FDR on Racial Discrimination
1942
Read a transcription and a bit of historical context behind Franklin D. Roosevelt’s letter to Joseph Curran concerning Executive Order 8802 and discrimination against Black sailors.
Civil Rights Posters
1968
Explore the historical context behind two posters from the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers' strike.
“Kathleen Cleaver on Natural Hair”
1968
Learn more about this element of Afrocentric aesthetics and the embrace of “Black is Beautiful.”
“Hey Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean”
ca. 1952
Watch Ruth Brown’s live performance of an early R&B song.
Commencement Address by Gen. Colin Powell
1994
Watch Gen. Powell’s speech at one of the premier historically Black universities.
“Original Faubus Fables”
1960
Hear Charles Mingus's musical retort to Arkansas Governor and segregationist Orval Faubus.
Maya Angelou at the Library of Congress
1984
Listen to Maya Angelou read from her work, including her poem “Still I Rise,” and Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask.”
“Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
2012
Watch a modern performance of a classic song from the Black Freedom struggle.
The Origins and Elements of Hip-Hop
with Jeff Chang
Learn more about the genres, composers, and performers who developed the building blocks for what would become hip-hop.
The Evolution of Hip-Hop and Breakdancing
with Jeff Chang
Explore the development of turntables, sampling, and breakdancing as key elements of hip-hop artistry and culture.
The Influence of the 1960s and 1970s on Hip-Hop
with Jeff Chang
Explore the importance of place and community on the development and growth of hip-hop in its earliest days.
African American Scientists
with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Learn more about some of the most notable African American scientists and their discoveries, from Benjamin Banneker to Neil deGrasse Tyson.
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