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Librarians' Internet Index - Websites You Can Trust

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Biographies & Famous People

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 Websites presented in alphabetical order

"Shuffle Along": The Eubie Blake Collection view detail comment email this

Collection about "jazz-pioneer Eubie Blake. Blake, born in Baltimore in the 1880s, went on to become one of the most popular ragtime composers of his era and one of the more influential musicians of the 20th century." Includes images of sheet music and correspondence, photos, biography, discography, audio clips, and more. From the Maryland Historical Society.
http://www.mdhs.org/eubieblake/
Topics: Black Resources, Musicians

Last updated Jun 24, 2009


Aaron Douglas: African American Modernist view detail comment email this

Website for a 2007 retrospective celebrating "the art and legacy of Aaron Douglas (1899-1979), a Kansas native considered the foremost visual artist of the Harlem Renaissance." Features a timeline of Douglas' life, photos from the exhibition, exhibition brochure, and other material accompanying the exhibit. Also includes photos of and videos about a public mural created in conjunction with the exhibition. From the Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas.
http://www.aarondouglas.ku.edu/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 13, 2009


African American Inventors view detail comment email this

Brief annotated bibliography about African American inventors, covering general reference books, films and video, and works on specific individuals, including Benjamin Banneker (surveyor, astronomer, and inventor) and James Forten (abolitionist and maritime innovator). From Encyclopedia Smithsonian, a website of the Smithsonian Institution.
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/afinvent.htm
Topics: Black Resources, Technology

Last updated Oct 31, 2007


African American Lives 2 view detail comment email this

This companion website to a PBS series about African American heritage "provides information about the series, background on the research, scholarship, and science, and resources for people to learn more about their own family history and genealogy." Find an interactive timeline, images, videos, lesson plans, and profiles of poet Maya Angelou, athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, comedian and actor Chris Rock, musician Tina Turner, and others.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 13, 2009


African Americans: FAQs view detail comment email this

Answers with citations to 11 frequently asked questions about African Americans. Questions include who was the first African American to be nominated as a presidential candidate ("Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) was nominated for the United States Presidency at the Republican Convention in 1888. He received one vote."), and the first African American woman to serve in Congress (Shirley Chisholm). Includes links to book lists. Part of the Knowledge Base from the Free Library of Philadelphia.
http://libwww.freelibrary.org/faq/faqsubcat.cfm?FAQCategory=1
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jun 11, 2008


Africans in America: People & Events: Benjamin Banneker, 1731-1806 view detail comment email this

Biographical essay about Benjamin Banneker, "author, scientist, mathematician, farmer, astronomer, publisher and urban planner [who] was descended from enslaved Africans, an indentured English servant, and free men and women of color." Discusses accomplishments and key events in his life, and includes a related essay on Banneker's "Almanac," and letters to and from Banneker and Thomas Jefferson. Part of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) "Africans in America" website and TV series.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p84.html
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Oct 23, 2007


Africans in America: People & Events: Gabriel's Conspiracy view detail comment email this

This essay recounts the events surrounding the slave rebellion organized by African American leader Gabriel Prosser in 1799 and 1800. Includes links to related essays. Part of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) "Africans in America." site.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p1576.html
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People

Last updated Aug 23, 2006


Alex Haley Biography view detail comment email this

Biography of writer Alex Haley, who is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Roots" (about his African ancestors) and his contributions to "The Autobiography of Malcolm X." Includes related material about Haley's ancestor, Kunta Kinte, two versions of his family tree, and genealogy resources. From the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation.
http://www.kintehaley.org/rootshaleybio.html
Topics: Authors by Region: United States, Black Resources

Last updated Aug 3, 2006


Althea Gibson view detail comment email this

This is the official website for Althea Gibson, who "overcame unbelievable odds to achieve international acclaim and success ... in both amateur tennis and professional golf." Gibson, who died in 2003 at the age of 76, was "the first African-American to win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships." The site features a partial chronology of her life from 1927 through 1975, photographs, and information about the Althea Gibson Foundation.
http://www.altheagibson.com/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women, Photograph Collections, Sports, Women

Last updated Apr 6, 2006


America's Story: Harriet Tubman view detail comment email this

Brief biography and series of stories about the life of Harriet Tubman, "a runaway slave from Maryland who became known as the 'Moses of her people.'" Illustrated essays describe Tubman's escape from slavery, her role as conductor of the Underground Railroad, and her work during the U.S. Civil War. From the Library of Congress.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/tubman
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People: Women

Last updated Mar 5, 2007


Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) view detail comment email this

This site contains information on the founder of ASALH, Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, who established the first Negro History Week, which officially expanded to Black History Month in 1976. Includes a list of the Black History Month themes for the next several years, brief details about the Carter G. Woodson Home (a national historic landmark), and information about the annual essay contest for all full-time graduate and undergraduate students.
http://www.asalh.org/
Topics: Black Resources, History, Notable People, Special Months

Last updated Jan 7, 2006


August Wilson 4/27/45-10/2/05 view detail comment email this

Collection of news and analysis about playwright August Wilson, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh and who also lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Seattle. Features a timeline, photos, obituary, and background about his Pittsburgh cycle of 10 plays, "each situated in a different decade of the 20th century, ... [which explore] the comedy and tragedy ... of African-American history and culture." Also includes links to many related articles. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03001/497623.stm
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People

Last updated Jan 31, 2007


Barbara Jordan view detail comment email this

A chronology of the life of this Texas politician, quotes from Jordan's speeches and other material, and memorial tributes to her, with links to articles published in the Houston Chronicle.
http://www.rice.edu/armadillo/Texas/jordan.html
Topics: Black Resources, Federal (U.S.) Government, Government, Notable People, Notable People: Government, Notable People: Women

Last updated Feb 12, 2006


Biography.com Celebrates Black History Month view detail comment email this

Several dozen report-length biographies of athletes, educators, entertainers, public officials, religious leaders, scientists, social reformers, and writers and artists. Many include photographs and chronologies of completed works.
http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/
Topics: Black Resources, Photograph Collections: History

Last updated Feb 9, 2007


Black Americans in Congress view detail comment email this

"Since 1870, when Senator Hiram Revels of Mississippi and Representative Joseph Rainey of South Carolina became the first African Americans to serve in Congress, a total of 124 African Americans have served as U.S. Representatives or Senators. This Web site, based on the book 'Black Americans in Congress, 1870–2007,' contains biographical profiles ... links to information about current black Members, essays ... and images." From the Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.
http://baic.house.gov/
Topics: Black Resources, Federal (U.S.) Government

Last updated Jan 12, 2009


Black Europeans view detail comment email this

Series of features on black Europeans, including Alexander Pushkin, Alexandre Dumas, George Polgreen Bridgetower, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and John Archer. Individual sections include essays, images, and sound samples. Also provides and introduction about black Europeans, noting that in recent years there has been "a new drive to explore and understand the hidden or ignored contribution of people of African descent to the mainstream of European culture and society." From the British Library.
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/blackeuro/homepage.html
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Aug 20, 2008


Black History Month: A Medical Perspective view detail comment email this

This small, illustrated exhibit looks at highlights and achievements of African Americans in medicine. It features biographies of black physicians, a timeline of blacks in medical education, and overview of the black hospital movement (1865-1960s), several folk medicine healing concepts and beliefs, and related materials. From the Duke University Medical Center Library.
http://www.mclibrary.duke.edu/hom/exhibits/blkhist/
Topics: Black Resources, Health

Last updated Jan 10, 2008


Black History Month: Ashe's Activism Helped Mold the Future view detail comment email this

Series of articles about tennis player Arthur Ashe, who "become the first African-American man to win tennis' most hallowed trophy, Wimbledon, in 1975." Discusses Ashe's tennis career and victories and his involvement in other causes, including AIDS activism (he died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993), Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid, and the rights of Haitian refugees. From ESPN.
http://assets.espn.go.com/tennis/s/2003/0205/1504540.html
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Sports

Last updated Jan 16, 2009


Black Nurses in History: A Bibliography and Guide to Web Resources view detail comment email this

This bibliography lists articles (mostly from nursing journals) about black nurses and nursing topics. Includes general articles and pieces on individuals such as Mary Eliza Mahoney, Mary Seacole, Mabel Keaton Staupers, and Harriet Tubman. Also includes several links to related websites. From the University Libraries at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
http://www.umdnj.edu/camlbweb/blacknurses.html
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People

Last updated Sep 4, 2009


BlackPast.org: Remembered & Reclaimed view detail comment email this

This site provides "reference materials to the general public on six centuries of African American history. It includes an online encyclopedia of hundreds of famous and lesser known figures in African America, full text primary documents and major speeches of black activists and leaders from the 18th Century to the present." Searchable, or browse encyclopedia articles about people, places, churches, events, and organizations. Directed by an African American history professor at the University of Washington.
http://blackpast.org
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Feb 20, 2007


The Booker T. Washington Papers view detail comment email this

This site is "designed to provide researchers worldwide with full access to the thousands of pages comprising this 14-volume printed work, originally published by the University of Illinois Press." The collection includes autobiographical writings, letters, newspaper articles, tombstone inscriptions, documents from the Tuskegee Normal School (of which Washington was a trustee), and a large number of other documents. The site is searchable, and volumes can be browsed with the aid of the tables of contents.
http://www.historycooperative.org/btw/
Topics: Black Resources, Correspondence, Education, Notable People

Last updated Aug 4, 2004


Breaking Racial Barriers: African Americans in the Harmon Foundation Collection view detail comment email this

Twenty portraits with brief biographical and artist information from a 1944 exhibition, "Portraits of Outstanding Americans of Negro Origin." The exhibit was organized with the "express goal of reversing racial intolerance, ignorance and bigotry by illustrating the accomplishments of contemporary African Americans." It opened at the Smithsonian Institution and then toured the United States for ten years. The works are now in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery.
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/harmon/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Feb 1, 2005


Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin view detail comment email this

Openly gay activist Bayard Rustin "organized the 1963 March on Washington that culminated in King's 'I Have a Dream' speech. Learn more about his legacy of protest and the making of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. ... Read original essays by Bayard Rustin and listen to recordings of Rustin's speeches and songs, including his famous 1962 debate with Malcolm X." Includes related links. A companion site to the television production from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
http://www.pbs.org/pov/brotheroutsider/
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgendered People, Holidays & Observances, Holidays and Observances Individually, Musical Genres, Notable People

Last updated Sep 4, 2009


A Canterbury Tale: A Document Package for Connecticut's Prudence Crandall Affair view detail comment email this

Full-text collection of correspondence, excerpts from legal documents, and other material concerning Prudence Crandall's opening (1831) of a boarding school for African American women in Canterbury, Connecticut, and the subsequent Connecticut state law prohibiting the establishment of such a school and trial of Crandall. Presented chronologically. This useful collection could benefit from a brief introduction to the subject. From the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University.
http://www.yale.edu/glc/crandall/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Aug 29, 2007


Cayton, Horace (1859-1940) view detail comment email this

This article presents biographical information about Seattle newspaperman Horace Cayton. Born in 1859, Cayton was a former slave who worked his way through college before moving to Washington state. The site discusses his career working for Seattle newspapers and publishing the Seattle Republican, "a newspaper directed at both white and black readers and which at one point had the second largest circulation in the city." Includes photos and related resources. From HistoryLink.org.
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=309
Topics: Black Resources, Newspapers, Notable People

Last updated May 16, 2009


A Centenary Celebration of Ralph J. Bunche view detail comment email this

"One of UCLA's most distinguished alumni, Ralph Johnson Bunche (1903-71) fought poverty and racism on his way to becoming one of the twentieth century's leading peacemakers. ... [T]his exhibit celebrates his remarkable legacy by focusing on his accomplishments in three main areas: as a student, a scholar, and a diplomat." Features illustrated essays covering topics such as his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950. From the University of California, Los Angeles, Library.
http://www.library.ucla.edu/bunche/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Government

Last updated Aug 16, 2006


Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed view detail comment email this

This site is a companion to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Point of View (P.O.V.) documentary about the 1972 presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 had become the first black woman elected to Congress. The site provides a brief guide to 1972 in the United States and information about the 1972 Democratic Convention. Also includes a trailer and synopsis of the film, and links to related information.
http://www.pbs.org/pov/chisholm/
Topics: Black Resources, Federal (U.S.) Government, Government, History, Notable People, Notable People: Government, Notable People: Women, The United States Presidency, U.S. Elections, United States History

Last updated Sep 9, 2009


Citizen King view detail comment email this

Companion site to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) American Experience program about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that "explores the last five years in King's life by drawing on the personal recollections and eyewitness accounts of friends, movement associates, journalists, law enforcement officers, and historians, to illuminate this little-known chapter in the story of America's most important and influential moral leader." Includes interview, an opinion poll, links to timelines, maps, and a teacher's guide.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/mlk/
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Holidays and Observances Individually, Notable People

Last updated Jan 6, 2005


Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks Dies view detail comment email this

Radio program about Rosa Parks (1913-2005), known as the "'mother of the civil rights movement' ... [for turning] the course of American history by refusing in 1955 to give up her seat on a bus for a white man." Includes audio of past interviews with Parks, images, and links to related stories. From National Public Radio (NPR).
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4973548
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Notable People: Women

Last updated Oct 25, 2005


The Continuous Commitment: African Americans in the American Red Cross view detail comment email this

"You will find in this exhibit only a small portion of the contributions made by African Americans yesterday and today" to the American Red Cross. Some of the topics include abolitionist Frederick Douglass' participation, African American involvement during wars, and the development of the African American HIV/AIDS Program. From the American Red Cross.
http://www.redcross.org/museum/exhibits/aaexhibit.asp
Topics: Black Resources, Health

Last updated Jun 20, 2009


Coretta Scott King view detail comment email this

Biographical information about Coretta Scott King, founding president of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta. Includes details about her involvement in the causes of her husband, Martin Luther King Jr. and her activities after his assassination in 1968. Also find essays on Martin Luther King Jr., nonviolence, and related topics. From the Martin Luther King Papers Project, Stanford University.
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_king_coretta_scott_1927_2006/
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Notable People, Notable People: Women, Social Issues

Last updated Sep 14, 2009


Creative Space: Fifty Years of Robert Blackburn's Printmaking Workshop view detail comment email this

This companion site to a Library of Congress exhibit explores the life and works of New York City printmaker Robert Blackburn. The exhibit features information about Blackburn's Printmaking Workshop, "the oldest and largest non-profit print workshop in the United States," as well as his earlier involvement with the Harlem Community Art Center (sponsored by the Works Progress Administration). Includes images of works by Blackburn and his colleagues. Searchable.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/blackburn/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Printing, Publishing, and Book Arts

Last updated May 23, 2004


DaCosta 400: A Celebration of Black Canadian Heritage, 1605-2005 view detail comment email this

Overview of the 400-year anniversary celebration (in 2005 through 2007) of people with African backgrounds living in Canada. "Mattheu Da Costa, thought to be the first Black man in Canada (Acadia), came to Canada with Samuel de Champlain," in 1605. Includes a timeline of Canadian black history, important events and personalities (such as Africville and black cowboys), education resources (including recipes), and more. In English and French.
http://www.dacosta400.ca
Topics: Black Resources, History By Place

Last updated Mar 22, 2006


Detroit's Flamboyant Prophet Jones view detail comment email this

Illustrated biography of "Detroit's Rev. James F. (Prophet) Jones, who at the height of his popularity claimed to have six million followers nationally." Includes information about the Church of Universal Triumph, the Dominion of God Inc., founded in 1938 in Detroit. From the Detroit News.
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=182
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People

Last updated Dec 21, 2008


Documenting Our Past: The Teenie Harris Archive Project view detail comment email this

Teenie Harris' "40-year career with the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the largest and most influential Black newspapers in the country, began as the nation emerged from the Depression and ended with the Civil Rights Movement. Numbering upwards of 80,000 images [over 45,000 shown here], this archive represents the largest single collection of photographic images of any Black community in the United States -- or the world, for that matter." From the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh.
http://www.cmoa.org/teenie/info.asp
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Arts & Humanities, Photograph Collections: History, Photograph Collections: Regional: United States, Photography, U.S. History By Place

Last updated Jan 2, 2009


Dorothy Porter Wesley (1905-1995): Afro-American Librarian and Bibliophile view detail comment email this

This exhibit "honors the memory of one the most prominent African-American librarians and bibliophiles of the twentieth century." Features a biography, transcript of a speech given by Wesley in 1957, an exhibition checklist with selected images of books and postcards, and a selected bibliography. From librarian James Findlay of the Bienes Center for the Literary Arts (now Bienes Museum of the Modern Book), Broward County Library, Florida.
http://www.broward.org/library/bienes/lii13600.htm
Topics: Black Resources, Librarianship

Last updated Jan 17, 2008


Dox Thrash: An African American Master Printmaker Rediscovered view detail comment email this

A biographical timeline, images, and information and illustrative examples of various styles of printmaking utilized by Thrash (carborundum mezzotint, carborundum relief etching, aquatint, drypoint, etching, linocut, lithograph, woodcuts). A companion to an exhibit of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this site also features information on conservation methods used in the exhibit.
http://www.philamuseum.org/micro_sites/exhibitions/thrash/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People

Last updated Apr 23, 2006


Du Bois: The Activist Life view detail comment email this

This site features a biographical essay and chronology of the scholar, author, sociologist, co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and editor of The Crisis and other journals. Also contains a description of the W.E.B. Du Bois Papers collection and an exhibit of materials from the collection. From the University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/exhibits/dubois/intro.htm
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Notable People, Social Issues

Last updated Nov 21, 2005


Duke Ellington view detail comment email this

Biography, discography, awards, photo gallery, and a list of quotations from the jazz musician. Also includes a bibliography of books about Ellington and his music. Presented by the estate of Duke Ellington and by CMG, "the company that represents the name/image/likeness of Duke Ellington."
http://www.dukeellington.com/
Topics: Black Resources, Music, Musicians, Notable People

Last updated Jan 6, 2004


The Duke Ellington Society: An Appreciation of the Great Duke Ellington view detail comment email this

An elegantly designed site produced by the Duke Ellington Jazz Society. All aspects of Ellington's art and career are covered, with special sections on his singers and on Billy Strayhorn, with music samples and links to other Ellington sites. Note: the news and links sections have not been updated recently.
http://museum.media.org/duke/
Topics: Black Resources, Music, Musicians, Notable People

Last updated Oct 1, 2004


Famous Firsts by African Americans view detail comment email this

List of firsts by African Americans, such as "the first African-American billionaire, combat pilot, Nobel Prize winner, poet laureate, Oscar winner, and Miss America." Browse list by category such as government (such as Barack Obama, first African American to head a major party ticket in a presidential election), law, diplomacy, military, science and medicine, scholarship, literature, film, sports, and more. Includes links to related material. From Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. Note: Generates pop-ups.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmfirsts.html
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jun 9, 2008


Forgotten Genius view detail comment email this

Companion to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Nova program about the "extraordinary life journey of Percy Julian, one of the great chemists of the 20th century. ... [Who was] the grandson of Alabama slaves," and who "become a world-class scientist, a self-made millionaire, and a civil-rights pioneer." Features a timeline, audio clips of Julian, and material about making steroids. Also includes links to resources and a teacher's guide. 
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/julian/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People

Last updated Feb 5, 2007


The Forten House view detail comment email this

Details about African American abolitionist and businessman James Forten and the house in Philadelphia he owned. Features background about Forten, a sailmaker, and other members of his household, and information about selected items from the home. Also includes material about other 1790s Philadelphia merchants and tradespeople. From Independence Park Institute, which offers education programs for Independence National Historical Park.
http://www.independenceparkinstitute.com/inp/forten/forten_intro.htm
Topics: Black Resources, U.S. History By Place

Last updated Aug 20, 2007


The Frederick Douglass Papers at the Library of Congress view detail comment email this

This site collects approximately 2,000 items about "Douglass's life as an escaped slave, abolitionist, editor, orator, and public servant." Searchable by keyword, and browsable by series (family papers, pamphlets, brochures, speeches, reports, broadsides, newspaper clippings, manuscripts, typescripts, articles, and maps). Includes biographical timeline, a family tree, links to full texts of Douglass's autobiographies, and related resources. From the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/doughtml/
Topics: Black Resources, Nonfiction by Genre, Notable People, United States History

Last updated Jan 6, 2004


Freedom Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore view detail comment email this

Devoted to "one of the forerunners of the civil rights movement in America," who "did groundbreaking work in Florida [during the 1930s and 40s] in registering African American voters, investigating lynchings and police brutality, and fighting for equal education for blacks and whites." Includes letters from the NAACP organizer, a timeline (1896-1968), teacher's guide, interactive map, comments on Moore's legacy, and investigations of his unsolved murder. Online companion to PBS documentary of same title.
http://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Correspondence, Mysteries and More, Notable People, Social Issues

Last updated Oct 1, 2004


George Washington Bush view detail comment email this

Articles about George Washington Bush, early Black pioneer and part of the Simmons-Bush party that traveled to the Oregon Territory (where Blacks were not allowed to live at the time) and Washington state in the 1840s. Articles compiled by the City of Tumwater, Washington state, site of Bush's homestead.
http://www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/research%20bushTOC.htm
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, United States History

Last updated Oct 19, 2005


The Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity view detail comment email this

Details about this center at Fort Scott Community College (Fort Scott, Kansas) and about its namesake and native son, black artist Gordon Parks. Includes a brief biography of Parks, which features a discussion of his photojournalism for Life magazine, his work as a fashion photographer, and his books and movies (such as "The Learning Tree," an autobiographic book and movie about Fort Scott, and "Shaft"). Also includes information about the Gordon Parks photo contest.
http://www.gordonparkscenter.org
Topics: Artists, Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Arts & Humanities

Last updated Mar 14, 2006


Hall of Black Achievement Gallery view detail comment email this

This list of black leaders includes page-length biographies, audio clips, and large and small portraits. Browsable alphabetically or chronologically. From Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts.
http://www.bridgew.edu/HOBA/Gallery.cfm
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 26, 2005


The HistoryMakers view detail comment email this

Website for this national "video oral history archive headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The HistoryMakers is dedicated to preserving African American history as the missing link in American history." Provides a listing of programs and events, and brief biographical background about participants such as Ann Nixon Cooper, who was mentioned in Barack Obama's 2008 election night speech. Includes material about artists, business people, educators, entertainers, lawyers, journalists, politicians, religious leaders, scientists, sports figures, and others.
http://www.thehistorymakers.com/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Nov 7, 2008


A Huey P. Newton Story view detail comment email this

This is a companion site to a film about Huey Newton, co-founder and leader of the Black Panther movement. It features quotes from the film (based on Newton's own words); profiles of Black Panther Party members Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, Bobby Hutton, Stokely Carmichael, David Hilliard, Fredrika Newton, Fred Hampton, Elaine Brown, Kathleen Cleaver, Angela Davis, and H. Rap Brown; an overview of the Black Panther Party's actions; and related audio and video.
http://www.pbs.org/hueypnewton/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Political Parties & Theories

Last updated Jan 6, 2004


A Huey P. Newton Story: Watts Riots view detail comment email this

This portion of a companion site to a film about Huey Newton, co-founder and leader of the Black Panther movement, features brief information about the Watts Riots. "On August 11, 1965, Los Angeles's South Central neighborhood of Watts became a scene of the greatest example of racial tension America had seen." It includes newsreel footage. Note: Not all links are functioning.
http://www.pbs.org/hueypnewton/times/times_watts.html
Topics: Activism, Black Resources

Last updated Mar 8, 2005


Ida B. Wells, 1862-1931 view detail comment email this

Background material about black journalist and activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Features a brief biography discussing her civil rights and feminist activities, an overview of her anti-lynching pamphlets, the full text of one anti-lynching publication, and video clips of a professor describing Wells' life and activities. Part of the Illinois During the Gilded Age website from the Northern Illinois University Libraries.
http://dig.lib.niu.edu/gildedage/idabwells/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women

Last updated Jan 23, 2008


The Internet African American History Challenge view detail comment email this

This site has brief profiles of several important 19th-century black Americans and a short interactive quiz based on the material presented. Created by an African American Baptist minister.
http://www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 26, 2005


Inventory of the Ann N. Cooper Collection view detail comment email this

Finding aid to the collection of Ann Louise Nixon Cooper, who was born in January 1902 and was mentioned in Barack Obama's 2008 election night speech. Includes a brief historical sketch of Cooper, a black Atlanta resident who "assumed the role of a devoted wife, mother, social leader and community volunteer." From the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture and History, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/aafa/html/aafa_aarl95-007.html
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women

Last updated Nov 12, 2008


Jackie Robinson Day view detail comment email this

Collection of biographical material and career highlights for Jackie Robinson, who was born January 31, 1919, and who "broke baseball's color barrier" when he was the first African American to play in major league baseball, with the Brooklyn Dodgers in April 15, 1947. Features a timeline, images, video clips from baseball games and interviews, and other material. Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated on April 15. From the official website for Major League Baseball (MLB).
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/jrd/
Topics: Baseball, Black Resources

Last updated Jan 21, 2008


Jacob Lawrence: Exploring Stories view detail comment email this

This site contains a biography, images of works, information on the artist's working methods, resources for teachers, a bibliography, and links related to the African American painter. Also includes student art and stories. From the Whitney Museum of American Art. Note: Contains dead links in the "Learning Resources" section.
http://www.whitney.org/jacoblawrence/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Arts & Humanities

Last updated Apr 8, 2006


James Pierson Beckwourth, 1798-1866 view detail comment email this

Jim Beckwourth was an African American pioneer who played an important role in the exploration and settlement of California and the American West. This site gives background information about him and the trail named for him. There are links to other sites related to Beckwourth and his times. Sponsored by Beckwourth Frontier Days, an annual living history celebration in Marysville, CA.
http://www.beckwourth.org/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, United States History

Last updated Oct 2, 2004


Jesse Owens: The Official Web Site view detail comment email this

Information about track and field star Jesse (James Cleveland) Owens who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Provides a brief biography, a list of achievements, photographs, and quotes. Created by the estate of Jesse Owens.
http://www.jesseowens.com/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Photograph Collections, Sports, The Olympic Games, The Olympic Games: Competitions, The Olympic Games: Past, Present, Future

Last updated Jan 7, 2006


The Legacy of George Washington Carver view detail comment email this

This presentation celebrates "the legacy of [Iowa State University's] first African American student and faculty member, George Washington Carver [who was] renowned for developing innovative uses for a variety of agricultural crops such as peanuts, soybeans and sweet potatoes." Features a biography, images, bibliography, select correspondence of Carver, peanut uses and recipes from a 1925 publication, and other material about Carver and his agricultural research. From the Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.
http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/gwc/
Topics: Agriculture, Black Resources

Last updated Jan 24, 2008


Legends of Tuskegee: American Visionaries view detail comment email this

This site highlights the achievements of individuals associated with the Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington as the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers in the 1880s. Features biographical material, photos, and bibliographies for educator Booker T. Washington, educator and scientist George Washington Carver, and the Tuskegee Airmen, the World War II "Army Air Corps program to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft." From the National Park Service (NPS).
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/exhibits/tuskegee/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 28, 2008


Legends Online: Gordon Parks: Memories Left Behind view detail comment email this

Retrospective about Gordon Parks, best known as an American photojournalist and filmmaker but also celebrated for "[doing] it all -- including writing poetry, and composing and performing piano music." Includes a gallery of his photos, excerpts from an interview, a brief biography, and video clips of Parks talking about his 50-year retrospective book from 1997. Parks died in 2006. From Photo District News (PDN), a magazine for professional photographers.
http://www.pdngallery.com/legends/parks/
Topics: Artists, Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Arts & Humanities

Last updated Mar 15, 2006


Lest We Forget: Images From the Civil Rights Movement view detail comment email this

Collection of portraits by 20th century artist Robert Templeton of leaders involved in the American Civil Rights movement. Features briefly annotated images of over two dozen individuals such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Whitney Moore Young, Jr. Also includes links to related sites. From the Robert Templeton Estate.
http://www.templeton-interactive.com/lest1a.htm
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Notable People

Last updated Jul 24, 2006


Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits view detail comment email this

Companion to the 2007-2008 inaugural exhibition of the National Museum of African American History and Culture with "images ... selected from the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. The theme, African American resistance across 150 years of United States history, was inspired by the words of Henry Highland Garnet, an abolitionist and clergyman." The gallery of portraits includes Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, Josephine Baker, and Malcolm X. From the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/motto/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 23, 2008


The Malcolm X Project at Columbia University view detail comment email this

A "multimedia version of 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X,' ... which features interactive visual presentations of Malcolm X's life and times." While access to the autobiography is limited to Columbia students, the site provides free access to a chronology, selected video clips, oral histories, and government documents. From the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccbh/mxp/
Topics: Black Resources, Faiths

Last updated Aug 3, 2006


Mandela: An Audio History view detail comment email this

Website for a "five-part radio series documenting the struggle against apartheid through rare sound recordings, the voice of [anti-apartheid leader] Nelson Mandela himself, as well as those who fought with him, and against him." In addition to audio and transcripts of the series, the site features interview biographies, an audio timeline, and suggestions from educators for using the program in a classroom. From Radio Diaries, a nonprofit radio production company.
http://www.radiodiaries.org/mandela/
Topics: Black Resources, Politics by Place

Last updated Jan 31, 2008


The Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association Papers Project view detail comment email this

Contains information on Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA); transcripts of selected correspondence, documents, and writings by and about Garvey; audio of speeches; and photographs. Browsable. From the James S. Coleman African Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles.
http://www.international.ucla.edu/africa/mgpp/
Topics: Black Resources, Correspondence, Notable People

Last updated Mar 15, 2007


Marian Anderson: A Life in Song view detail comment email this

A biographical site celebrating "the artistic development and musical career of Marian Anderson." Includes images of early recital programs; information about her teachers, coaches, and accompanists as well as her tours; a brief history of spirituals in recital. There is a searchable collection of more than 4000 photos, plus audio clips of lieder singing and spirituals and video clips from both music and interviews. Developed from materials in archives at the University of Pennsylvania Library.
http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson/
Topics: Black Resources, Musical Genres, Musicians, Notable People, Notable People: Women, Photograph Collections, Photograph Collections: History, Photograph Collections: Regional: United States

Last updated Feb 4, 2005


Martin Luther King Jr. & the Civil Rights Movement view detail comment email this

Information on Martin Luther King Jr., including a biography, text of speeches and writings, some audio features, photographs, and a timeline of Dr. King's life and the civil rights movement. Also provides study guides, a quiz, and resource links, as well as reflections from others and an article about the holiday. From The Seattle Times.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/special/mlk/
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Holidays & Observances, Holidays and Observances Individually, Notable People, Photograph Collections: History

Last updated Nov 24, 2007


Martin Luther King Jr. Collection view detail comment email this

Website for this special collection on Martin Luther King Jr. that "represents much of King's life and work spanning from 1944 to 1968." Digitization of the collection began in 2008; see the "Collection Overview" for finding aids and digital surrogates that are currently available for browsing and searching on the website. Also provides background on the collection, details about the transition of the collection from Sotheby's, bibliography, and related material. From Morehouse College.
http://www.auctr.edu/mlkcollection/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 27, 2009


Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, Georgia view detail comment email this

A national historic site in Atlanta's "Sweet Auburn" district is featured at this website. Includes links to events, Black History Month activities, educational opportunities, Atlanta's historic places, in-depth focus for children, and volunteer information. From the National Park Service.
http://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm
Topics: Black Resources, History, Holidays and Observances Individually, Home & Housing, Notable People, U.S. History By Place

Last updated Oct 6, 2009


Martin Luther King, Jr. Newspaper Archive view detail comment email this

A searchable archive of thousands of newspapers articles about this "African-American minister whose strong hope for social change never swerved his belief in nonviolence." Also includes a timeline, a brief biography, and links to related sites. Some of the newspaper articles are fee-based.
http://www.martinlutherkingjrarchive.com/Home.aspx
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Holidays and Observances Individually

Last updated Jul 28, 2008


The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project view detail comment email this

"The King Papers Project is a major research effort to assemble and disseminate historical information concerning Martin Luther King, Jr. and the social movements in which he participated." This site features papers, speeches, sermons, a biography, an excerpt from his autobiography, a chronology, and articles. Includes related links. From Stanford University.
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/
Topics: Activism, Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Holidays and Observances Individually, Nonfiction by Genre, Notable People

Last updated Jan 19, 2009


Mary Ellen Pleasant view detail comment email this

"This site is dedicated to accurate presentation of the life of Mary Ellen Pleasant, called the 'Mother of Civil Rights in California.' ... We also support the work of scholar/performer Susheel Bibbs, who ... has re-researched Pleasant's life and is presenting it accurately for the first time." The site features an illustrated biography of Pleasant, including information about her study with Voodoo Queen Marie LaVeaux. Also includes information about Bibb's chautauqua performances and related activities.
http://www.mepleasant.com
Topics: Black Resources, Business, Notable People, Notable People: Women, United States History

Last updated Sep 21, 2006


Mary McLeod Bethune, Educator view detail comment email this

Includes photos, interviews, and "a brief life history of Mary McLeod Bethune including her founding of the Daytona Normal and Industrial School for Negro Girls" (now Florida's Bethune-Cookman College). Also features resources for teachers. From the Florida Memory Project.
http://www.floridamemory.com/OnlineClassroom/MaryBethune/
Topics: Black Resources, Education, History, Nonfiction by Genre, Notable People, Notable People: Women, Photograph Collections, Photograph Collections: History, Women

Last updated Jan 6, 2004


Maya Angelou, b. 1928 view detail comment email this

A profile and critique of Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Johnson), briefly reviewing her autobiographical novels. The related links provide additional background on her life and works. From the project Voices From the Gaps, Women Writers of Color, at the University of Minnesota.
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/angelouMaya.php
Topics: Authors by Region: United States, Black Resources, History, Notable People, Notable People: Women

Last updated Jul 7, 2009


Memory for Justice view detail comment email this

Collection of documents about former president of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, including a narrative biography, chronology, bibliography, photo essay, database of speeches, tributes, and more. From the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which (among other projects) collects and curates Mandela's personal archive.
http://www.nelsonmandela.org/index.php/memory/
Topics: Black Resources, Politics by Place

Last updated Jan 31, 2008


Money Facts: African Americans on Currency view detail comment email this

Brief information about the African Americans who have had their signatures or images on U.S. money. From the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
http://www.moneyfactory.gov/document.cfm/18/97
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Nov 19, 2005


Morehouse King Collection view detail comment email this

This site provides an introduction to the 2006 acquisition "through the efforts of a group of prominent Atlantans, [of] a 10,000-piece collection of handwritten notes and unpublished sermons of Martin Luther King Jr. [Morehouse class of 1948]." The collection is housed at the Woodruff Library, Morehouse College. Features a brief preview of the collection with selected images, a timeline of King at Morehouse, and a listing of King celebration events. From Morehouse College.
http://www.morehouse.edu/kingcollection/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 8, 2007


Muhammad Ali: The Making of a Champ view detail comment email this

A history of the boxing great and cultural icon Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) is presented here in a unique, chronologically arranged archive of articles, photographs, and features. From the Courier-Journal newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky, the city where Ali spent his youth and began his career. LII Record of the Month for March, 2004.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=ALI
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Photograph Collections, Photograph Collections: History, Sports

Last updated Nov 27, 2005


Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property view detail comment email this

Companion to a public television program that considers the story of Nat Turner, who led a famed slave revolt in Virginia in 1831 and who been a subject of fierce debate. It "examines how the story of Turner and his revolt have been continuously re-told since 1831." The site features an overview of the rebellion, a timeline of slave rebellions in the Americas (1663-1859), and links to related sites. From Independent Television Service (ITVS).
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/natturner/
Topics: Black Resources, Labor, United States History

Last updated Aug 7, 2006


National Visionary Leadership Project (NVLP) view detail comment email this

The NVLP is a nonprofit organization that "unites generations to create tomorrow's leaders by recording, preserving, and distributing through various media, the wisdom of extraordinary African American elders - Visionaries - who have shaped American history." Site features an archive of videotaped oral history interviews with black leaders such as Toni Morrison, Odetta, Gordon Parks, and Bill Russell. Also include brief biographies, lesson plans, and information about NVLP events and outreach.
http://www.visionaryproject.com/
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Jan 13, 2009


Negroes With Guns: Rob Williams and Black Power view detail comment email this

Companion website to an Independent Lens documentary about Robert F. Williams, "the often-forgotten civil rights leader who urged African Americans to arm themselves against violent racists." Features a biography of Williams (1925-1996), sound clips from the radio program broadcast from Cuba by Williams and his wife in the 1960s ("Radio Free Dixie"), questions and answers with the filmmaker, and links to related websites.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/negroeswithguns/
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Notable People

Last updated Feb 15, 2006


Nikki Giovanni view detail comment email this

This site celebrates the life and work of poet Nikki (born Yolande Cornelia) Giovanni. In addition to photographs of Giovanni, the site includes a biography, timeline of her life and accomplishments, and links to other sites. Also lists her poetry books, children's books, and essays (no excerpts), and features clips from a documentary about Giovanni. The multimedia section contains video clips of Giovanni reciting poems and delivering speeches.
http://nikki-giovanni.com/
Topics: Authors by Region: United States, Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women, Photograph Collections, Poetry

Last updated Jan 7, 2006


Notable Kentucky African Americans Database view detail comment email this

This database "has been developed as a finding aid to bring together a brief description of pertinent names, places, and events, and to list the sources where additional information may be found" about notable Kentucky African Americans. Search, or browse by name, time period, or subject (such as aviators, bankers, circus, civic leaders, military veterans, and poets). Includes bibliography of sources and links to related sites. From University of Kentucky Libraries.
http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/nkaa/
Topics: Black Resources, U.S. History By Place

Last updated May 1, 2009


Obituary: Johnnie Cochran view detail comment email this

March 2005 article about the death of this celebrity lawyer, who is best known for his representation of O.J. Simpson relating to Simpson's charge of murdering his ex-wife and her lover. Includes a brief biography and photos. From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4393617.stm
Topics: Black Resources, Crime, Judicial Process, Law, Notable People

Last updated Apr 5, 2005


Octavia Estelle Butler, 1947-2006 view detail comment email this

Biography of Octavia Butler, "the first African-American woman to gain popularity and critical acclaim as a major science fiction writer." Includes a selected bibliography, extensive references to works about the author, and a few related links. From Voices From the Gaps: Women Artists and Writers of Color, a collaborative academic project housed at the University of Minnesota Department of English.
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/butlerOctavia.php
Topics: Authors by Region: United States, Black Resources, Notable People: Women

Last updated Jul 7, 2009


On the Trail of Sojourner Truth in Ulster County, New York view detail comment email this

This presentation features images and artifacts related to the abolitionist Sojourner Truth, who was born in Ulster County, New York, in 1797. Discusses locations related to and believed to be connected to Sojourner Truth, such as the Hardenburgh House in Rifton, the John Ignatius Dumont farm, Poppletown, and the Ulster County Court House. From librarian Corinne Nyquist of the Sojourner Truth Library at State University of New York (SUNY), New Paltz.
http://www.newpaltz.edu/sojourner_truth/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women, U.S. History By Place

Last updated Nov 21, 2007


Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons view detail comment email this

This presentation highlights "four contemporary pioneer African American surgeons and educators who exemplify excellence in their fields." It also includes background about black pioneers in academic surgery, brief profiles of other black surgeons, and history of African Americans in medicine. From the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/aframsurgeons/
Topics: Black Resources, Medical Treatments & Devices, Notable People

Last updated Jan 13, 2009


Paul Laurence Dunbar Digital Collection view detail comment email this

"This digital collection of a selected group of [Paul Laurence] Dunbar's poetry is intended to encourage the use of and interest in the works" of "the first African-American poet and novelist to attain international recognition." Features book covers, libretti covers and text, and individual poems (browsable and searchable), a biography, related links, and a bibliography. From Wright State University Libraries.
http://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/dunbar/
Topics: Authors by Region: United States, Black Resources, Notable People, Poetry

Last updated Jun 15, 2005


Paul Robeson on the Web view detail comment email this

A well-maintained directory of websites about singer and activist Paul Robeson, browsable within major topic areas such as biography, music, and resources related to the 1998 centennial celebration of his birth. From Princeton Public Library, New Jersey.
http://www.princeton.lib.nj.us/robeson/links.html
Topics: Black Resources, Holidays and Observances Individually, Musicians, Notable People

Last updated Jan 24, 2007


Profile: African-American North Pole Explorer Matthew Henson view detail comment email this

Biography of explorer Matthew A. Henson, who "accompanied polar explorer Robert E. Peary on a U.S. expedition to the North Pole on April 6, 1909." Includes a photo gallery and links to related stories on topics such as the 2000 event where Henson was "posthumously awarded the National Geographic Society's highest honor -- the Hubbard Medal." From the National Geographic Society.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0110_030113_henson.html
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People

Last updated Aug 14, 2006


Prudence Crandall view detail comment email this

Profile of Prudence Crandall (1803-1890), who "maintained the nation's first private secondary school for 'Young Ladies of Color' for over a year and a half," becoming "a symbol in the cause of African American education and abolitionism." Includes a classroom activity plan and link to museum honoring Crandall. From the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame.
http://www.cwhf.org/browse_hall/hall/people/Crandall.php
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People: Women

Last updated Mar 27, 2008


Ralph Ellison: An American Journey view detail comment email this

This site contains a biographical essay and career timeline of the author of "Invisible Man." From the PBS "American Masters" series, the site also features an interview with filmmaker Avon Kirkland and additional footage not included in the film.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/ellison_r_homepage.html
Topics: Authors by Region: United States, Black Resources, Literary Movements and Periods, Notable People

Last updated Jan 6, 2004


Ray Charles Online view detail comment email this

Official site for this singer-songwriter-musician who died in June 2004. Provides an autobiography, discography, list of awards, and more. Includes audio clips of selected songs, and the full version of "America the Beautiful" (with images relating to the terrorist events of September 11, 2001).
http://www.raycharles.com/
Topics: Black Resources, Music, Musicians, Nonfiction by Genre, Notable People

Last updated Sep 21, 2006


Remembering Coretta and Martin Luther King, Jr. view detail comment email this

Provides "links to resources about Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr." including biographical information, chronologies, educational sites, popular documents (such as the "I Have a Dream" speech), and media pages. From the Poynter Institute, a  "non-profit school for journalists."
http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=49&aid=96077
Topics: Black Resources, Holidays & Observances, Holidays and Observances Individually, Holidays by Region, Notable People

Last updated Feb 4, 2006


Rice to Strengthen Partner Ties view detail comment email this

January 2005 article about Senate confirmation hearings for U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's nominee for secretary of state. Includes excerpts from Rice's answers to policy questions, a profile of Rice, a video clip, and related articles. From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4185269.stm
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women

Last updated Jan 19, 2005


Romare Bearden: Let's Walk the Block view detail comment email this

"See Harlem street life through the eyes and imagination of Romare Bearden. This exploration of his famous collage, 'The Block,' includes a guided tour, music by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, and activities designed for kids, parents, and teachers." Includes background about Bearden, who was born in 1911 in North Carolina into a "middle-class, African-American family. When he was three, his family moved to Harlem." From the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/the_block/index_flash.html
Topics: Artists, Black Resources

Last updated Jan 24, 2007


Rosa Parks Library and Museum view detail comment email this

The website for this library and museum contains information about Rosa Parks (1913-2005), the black woman whose refusal to give her seat on a public bus to a white man inspired the 1955 civil rights movement event known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Includes biographical information, photos, and links to more information about Parks and Montgomery, Alabama, history. From Troy University, Montgomery, Alabama.
http://montgomery.troy.edu/museum/
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Notable People: Women

Last updated Oct 26, 2005


Rosa Parks: How I Fought for Civil Rights view detail comment email this

In this lesson designed for grades seven and eight, "Rosa Parks, 'The Mother of the Modern-day Civil Rights Movement,' describes her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott [of 1955-56] and helps students understand the importance of every individual citizen in a democracy." Includes the transcript of an interview with Parks, a brief biography of Parks, and an essay about being arrested, the boycott, and the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. From Scholastic Inc.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/rosa/
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Notable People: Women

Last updated Oct 26, 2005


Say It Plain: A Century Of Great African American Speeches view detail comment email this

A collection of the audio and transcripts of speeches by famous African Americans. Features speeches by Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Mary McLeod Bethune, Dick Gregory, Fannie Lou Hamer, Stokely Carmichael, Martin Luther King Jr., Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, Jesse Jackson, Clarence Thomas, and Barack Obama. Also includes audio and transcripts of the accompanying radio documentary and links to related sites. From American RadioWorks.
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/sayitplain/
Topics: Black Resources, Government, Nonfiction by Genre

Last updated Jul 28, 2005


Sojourner Truth Institute view detail comment email this

Website for this organization dedicated to preserving the message of Sojourner Truth (1797-1883), a former slave who "traveled the country as a forceful and passionate advocate for the dispossessed, using her quick wit and fearless tongue to fight for human rights." Features an extensive biography of Truth, a timeline, images, speeches, an exhibit of art about Truth, a quiz, and details about the Sojourner Truth monument park in Battle Creek, Michigan.
http://www.sojournertruth.org/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women

Last updated Nov 16, 2007


Sojourner Truth: Online Resources view detail comment email this

Annotated links to resources on former slave, abolitionist, and suffragist Sojourner Truth, including historical collections, exhibitions, lesson plans and classroom activities, photos, and related materials. Also includes a brief bibliography with biographies and titles for younger readers. Compiled by Angela McMillian, Digital Reference Specialist at the Library of Congress (LOC).
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/truth/
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women

Last updated May 5, 2009


Still Going On: Celebrating the Life and Times of William Grant Still view detail comment email this

Site devoted to the work of African American composer William Grant Still. Includes a brief biography, a "Chronology of Cultural Connections" from 1895 to 1995, a bibliography, discography, and some audio files. A project of the Special Collections Library, Duke University.
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sgo/start.html
Topics: Black Resources, Music, Musicians, Notable People

Last updated Jan 6, 2004


Teaching With Documents: Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin view detail comment email this

This lesson plan provides materials about the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney, in the context of learning about U.S. patent law. Features an essay about the invention and its effects on industry and on slavery, images of the patent documents, and classroom activities. From the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/cotton-gin-patent/
Topics: Black Resources, Business & Consumer Law, Crops, Intellectual Property, Notable People, Technology

Last updated Apr 4, 2006


Today in History: November 9: Benjamin Banneker view detail comment email this

Collection of resources related to "mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker [who] was born on November 9, 1731, in Ellicott's Mills, Maryland. Largely self-taught, Banneker was one of the first African Americans to gain distinction in science." Includes links to exhibitions, digitized documents, and other images and writings. From the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov09.html
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Oct 23, 2007


Twice Sold, Twice Ransomed: Autobiography of Mr. and Mrs. L. P. Ray view detail comment email this

Originally published in 1926, the unabridged autobiography of former Missouri slave Emma J. Smith is presented here in electronic form. Mrs. Smith was an evangelist, missionary, and WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union) activist whose autobiography describes her community and religious work in Seattle after 1889. She describes how she coped with racial discrimination in the early part of the 20th century. The book's illustrations include a photograph of Smith and her husband, L.P. Ray.
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/rayemma/menu.html
Topics: Black Resources, Nonfiction by Genre, Notable People

Last updated Feb 22, 2005


Under a Northern Star view detail comment email this

Presentation of "seven unique collections held at Library and Archives Canada ... that document the diverse historical experience of African Canadians." Featured topics include Reverend William King and the Elgin Settlement that he founded for black refugees in Nova Scotia, abolitionist Mary Ann Shadd Cary, black Loyalist settlers in Nova Scotia, and Sir James Douglas (colonial governor who enabled blacks from San Francisco to migrate to British Columbia). From Library and Archives Canada.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/northern-star/index-e.html
Topics: Black Resources, History By Place

Last updated Jan 21, 2009


Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson view detail comment email this

Companion site to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) documentary directed by Ken Burns about boxer Jack Johnson, "the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, whose dominance over his white opponents spurred furious debates and race riots in the early 20th century." Includes several essays related to documentary on topics such as Johnson's relationships with white women, conviction of violation of the Mann Act, a boxing glossary, timeline, and teacher's guide.
http://www.pbs.org/unforgivableblackness/
Topics: Activism, Black Resources, Notable People, Sports

Last updated Jan 13, 2005


Up From Slavery: An Autobiography view detail comment email this

The full text of the autobiography of African American leader Booker T. Washington, and his essays "The Awakening of the Negro" (1896) and "Signs of Progress Among the Negroes" (1900).
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/WASHINGTON/cover.html
Topics: Black Resources, Education, Labor, Literature & Books, Nonfiction by Genre, Notable People

Last updated Oct 4, 2004


Washington D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial view detail comment email this

Official website for this Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial that will be located on a "four-acre plot on the north east corner of the Tidal Basin within the precinct of the Jefferson Memorial and north of the memorial to President Roosevelt" in Washington, D.C. Features maps, a description of landscape elements, news, brief background about Dr. King, and photos from the commemorative groundbreaking held on November 13, 2006.
http://www.mlkmemorial.org
Topics: Black Resources

Last updated Nov 22, 2006


Whitney M. Young Jr.: Little Known Civil Rights Pioneer view detail comment email this

This article describes "Whitney M. Young, Jr.'s contributions to the civil rights movement ... [and] his role in making life better for African Americans in the armed forces." Includes biographical material about Young, who was a member of a segregated U.S. Army during World War II, president of the National Urban League, and 1968 recipient of the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. From the U.S. Department of Defense.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=43988
Topics: Black Resources, Constitutional Law & Civil Liberties, Notable People

Last updated Jun 8, 2007


William Still Underground Railroad Foundation, Inc. view detail comment email this

This site focuses "on protecting and insuring the accurate depiction of the historical events pertaining to the UGRR [Underground Railroad] and Anti-Slavery Society." Contains a biography of abolitionist William Still (author of "Underground Railroad"), an article about the Still family history, information about programs at the foundation, current events, biographies of other abolitionists, and links to other Web sites.
http://www.undergroundrr.com/
Topics: Black Resources, Labor, Notable People, United States History

Last updated Oct 2, 2004


Wilma Rudolph view detail comment email this

Information about Olympic track star Wilma Rudolph, who won three gold medals at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Provides a brief biography and an overview of her athletic career, achievements, and awards. Also includes recommended reading. From an online exhibit called Women In History: Living Vignettes of Women From the Past, hosted by the Lakewood (Ohio) Public Library.
http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/rudo-wil.htm
Topics: Black Resources, Notable People, Notable People: Women, Sports, The Olympic Games, The Olympic Games: Competitions, Women

Last updated Mar 1, 2007


The Zora Neale Hurston Plays at the Library of Congress view detail comment email this

This site presents "a selection of ten plays written by [Zora Neale] Hurston (1891-1960), author, anthropologist, and folklorist. Deposited in the United States Copyright Office between 1925 and 1944. ... The plays reflect Hurston's life experience, travels, and research, especially her study of folklore in the African-American South." Includes a chronology, a bibliography, and searchable and browsable images of pages from the plays. From the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/hurston/
Topics: Authors by Region: United States, Black Resources, Nonfiction by Genre, Notable People, Notable People: Women, Performing Arts

Last updated Dec 2, 2008




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