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.
June 5, 2020
John Lewis: The Fight for the Right to Vote
In 1963, John Lewis’ excitement would meet his life’s purpose when he joined the Civil Rights Movement. He is now known as one of the…
June 5, 2019
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…
January 7, 2022
Chicago Sound: The Birth of Modern Gospel
As Black families left the South, their migration allowed them to bring their religion and musical practices along with them. But it would…
April 22, 2022
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,…
October 30, 2020
Barack Obama’s 2008 Election
During the 2004 Democratic National Convention, a first-term senator named Barack Obama from Illinois delivered a speech that exuded…
September 11, 2019
Separate But Equal: Homer Plessy and the Case That Upheld the Color Line
In June of 1882, a 30-year-old shoemaker by the name of Homer Plessy of New Orleans led a revolution that aimed to overturn Jim Crow…