Jupiter Hammon, Earliest African-American Writer, Poem Discovered By Student
We’ve really been enjoying Black History Month, and it seems that there is always more history being written! This year, a poem was discovered by Julie McCown, a doctoral student, which dates all the way back to 1786 – making it the first documented poem of African American writer Jupiter Hammon. Here’s the story from Huffington Post and don’t forget to check out our free Black History Issue! Firsthand accounts of American slavery are certainly a limited treasure. Any opportunity to read a description of what being subjected to the…
Why I, an Asian man, fight anti-black racism
This article appeared on Dominion of New York but was originally from the website Changelab, which seems to be run by Scot Nakagawa himself. In this article, Scot talks about why he, as an Asian man, is so passionate about anti-black racism. I think he raises some excellent points – besides the fact that we should all fight against racism of any kind. Worth reading! And don’t forget to check out our free Black History Issue! I’m often asked why I’ve focused so much more on anti-black racism than on…
28 Common racist attitudes and behaviors
St. Cloud State University’s Office of Equity and Affirmative Action created a 28 Common Racist Attitudes and Behaviors Guide in 2005. I had just discovered it and wanted to share it with you – it’s still so relevant! Here are a few great points taken from the guide – and you can download the full guide here! And don’t forget to check out our free Black History Issue! 3. Reverse Racism. A. “People of color are just as racist as white people.” B. “Affirmative action had a role years ago,…
Black History Month: Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Maryland. One of his father’s favorite pastimes was to listen to cases at the local courthouse before returning home to rehash the lawyers’ arguments with his sons. Thurgood Marshall later recalled, “Now you want to know how I got involved in law? I don’t know. The nearest I can get is that my dad, my brother, and I had the most violent arguments you ever heard about anything. I guess we argued five out of seven nights at the dinner…
Black History Month: Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Born a slave in 1862, Ida Bell Wells was the oldest daughter of James and Lizzie Wells. The Wells family, as well as the rest of the nation’s slaves, were freed about six months after Ida’s birth, thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation. However, living in Mississippi as African Americans, they faced racial prejudices and were restricted by discriminatory rules and practices. Ida B. Wells’s father served on the first board of trustees for Rust College and made education a priority for his seven children. It was there that Wells received…
