey, in turn, laid the found...

Shirley Chisholm is a political icon who paved the way for politics as we know it today. As an active participant for women’s rights...

….became a War Hero, and Served as a U.S. Congressman Robert Smalls was born into slavery and pushed into fighting for the Con...

In 1865, after the north won the Civil War, the government opened the Freedman’s Bank. This institution was geared towards nearly fo...

Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery in the late 18th century. Despite this, she’d go on to prove that enslavement was only a sta...

Harriet Tubman is one of the greatest freedom fighters to exist. Enslaved and enraged, Tubman committed to not only freeing herself,...

Born into slavery as Ida B. Wells in 1862, she was a pioneer of modern investigative journalism during the Reconstruction Era. After...

Fresh off an oil-boom, the black residents of Greenwood, Okla. built a booming community known as The Negro Wall Street. But in May...

Fisk University was founded in Nashville, Tenn. in 1866. As an institution for African-American students, their first years of incep...

In June of 1882, a 30-year-old shoemaker by the name of Homer Plessy of New Orleans led a revolution that aimed to overturn Jim Crow...

Born as Marguerite Johnson in 1928, Maya Angelou is a 20th Century renaissance woman who was catapulted into international fame with...

After the Civil War, the Reconstruction era brought about hope and change in the form of citizenship and equality in America. Black...

One of the pioneers of the hair care industry is an African-American woman named Sarah Breedlove. After becoming a widow at the age...

Although the 13th Amendment passed the Senate in 1864 and the House in 1865, the loopholes that exist continue to wreak havoc on the...