black History in Two Minutes (or so)
Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is the new way to immerse yourself in Black History. The digital video series features dozens of short, engaging and factually accurate videos about important historical events or people who have shaped American history. Like never before, people of all ages, backgrounds and educational levels can learn more about the African American experience.
Launched in 2019 by visionary Executive Producer Robert F. Smith, who is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, the media platform has covered topics from the beginning of American history to the present day. To ensure historical accuracy, the episodes are well researched and narrated by renowned historian and Executive Producer, Henry Louis Gates Jr. Teaching guides for educators also accompany some of the episodes, affording teachers the ability to incorporate the information from the videos, and the videos themselves, into their lessons.
As an award-winning series, Black History in Two Minutes has received numerous accolades, including two Webby Awards in 2020, 2 more in 2021 and yet again, 1 more in 2022.
Check out some of the episodes for yourself below.
April 3, 2020
Frederick Douglass | The Most Photographed American of the 19th Century
Born into slavery as Frederick Douglass in 1818, this renowned lecturer and author would become one of the greatest public speakers of his…
December 3, 2021
Mamie Till Mobley
The lynching of Emmett Till in 1955 became a pivotal point for race relations in the United States. Instead of sitting by silently, his…
April 15, 2022
Free Black Americans Before the Civil War
Even though slavery ended in the 1860s, free Black Americans made up 10% of the United States Black population. While the rest of the…
February 7, 2020
The Tuskegee Study
In 1932 the United States Public Health Service commissioned a study on the effects of untreated syphilis. 600 poor black men from Alabama…
September 4, 2020
Fort Mose: The First All-Black Settlement in the U.S.
In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., with additional commentary from Hasan Jeffries of…
February 21, 2020
Black Power
In 1965, one of the last traceable remnants of Jim Crow ideology were thought to be taken off the books with the passage of the Voting…

