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.
Father Divine
As the nation dealt with the darkness of the Great Depression, a Black leader by the name of Father Major Jealous Divine (Father Divine)…
Elite Black Public High Schools in Jim Crow America
In November 1870, four Black students created their own safe space to study in a Washington D.C. church. That space would eventually become…
The Beginning of Black History: Juan Garrido
In the early 1500s, a West African man named Juan Garrido joined the ranks of Spanish explorers who ventured out in hopes of discovering…
Sojourner Truth: ‘Oprah’s No. 1 Black History Heroine’
Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery in the late 18th century. Despite this, she’d go on to prove that enslavement was only a state of…
The L.A. Riots
Despite footage of police officers beating the late Rodney King in 1991, justice, for many in South Central Los Angeles, was not served.…
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…