What is Juneteenth and why is it an important event in black history? The holiday dates back to June 19, 1865, when Texas slaves were freed well after other black Americans won their liberty. Texas declared Juneteenth a state holiday on Jan. 1, 1980, and today 36 states recognize or observe Juneteenth as a holiday. Barbecuing, sipping strawberry soda and picnicking are some … [Read more...] about What is Juneteenth and what does it commemorate?
Our History
Move over, Andrew Jackson; Harriet Tubman is coming to the $20 bill
The Treasury Department will announce on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 that Harriet Tubman, an African American who ferried hundreds of slaves to freedom, will replace the slaveholding Andrew Jackson on the center of a new $20 note, according to a Treasury official, while newly popular Alexander Hamilton will remain on the face of the $10 bill. Other depictions of women and civil … [Read more...] about Move over, Andrew Jackson; Harriet Tubman is coming to the $20 bill
Black History
Thursday December10: American singer, songwriter and talent scout, Otis Redding, died in 1967 in a plane crash in Lake Monona near Madison. He and all but one other member on the plane were killed. They were due to perform at the Factory nightclub, near the University of Wisconsin. The following month his most popular cross-over hit “(Sittin on) the Dock of Bay,” was released. … [Read more...] about Black History
Rosa Parks wasn’t meek, passive, or naive — and 7 other things you probably didn’t learn in school
Much of what students are taught, and much of what most Americans think they know about Parks’s activism, is wrong Sixty years ago, on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Her courageous action galvanized a yearlong community boycott and helped usher in a new chapter of the Black freedom struggle. Its is now one of the … [Read more...] about Rosa Parks wasn’t meek, passive, or naive — and 7 other things you probably didn’t learn in school
THIS WEEK IN Black History
Thursday, November 19 After nine years of exile in Cuba, Algeria and France, Eldridge Cleaver returned to California in 1977, to face charges of attempted murder following a 1968 shootout with Oakland police. He returned to the United States and surrendered to the F.B.I. under a deal with the government by which he pleaded guilty to the assault charge stemming from the … [Read more...] about THIS WEEK IN Black History
This Week in Black History
Thursday November 12: The Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., was founded by seven young educators who sought to raise the standards of school teachers in 1922, at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. These individuals included Mary Lou Allison Little, Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Vivian White Marbury, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Dublin Redford, Bessie M. Downey and Cubene … [Read more...] about This Week in Black History
This Week in BLACK HISTORY
November 5: A record number of nine African Americans were elected to U.S. House of Representatives on this day in 1968. Along with eight men, Rep. Shirley Chisholm became the first black congresswomen. Sen. Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass.) had been elected two years previously giving African Americans a record total of 10 members of Congress. The previous record of eight occurred … [Read more...] about This Week in BLACK HISTORY
Cream City Medical Society: The history of African Americans in medicine in Milwaukee (part 1)
By: Rene’ Settle-Robinson, D.P.M., Cheryl R. Martin, M.D. (2002), Bernestine Jeffers and Sana Montgomery (2002), Additions and Revisions by: Mbili F. Waller (2007), Janine A. James, M.D. (2002 and 2007) in Health Care: Closing the Gap. Another involvement is The Healthiest Wisconsin 2010: A Partnership Plan to Improve the Health of the Public, a framework for transforming … [Read more...] about Cream City Medical Society: The history of African Americans in medicine in Milwaukee (part 1)
Who’s afraid of Black History?
By Joe Brewster Co-Producer and Co-Director, American Promise Recently, the Dalton School found itself in a jam when a teacher aired "C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America," a satirical "mockumentary" that explores slavery through the lens of a speculative history where the South won the Civil War and slavery endures today. The effort backfired: according to a … [Read more...] about Who’s afraid of Black History?
First black congresswoman honored with postage stamp
By: Stephanie Allen-Gobert On Friday, January 31, at 11:00 am, black elected officials and activists celebrated the legacy of Bed-Stuy native Shirley Chisholm, with the unveiling of a USPS forever stamp. The celebration and unveiling took place at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall. Chisholm is the country’s first black congresswoman who later ran for president in 1972. The stamp, … [Read more...] about First black congresswoman honored with postage stamp