Gregg Hecimovich, a professor of English in South Carolina, may have successfully identified the woman who wrote The Bondwoman’s Narrative. The novel is thought to be the first written by an African-American woman. Until now, no one knew the author’s true identity.
Read about the history of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traditions for Black Americans.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not end racial oppression. Read the Introduction and Background on this web site to learn how African Americans continued to fight for equal rights.
Read about some of the objects on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
A sociologist shares the results and repercussions of an in-depth data analysis.
Well over a century after the South lost the Civil War, its battle flag is showing up in a surprising place: the North. This article explores the causes and effects.
Learn why an academic approach toward examining lingering effects of slavery has turned into a hot-button topic.
Read about the work of Civil War photographers, who mostly shot post-battle scenes and camp life, because the laborious process prohibited them from safely documenting the action of battle. Click the image at the top to view a slideshow of photos from the time.
View artifacts from the Reconstruction era, including artworks, pamphlets, maps, and more.
Learn why a sculpture inspired by the Emancipation Proclamation incited controversy that resulted in its removal.
After decades of land loss and lending discrimination Black American farmers struggle to reclaim the ability to sustain their ancestral farmlands.
At the start of the 2021 Legislative session in the state of Texas, a bill was filed to end an outdated state holiday. Find out why it’s on the books at all.
Over a century and a half after emancipation, why are Black Americans statistically more likely to suffer from health problems?
Ida B. Wells was a journalist who spoke out for women’s rights and against lynching, amongst numerous other issues. Watch a mini-biography, and learn more about Wells at this site.
Descendants of enslaved people may be entitled to reparations, but what can we learn from previous attempts to compensate people for a wrong?
A century and a half after emancipation, Black Americans face economic challenges that have only been exacerbated by a global pandemic.
Learn how city geography can affect protests and their outcomes.
Read this article to learn how inequalities were perpetuated after slavery was abolished. Consider this researcher’s opinions on generational wealth and systemic poverty.
On Independence Day in 1867, an estimated 10,000 African Americans gathered in Lexington, Kentucky, to hear prominent civil rights leaders speak. Read this article for an account of the almost-forgotten event.
At the time of the Civil War, cameras were too slow to capture scenes of the battles. Illustrator Alfred Rudolph Waud was among the artists who provide first-hand visuals at the Battle of Bull Run and other key battles.
