Black Cowboys and the History of the Rodeo
Long overlooked in histories of the West, African-American rodeo stars also faced discrimination and erasure in that sport, too.
Is Hiring More Black Officers the Key to Reducing Police Violence?
Diversity among officers lags behind the general population. But is police culture a greater problem when it comes to combating excessive force?
Why Black Women Joined the Communist Party
During the Great Depression, Communists took to the streets to fight racism, poverty, and injustice. Among them were Black women.
The Jim Crow Army in the Philippine-American War
Some African American soldiers of the conflict thought fighting against fellow people of color was unjust.
Does Busing Work to Integrate Schools?
Busing as a means used to end school segregation remains controversial. Does it work? The case of Norfolk, Virginia, is highly instructive.
Searching for Black Queer History in Sensational Newspapers
Sometimes finding the stories of marginalized populations demands reading between the lines.
What Dorothy Porter’s Life Meant for Black Studies
Dorothy Porter, a Black woman pioneer in library and information science, created an archive that structured a new field.
Black Radicalism’s Complex Relationship with Japanese Empire
Black intellectuals in the U.S.—from W. E. B. Du Bois to Marcus Garvey—had strong and divergent opinions on Japanese Empire.
The African Roots of MLK’s Vision
“Ghana tells us that the forces of the universe are on the side of justice… An old order of colonialism, of segregation, discrimination is passing away now.”
The People’s Grocery Lynching, Memphis, Tennessee
On March 2, 1892, in Memphis, Tennessee, a racially charged mob grew out of a fight between a black and a white youth near People’s Grocery.