Black History

IntroductionBlack history is often told through the stories of great leaders and iconic movements, but sometimes the most important work happened behind closed doors. One such story is that of the Black Cabinet, a group of African American professionals who worked within Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration during his twelve-year presidency. Despite their influence, FDR never […]

IntroductionThe story of Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight champion of the world, is more than a tale of athletic greatness. It is also a mirror of America’s deepest contradictions about race, pride, and freedom. In 1910, when Johnson defeated Jim Jeffries in the “Fight of the Century,” the outcome shook the nation. Rather than

The Arthur family, particularly Scott Arthur and his stepsons Irving and Herman Arthur, were deeply affected by the sharecropping system in the post-emancipation South. Scott Arthur was a tenant farmer who worked the land of white landowner John Henry Hodges in Paris, Texas. His stepsons, Irving and Herman, were born into this system and became

Introduction The erasure of Black history from institutions and narratives is not new, but recent attempts to alter public perception highlight the ongoing struggle over memory and representation. Donald Trump’s stated intentions regarding the Smithsonian’s portrayal of Black history have sparked renewed attention to the systemic whitewashing of culture and religion. This is not simply

Introduction History is often taught in neat, sanitized packages that highlight admirable qualities while leaving out uncomfortable truths. Helen Keller, celebrated worldwide as a symbol of resilience and perseverance, is a striking example of this selective storytelling. While she accomplished incredible feats in communication, advocacy, and disability rights, her early adult years were also entangled

Introduction Slavery is often taught as a sad story, a tragedy that America eventually overcame. But to those who lived it, slavery was not sadness—it was daily terror, blood, and survival. In the 1930s, when the Federal Writers’ Project interviewed formerly enslaved people, the government expected softened memories or resignation. Instead, they received raw testimonies

Introduction The University of Mississippi, widely known as Ole Miss, long embraced a culture steeped in Confederate symbolism. Its mascot, Colonel Reb, the band in Confederate-style uniforms, and cheerleaders distributing Confederate flags exemplified this ideology. These practices persisted well into the 1990s, embedding a deeply emotional and divisive identity for the institution. For many alumni

Introduction Harriet Tubman understood something that many still refuse to grasp today: not everyone actually wants to be free. Some people are so bound to the systems that control them that they would rather stay in chains than face the uncertainty of liberation. Freedom demands courage, risk, and sacrifice, and those who hesitate can endanger

The Setting In February of 1893, Ida B. Wells stood before a packed audience at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. She spoke with urgency and clarity about the terror that lynching inflicted upon Black communities. Her words were not abstract condemnations but lived truths, drawn from the daily realities of Southern