Black History

Introduction: The Movie Hollywood Almost Overlooked One thing I’ve learned about Hollywood is that some of its most successful and unforgettable movies started with ideas that major studios didn’t think were worth taking a chance on. When Friday reached theaters on April 26, 1995, few people could have predicted how deeply it would become connected

Introduction: The Right to Vote and the Right to Participate One thing I’ve learned about American history is that having the right to vote and being able to exercise that right have not always meant the same thing. For generations, Black Americans faced literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, and registration requirements designed to keep them

Introduction: When a Photograph Exposes a Nation Some photographs do more than preserve history. They expose the character of a society that allowed something terrible to happen. One such photograph was taken in Marion, Indiana, in August 1930, following the lynching of two young Black men, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. What makes the image

Introduction: The Man Behind the Historic Name Before Thurgood Marshall became the first Black justice of the United States Supreme Court, he spent decades fighting racial discrimination in a country that often denied Black Americans equal protection under the law. Most people remember him for the historic 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education,

Introduction: The Power of Black Creativity One thing studying Black history has taught me is that some of our greatest cultural achievements emerged despite efforts to limit our freedom. For generations, Black Americans were told their language, music, and traditions were inferior. Yet our ancestors drew upon African heritage, American experiences, and their own imagination

Introduction: Remembering Who Paid the Price One thing that troubles me about conversations concerning race in America is how easily people overlook the sacrifices Black Americans made to expand freedom and opportunity. Our ancestors endured slavery, segregation, racial violence, and generations of discrimination while fighting for rights that should have belonged to everybody. They built

Introduction: When Science Becomes a Tool of Inequality I’ve learned that understanding history means examining not only what people accomplished, but also the beliefs behind their work. Psychology has contributed greatly to our understanding of human behavior, yet its history includes examples of racial prejudice being presented as scientific fact. One troubling example involves Lewis