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…
Tag: Historical Events
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,…
The race riots of East St. Louis and Springfield. A stark reminder of the violence and racial division that persisted then and now in America.
The East St. Louis race riot of 1917 stands as one of the darkest moments of racial violence in American history. What began as economic and racial tension soon spiraled…
Home Ownership, The American Dream – A Racial Nightmare
Levittown, one of post-World War II America’s most iconic suburban developments, symbolizes opportunity and exclusion. Created by William Levitt and his company, Levitt & Sons, Levittown represented the promise of…
Before Other civil rights organization there was the Black Cabinet
The Black Cabinet, sometimes referred to as the “Federal Council of Negro Affairs,” was composed of influential Black professionals within the federal government and symbolized the potential for real change…
Mary Ellen Pleasant: Pioneer, Entrepreneur, Benefactor
Mary Ellen Pleasant, an African American entrepreneur and abolitionist, is renowned for her efforts in the Underground Railroad and her support of the abolitionist movement. She used her considerable resources…
Joseph Laroche, The Only Black Passenger Aboard The Ill-Fated Titanic
Walter Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche, born in Haiti on May 26, 1886, was the nephew of Cincinnatus Leconte, who had served as president of the country. At the age of…
Invisible Shackles: The Impact of Black Codes on African Americans In The Years Immediately Following the Civil War.
After the Civil War, as the nation grappled with the aftermath of slavery, the question of freed Black people’s status in the South remained unresolved. The Black Codes were created,…
The 6888th Central Postal Battalion, Six Triple Eight. “No mail, no morale.”
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion comprised entirely of African American women, faced discrimination and adversity head-on while delivering an essential service to WWII troops overseas. In the early 1940s,…
Charles Jackson French, The Human Tugboat
The U.S. Navy will honor World War II hero Charles Jackson French, a Black cook aboard the USS Gregory during the Battle of Guadalcanal, by naming a new Arleigh Burke-class…