The American Church Was Deeply Divided, Wielding the Same Bible as Both a Weapon of Oppression and a Tool of Liberation The American pulpit was profoundly divided. Ministers across the…
Category: Historical Events
Sundown Towns: America’s Hidden History of Racial Exclusion
When most people think of segregation, the Jim Crow South comes to mind. Yet across the United States, thousands of all-white communities—known as sundown towns—operated under the rule that African Americans…
Dyess, Arkansas: A New Deal Colony Echoing a Broken Promises of “40 acres and a mule”
In the depths of the Great Depression, a bold social experiment unfolded in the Arkansas Delta. Known as the Dyess Colony, this federally funded community provided struggling white families with…
“Tariffs, Taxes, and the Twilight of a Union: How Economic Tensions Shadowed the Road to the Civil War”
While slavery was undoubtedly the engine of this discord, there were other gears grinding in the background—less visible, perhaps, but no less significant. Among them: tariffs and taxes. In this…
The 761st Tank Battalion: ‘Come Out Fighting’ – A Legacy of Courage and Resolve
This is a story of valor, of men who dared to fight on two fronts—against tyranny abroad and racism at home. The men of the 761st Tank Battalion, known as…
A Step Back? Examining the Potential Erosion of Civil Rights Protections
A troubling development is unfolding in federal policy, which may have profound consequences for the civil rights protections enshrined in the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. At issue is…
A Story of Resilience: The Rise of Black-Owned Banks and Fraternal Organizations
This is a story of a community pushed to the margins but determined to forge its path to prosperity and dignity. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, African…
The Red Cross and Segregation of Life-Saving Blood Donations From African Americans
The American Red Cross’s segregation of African American blood donations during World War II actively upheld systemic racism in a critical realm: life-saving medical care. Influenced by pseudoscientific beliefs about…
Red Summer and The Massacre Of Elaine, Arkansas
In 1919, several interrelated factors intensified racial tensions in the United States. During Reconstruction, African Americans gained significant political and legal rights, such as voting and holding public office. However,…
To Preserve Slavery, Nothing Was Sacred. Not Even The Bible
The Slave Bible exemplifies how religion was weaponized to sustain slavery. Officially titled Parts of the Holy Bible, Selected for the Use of the Negro Slaves, in the British West-India…