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.
Convict Leasing
Although the 13th Amendment passed the Senate in 1864 and the House in 1865, the loopholes that exist continue to wreak havoc on the…
Jesse Jackson’s Run for the Presidency (1984)
In 1983, Reverend Jesse Jackson launched his bid for president of the United States. This announcement sparked excitement from people who…
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 1893 World’s Fair
The 1893 World Fair took place in Chicago, Illinois, welcoming countries from around the world to feature their contributions for everyone…
Black Explorers
While history celebrates the explorations of many white voyagers, there are multiple black people who successfully explored sea, land, and…
Lynching
Lynching was an action used to terrorize the black community for generations, with the first known public display of this injustice taking…