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.
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…
Land: Giving Rise to the Famous Phrase 40 Acres & a Mule
The phrase “40 acres and a mule” — a promise to former slaves — would be hatched from this meeting. Unfortunately, President Andrew Johnson…
The Red Summer
The events unfolding across the United States today in the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, are an eerie repetition of events…
Lynching
Lynching was an action used to terrorize the black community for generations, with the first known public display of this injustice taking…
Martin Luther King Jr. – Was his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech Improvised?
While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s influence was large, perhaps his greatest legacy came when he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream”…
Henrietta Lacks: The Woman with the Immortal Cells
In February 1951, a young African-American woman by the name of Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cervical cancer.…