Annie M. Alexander: Paleontologist and Silent Benefactor
An unsung patron of science whose deep pockets and passion for exploring led to the founding of two influential natural history museums.
Black Caribbeans in the Harlem Renaissance
The "Capital of Black America" was also a world capital, thanks to the influence of West Indian–born artists and writers like Claude McKay.
Why Didn’t Movies about Passing Cast Black Actors?
"Social problem" films were all the rage after World War II. So how could movies about racism be so conservative?
White Women and the Mahjong Craze
Travelers brought the Chinese game to American shores in the early 1920s. Why was it such a hit?
How Civil Rights Groups Used Photography for Change
As one activist said, “If our story is to be told, we will have to write it and photograph it and disseminate it ourselves.”
The “Scientific” Antifeminists of Victorian England
Nineteenth-century biologists employed some outrageous arguments in order to keep women confined to the home.
The Meaning of Racist Place Names
In one river town in central Illinois, a wetlands called N— Lake was scapegoated for destructive flooding.
Zora Neale Hurston
In a controversial letter, the versatile author expressed frustration with critics of segregation.
How Rock against Racism Fought the Right
A rising tide of violence and bigotry in the 1970s infected the British music scene. A group of musicians organized to resist.