Aug. 15, 1975: Joan Little Acquitted
Joan Little used deadly force to resist sexual assault and was the first to successfully defend herself in court leading to acquittal.
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Theme: African American
African American
Sept. 1, 1965: Klan Raid Family Home in Hayneville, Alabama
The Ku Klux Klan shot into the home of Freedom Library organizer Pattie Mae McDonald and her family to terrorize them.
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Aug. 21, 1939: African Americans Arrested for Going to Public Library
Five Black men were arrested for staging a peaceful sit-in at the Alexandria “public” library that denied access to African Americans, making this the anniversary of one of the earliest instances of this form of non-violent protest that became popular in the mid-20th century.
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When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop
Picture book. By Laban Carrick Hill. Illustrations by Theodore Taylor III. 2013. 32 pages.
A picture book biography about DJ Kool Herc, and the birth of hip hop.
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A picture book biography about DJ Kool Herc, and the birth of hip hop.
Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side
Book — Non-fiction. By Eve Ewing. 2018. 240 pages.
This book flips the script about how we talk about "failing schools," using historical research and current data to show that Chicago's public schools are storehouses of memory, an integral part of their neighborhoods, and at the heart of their communities.
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This book flips the script about how we talk about "failing schools," using historical research and current data to show that Chicago's public schools are storehouses of memory, an integral part of their neighborhoods, and at the heart of their communities.
Colored Conventions Project
Digital collection. A repository for primary sources and collection of essays about the origins, activities, and influence of the 19th-century Colored Conventions Movement that advocated for Black civil and human rights.
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Oct. 17, 1969: 14 Black Student Athletes Fired at Hint of Protest
Fourteen Black football players at the University of Wyoming were fired when their coach learned they wanted to wear black armbands during a game against Brigham Young University.
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Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations
Picture book. By Kelly Starling Lyons. Illustrated by Keith Mallett. 2019. 32 pages.
The 120-year history of the song through generations of her family who have passed it on — starting with a young girl who learned it in 1900 in Jacksonville, Florida, from her principal (James Weldon Johnson) and his brother.
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The 120-year history of the song through generations of her family who have passed it on — starting with a young girl who learned it in 1900 in Jacksonville, Florida, from her principal (James Weldon Johnson) and his brother.
Oct. 25, 1969: Opening of Malcolm X Liberation University
Opening of the Malcolm X Liberation University in Durham, North Carolina.
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Teacher Mini-Grants to Commemorate the 15th Amendment in 2020
Apply for a mini-grant to teach the 15th Amendment in 2020, the 150th anniversary of the Constitutional right to vote regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
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Dec. 17, 1951: “We Charge Genocide” Petition Submitted to United Nations
Paul Robeson and William Patterson submitted a petition from the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) to the United Nations, signed by almost 100 U.S. intellectuals and activists.
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Jan. 1, 1915: John Henrik Clarke Born in Alabama
The teacher, scholar, and Pan-Africanist intellectual leader was born in Alabama.
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An African American and Latinx History of the United States
Book — Non-fiction. By Paul Ortiz. 2018. 296 pages.
This narrative, intersectional history describes the shared struggle for African American and Latinx civil rights, and argues that the “Global South” was crucial to the development of the United States.
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This narrative, intersectional history describes the shared struggle for African American and Latinx civil rights, and argues that the “Global South” was crucial to the development of the United States.
40 Acres and a Mule: Role-Playing What Reconstruction Could Have Been
Teaching Activity. By Adam Sanchez. Rethinking Schools, 2020.
This multimedia, creative role play introduces students to the ways African American life changed immediately after the Civil War by focusing on the Sea Islands before and during Reconstruction.
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This multimedia, creative role play introduces students to the ways African American life changed immediately after the Civil War by focusing on the Sea Islands before and during Reconstruction.
March 24, 1966: Supreme Court Officially Abolishes Last Vestige of Poll Taxes
A U.S. Supreme Court decision bans poll taxes for state and local elections.
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Glory
Film. Directed by Edward Zwick. 1989. 122 minutes.
The all-Black 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment is brought to the screen in this star-studded Civil War film.
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The all-Black 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment is brought to the screen in this star-studded Civil War film.
Texas Freedom Colonies Project Atlas & Study
Digital collection. This digital mapping project documents historic Black settlements, called "freedom colonies," founded across Texas from 1866-1930.
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At the River I Stand
Film. Directed by David Appleby, Allison Graham, and Steven Ross. 1993. 58 minutes.
Documentary film on the African American sanitation workers' 1968 fight for human dignity and a living wage in Memphis.
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Documentary film on the African American sanitation workers' 1968 fight for human dignity and a living wage in Memphis.
April 7, 1954: Norfolk’s African American Baseball Fans Win Desegregation Victories
A successful boycott of the Norfolk Tars by Black sports fans leads the team to desegregate both the players and stadium seating.
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Stolen Justice: The Struggle for African American Voting Rights
Book — Non-fiction. By Lawrence Goldstone. 2020. 288 pages.
This young adult book documents the long and ongoing struggle for voting rights for African Americans.
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This young adult book documents the long and ongoing struggle for voting rights for African Americans.
The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
Film. Directed and produced by Stanley Nelson. 1999. 83 minutes.
This documentary chronicles 150 years of Black journalists, printers, and Black-owned newspapers in the United States.
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This documentary chronicles 150 years of Black journalists, printers, and Black-owned newspapers in the United States.
July 29, 1835: Abolitionist Literature Removed from Post Office and Burned
Late night raid on the Charleston post office by a mob of white supremacists and the burning of abolitionist mail.
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Unpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice
Book — Non-fiction. By Lawrence Goldstone. 2018. 288 pages.
This young adult book provides students with the history of the 1873 massacre of unarmed African Americans in Colfax, Louisiana and the subsequent Supreme Court Case.
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This young adult book provides students with the history of the 1873 massacre of unarmed African Americans in Colfax, Louisiana and the subsequent Supreme Court Case.
Biddy Mason Speaks Up
Book — Non-fiction. By Arisa White and Laura Atkins. 2019. 112 pages.
An illustrated children's book tells the story of real-life champion for civil rights Bridget "Biddy" Mason.
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An illustrated children's book tells the story of real-life champion for civil rights Bridget "Biddy" Mason.
She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman
Book — Non-fiction. By Erica Armstrong Dunbar. 2019. 176 pages.
This book blends traditional biography with illustrations, photos, and engaging sidebars that illuminate the life of Harriet Tubman.
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This book blends traditional biography with illustrations, photos, and engaging sidebars that illuminate the life of Harriet Tubman.