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.
The Harlem Hellfighters of World War I
After years of requesting an all-black unit in the National Guard, the governor of New York finally put the order into place. In January…
The GI Bill of Rights
From the inception of the United States, Black soldiers have answered the call to serve on the front lines. And in 1944, the US government…
Booker T. Washington
In 1872, Booker T. Washington traveled 500 miles on foot to the Hampton Institute in Virginia. That journey, in turn, laid the foundation —…
The Movement and Campus Violence
College campuses became integral in the quest for social reform in the 1960s. With large numbers of Black students already present,…
Black Explorers
While history celebrates the explorations of many white voyagers, there are multiple black people who successfully explored sea, land, and…
The Clotilda
In 2019, researchers were able to properly authenticate the last known slave ship to enter the United States illegally. That ship, The…