Hiram R. Revels Biography
Source: Biography
Hiram R. Revels was the first African American to serve in the United States Senate. An academic and a minister, he supported integrated schools and equal opportunities for black workers.
Culture & Society
Kent State Incident
Source: HISTORY
Learn about the deadly response to a college protest against the Vietnam War.
Integration of Central High School
Source: HISTORY
In 1957, Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, was a flash point in the struggle for civil rights for all Americans. There, nine African American students attempted to attend classes in the face of angry protests and the opposition of the state’s governor. This HISTORY feature shows how ugly fear of “the Other” can be.
In northern Mali, music silenced as Islamists drive out artists
Source: The Washington Post
The west African nation of Mali stretches from arid desert to lush tropics and is home to rich cultural traditions in music, architecture, and ancient scholarship. Recently, though, its renowned musicians have faced threats that have sent them into hiding or across the globe in search of freedom.
How photography connects us
Source: TED Ed
Powerful photographs can both connect us with the experiences of people on the other side of the world and reveal to us the wonders in our own backyard. In this TED Ed Talk, the photo director for National Geographic magazine shares compelling photos and reflects on their impact.
How do you fix a polarized D.C.? Here are three ways.
Source: Christian Science Monitor
The members of the United States Congress are elected to represent the interests of their districts or states while working together for the good of the nation as a whole. Why, then, do average Americans find it so much easier to work together than their members of Congress do?
Artful Animals
Source: Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
Through the years, African artists have crafted animal artifacts as symbols of specific ideas and traits. Explore the many links on this site to view some artifacts and to discover how the traits of various animals play a key role in African folktales.
Yiddish Culture Takes Center Stage
Source: NPR
Zalmen Mlotek, artistic director of the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene, and his son Avram, who performs at the theater, talk about the Yiddish language and preserving it through art.
The Greatest Risks They Ever Took
Source: Forbes
Successful people often must take risks to achieve their goals. Explore what these 34 people consider to have been their greatest risks on the road to success.
‘Beyond Bollywood’: Inside the Smithsonian’s exhibition on Indian Americans
Source: The Washington Post
The new Smithsonian exhibition, “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation,” is meant to show the imprint Indian Americans have made in United States culture throughout the centuries. Take a look inside the exhibition.