black History in Two Minutes (or so)
Season Two
The Origins of Black Service Organizations
The contributions of Black Service Organizations in the volunteer and civic space have been around since the Revolutionary War. Out of…
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…
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)…
Congressional Black Caucus
In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. we celebrate a group of Black congressional leaders…
Poor People’s Campaign
In 1967, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. expanded the Civil Rights Movement by creating a sweeping economic and healthcare care…
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,…
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…
The Roll Back
America entered a special moment where freedom rang high and many of the promises of the constitution appeared to — in some ways — allow…
The History of Negro League Baseball
Baseball is one of America’s staples that dates back to the 1800s. And while the culture of catchy tunes and snacks are shared from coast…
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 Women Laborers
After the Civil War, Black women recognized the opportunity to become wage workers and contributors to society. However, decent wages and…
Black Liberation and Womanist Theology
James Cone, a highly regarded professor, preached about Black liberation at the center of the gospel. His elevated teaching not only…
The Women’s Club Movement
Black women have been no stranger to organizing since America’s earliest inception. But it would be during the Reconstruction era that…
Black Greek-Letter Organizations
While more Black students sought formal education in a university setting they formed their own Black Greek-Letter Organization aimed at…
Brenda Travis
Brenda Travis of McComb, Mississippi, encountered the dangers of merely existing in Jim Crow’s America as a child after witnessing her…
Black Power and the Birth of Black Studies
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination not only further ignited the civil rights movement, but it also inspired students in the…
Black Feminist Organizations
While the Civil Rights Movement continued to spread across the US and the feminist movement evolved, one group felt neither movement really…
Integrating Wall Street
In 1972, Vernon Jordan became the first Black person to sit on a corporate board in the United States. As a result of his presence, he…
The GI Bill of Rights
From the inception of the United States, Black soldiers have answered the call to serve on the front lines. And in 1944, the US government…
Job Ben Solomon
In 1730, Job Ben Solomon — a Senegalese man and active slave trader — was captured during an excursion in the Gambian River region. Once…
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…
Segregated Travel in Jim Crow America
Jim Crow’s separate but equal not only impacted restaurants and schools, but it also led to the segregation of travel on buses. Black…
The Clotilda
In 2019, researchers were able to properly authenticate the last known slave ship to enter the United States illegally. That ship, The…
Mamie Till Mobley
The lynching of Emmett Till in 1955 became a pivotal point for race relations in the United States. Instead of sitting by silently, his…
The History of Black Farmers
Well before formal legislation was passed, promising freed slaves certain land rights, Black farmers traveled west, exploring, and…
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was a monumental piece of legislation that gave Black men the right to vote. As a result of it, over 2,000…
The History of the Black Soldier
Black soldiers have been an instrumental part of the armed forces since the Civil War. They put their lives on their line for their country…