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…
Soul Train
Taking cues from American Bandstand, Soul Train became a black cultural phenomena. Created and hosted by Don Cornelius, a Chicago radio…
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)…
The Birth of the Black Panthers
Electrified by the rhetoric of Malcolm X, founding members Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale created an organization aimed at protecting the…
Migrations: From Exodusters to Great Migrations
With the formal ending of slavery in place, many freed black people saw this as an opportunity to start anew. But, for those in the south,…
Free Black Americans Before the Civil War
Even though slavery ended in the 1860s, free Black Americans made up 10% of the United States Black population. While the rest of the…