Origins of Black History Month (3:01)
A brief look at the History of African Americans and Black History Month.
Videos (38)
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Origins of Black History Month
Origins of Black History MonthVideo Clip (3:01)
Video Clip (3:01)
A brief look at the History of African Americans and Black History Month.
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King Leads the March on Washington
King Leads the March on WashingtonVideo Clip (3:10)
Video Clip (3:10)
On August 28, 1963, a quarter million people gather to support civil rights, and share Dr. King's "dream" of equality.
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Jackie Robinson Breaks Barriers
Jackie Robinson Breaks BarriersVideo Clip (3:06)
Video Clip (3:06)
Jackie Robinson's accomplishments on and off the field opens doors for all African Americans.
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Meet Madam CJ Walker
Meet Madam CJ WalkerVideo Clip (1:49)
Video Clip (1:49)
From her rough beginnings as an orphan, Madam CJ Walker went on to corner the market in black women's hair care and became the first self-made female millionaire.
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Separate But Not Equal
Separate But Not EqualVideo Clip (2:21)
Video Clip (2:21)
In 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously strikes down segregation in public schools, sparking the Civil Rights movement.
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The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem RenaissanceVideo Clip (2:53)
Video Clip (2:53)
As African Americans flocked to Northern cities in the 1920s, they created a new social and cultural landscape.
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Condoleeza Rice Remembers MLK
Condoleeza Rice Remembers MLKVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice recalls her memories of Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman and the Underground RailroadVideo Clip (3:07)
Video Clip (3:07)
Born a slave, Harriett Tubman became a famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, leading hundreds of slaves to freedom.
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The Gettysburg Address: A New Declaration of Independence
The Gettysburg Address: A New Declaration of IndependenceVideo Clip (1:45)
Video Clip (1:45)
After the carnage at the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln reaffirms his commitment to achieving freedom for all.
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Massachusetts 54th Regiment
Massachusetts 54th RegimentVideo Clip (2:48)
Video Clip (2:48)
The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was one of the first official black units in the U.S. armed forces. Their courageous assault on Fort Wagner played a key role in bringing about an end to slavery.
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761st Enters Combat
761st Enters CombatVideo Clip (2:16)
Video Clip (2:16)
Two Months after D-Day the first all black panther tank battalion was ordered to the front lines.
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761st Activated
761st ActivatedVideo Clip (2:42)
Video Clip (2:42)
The 761st Panther Tank division was called to duty in 1962.
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David Gilmore
David GilmoreVideo Clip (2:54)
Video Clip (2:54)
WWII veteran David Gilmore recalls his struggles during combat and the long road home.
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Voting Rights Bill
Voting Rights BillVideo Clip (1:44)
Video Clip (1:44)
Newsreel footage of President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Bill.
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964Video Clip (2:57)
Video Clip (2:57)
After years of struggle and setbacks, advocates for equality celebrate the passage of sweeping legislation that prohibits racial discrimination.
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Fair Housing Act
Fair Housing ActVideo Clip (1:40)
Video Clip (1:40)
President Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act in 1968.
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W.E.B. Dubois and the Niagara Movement
W.E.B. Dubois and the Niagara MovementVideo Clip (3:44)
Video Clip (3:44)
W.E.B. Dubois was integral to the advancement of racial equality.
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Malcolm X
Malcolm XVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Malcolm X speaks to reporters about the Black Nationalist Movement and the need to establish Black Rifle Clubs.
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Stokely Carmichael
Stokely CarmichaelVideo Clip (1:14)
Video Clip (1:14)
Stokely Carmichael, leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, spoke to a crowd in Greenwood, Mississippi in 1964.
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Maya Angelou: Brown vs. Board of Education
Maya Angelou: Brown vs. Board of EducationVideo Clip (2:05)
Video Clip (2:05)
Maya Angelou shares her thoughts on the 1954 Brown vs. the Board of Education Supreme Court decision.
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Path to the Podium: Barack Obama
Path to the Podium: Barack ObamaVideo Clip (3:18)
Video Clip (3:18)
Follow Barack Obama's political journey from his early years to the White House.
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Freedom March
Freedom MarchVideo Clip (1:38)
Video Clip (1:38)
Newsreel footage of the freedom march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Forest Whitaker: Growing Up with Dr. King
Forest Whitaker: Growing Up with Dr. KingVideo Clip (1:21)
Video Clip (1:21)
Actor Forest Whitaker reflects on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Blacks in the Military
Blacks in the MilitaryVideo Clip (3:12)
Video Clip (3:12)
Learn how blacks serving in WWII helped forward the Civil Rights Movement.
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Barbara Jordan's Keynote Address
Barbara Jordan's Keynote AddressVideo Clip (2:12)
Video Clip (2:12)
An excerpt from Barbara Jordan's keynote speech at the Democratic National Convection. Jordan was the first African-American woman ever elected to Congress from a southern state.
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Martin Luther King III on his Father
Martin Luther King III on his FatherVideo Clip (1:25)
Video Clip (1:25)
Martin Luther King III remembers his father's love of all people and transformative effects on the world.
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Tom Brokaw on King's Legacy
Tom Brokaw on King's LegacyVideo Clip (1:48)
Video Clip (1:48)
Tom Brokaw talks about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s lasting effects on American Society.
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Bill Clinton on Martin Luther King Jr.
Bill Clinton on Martin Luther King Jr.Video Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Bill Clinton speaks on his memories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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Maya Angelou Recites Clinton Inaugural Poem
Maya Angelou Recites Clinton Inaugural PoemVideo Clip (5:41)
Video Clip (5:41)
President Clinton invited Maya Angelou to read a poem during the 1993 inauguration ceremony.
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Maya Angelou: Impact of Civil Rights Movement
Maya Angelou: Impact of Civil Rights MovementVideo Clip (1:36)
Video Clip (1:36)
Maya Angelou reflects on the impact of the Civil Rights Movement throughout the world.
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Maya Angelou Recalls King's Bus Boycott Story
Maya Angelou Recalls King's Bus Boycott StoryVideo Clip (2:40)
Video Clip (2:40)
Maya Angelou remembers a story Martin Luther King Jr. once told her.
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Jesse Jackson: 'Selma the Place to Be'
Jesse Jackson: 'Selma the Place to Be'Video Clip (1:18)
Video Clip (1:18)
Jesse Jackson recalls standing in the rain with Dr. King in Selma, Alabama.
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Doxie Whitfield's Personal Story of Integration
Doxie Whitfield's Personal Story of IntegrationVideo Clip (2:52)
Video Clip (2:52)
Doxie Whitfield was a nurse in Atlanta in 1963 when the hospital floors were desegregated.
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Jesse Jackson Recalls MLK's Last Day
Jesse Jackson Recalls MLK's Last DayVideo Clip (2:05)
Video Clip (2:05)
Jesse Jackson remembers Martin Luther King Jr.'s reflective mood on the day he was assassinated.
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Jesse Jackson: MLK's Agony
Jesse Jackson: MLK's AgonyVideo Clip (2:31)
Video Clip (2:31)
Jesse Jackson talks about Dr. King's suffering during the Civil Rights Movement.
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Integration at Ole Miss
Integration at Ole MissVideo Clip (2:03)
Video Clip (2:03)
Newsreel footage of President Kennedy's address to the American people after the University of Alabama riots in 1962.
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Little Rock Nine
Little Rock NineVideo Clip (1:51)
Video Clip (1:51)
Silent footage of members of the 101st U.S. Airborne Division escorting the Little Rock Nine into Central High School on September 25, 1957.
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Jesse Jackson: MLK's Legacy
Jesse Jackson: MLK's LegacyVideo Clip (0:51)
Video Clip (0:51)
Jesse Jackson talks about Martin Luther King Jr.'s effect on the human race.
Photo Galleries (11)
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Barack Obama
Barack Obama(18 Photos)
18 Photos
The 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama was elected in 2008 and is the first African American to hold the office.
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March on Washington
March on Washington(9 Photos)
9 Photos
See pictures from the famous March on Washington.
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Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.(16 Photos)
16 Photos
See pictures from the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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Integration of Central High School
Integration of Central High School(9 Photos)
9 Photos
In 1957 nine black students enrolled at the formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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Black Women in Politics
Black Women in Politics(10 Photos)
10 Photos
View images of famous female African American politicians and activists.
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Black Women Authors
Black Women Authors(11 Photos)
11 Photos
View images of famous female African American authors.
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Black Women Musicians
Black Women Musicians(20 Photos)
20 Photos
View images of famous female African American singers and musicians.
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Black Women Athletes
Black Women Athletes(16 Photos)
16 Photos
View images of famous female African American athletes.
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The Battle Over Slavery
The Battle Over Slavery(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Explore images of abolitionists, the Underground Railroad and much more as you learn about the battle over slavery in the United States.
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Slave Life
Slave Life(9 Photos)
9 Photos
View pictures of North American slave life during the 18th and 19th centuries, featuring pictures of slaves themselves and the environments in which they worked and lived.
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The Slave Trade
The Slave Trade(10 Photos)
10 Photos
Explore images of the Atlantic and African Slave Trades, from holding cells in Africa to auction houses in Atlanta.
Speeches & Audio (10)
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Malcolm X Speaks Out on Race
Malcolm X Speaks Out on RaceAudio Clip (1:17)
Audio Clip (1:17)
On March 12, 1964, Malcolm X holds a press conference to explain his position on the struggle for civil rights, particularly his stand on nonviolence.
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A. Philip Randolph on Struggle for Racial Equality
A. Philip Randolph on Struggle for Racial EqualityAudio Clip (1:00)
Audio Clip (1:00)
Born April 15, 1889, A. Philip Randolph was instrumental in leading the civil rights movement in America. In one of many speeches on racial justice, Randolph ponders the question of how to right past wrongs.
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Fannie Lou Hamer on Roots of Her Activism
Fannie Lou Hamer on Roots of Her ActivismAudio Clip (0:48)
Audio Clip (0:48)
Fannie Lou Hamer, who worked as a field organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to expand black voter registration, discusses her awakening to racial injustice.
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African-Americans Vote in South Carolina
African-Americans Vote in South CarolinaAudio Clip (1:33)
Audio Clip (1:33)
A report from Charleston, South Carolina, describes heavy voter turnout at the state's primary election on August 10, 1948. For the first time since the Reconstruction era, African-Americans were permitted to vote in a Democratic primary, after a federal judge ruled their exclusion unconstitutional.
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Carl Stokes on Aiding Cleveland's African-Americans
Carl Stokes on Aiding Cleveland's African-AmericansAudio Clip (2:42)
Audio Clip (2:42)
After becoming the first African-American mayor of a major city when he was elected in 1967, Carl Stokes talks about his hopes for Cleveland's citizens in an interview.
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Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964
Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964Audio Clip (3:45)
Audio Clip (3:45)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education, and outlawed segregation in public facilities.
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Johnson on KKK Murder of Civil Rights Worker
Johnson on KKK Murder of Civil Rights WorkerAudio Clip (4:31)
Audio Clip (4:31)
On March 25, 1965, Viola Gregg Liuzzo was murdered in Selma, Alabama. The following day, President Lyndon Johnson announces on national radio and television the capture of her killers.
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Adam Clayton Powell Jr. on Racial Discrimination
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. on Racial DiscriminationAudio Clip (0:33)
Audio Clip (0:33)
A civil rights leader in Harlem before entering politics, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1945 to 1971. The fiery politician's oratorical skills are on display in a speech on racial justice.
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Jackie Robinson on Racial Taunts
Jackie Robinson on Racial TauntsAudio Clip (0:51)
Audio Clip (0:51)
The first African-American to play major league baseball, Jackie Robinson describes his experience in the first few games of the 1947 season, when he was subjected to vicious epithets from other teams and spectators.
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Orval Faubus Blocks Little Rock High School Integration
Orval Faubus Blocks Little Rock High School IntegrationAudio Clip (0:27)
Audio Clip (0:27)
On September 2, 1957, Governor Orval Faubus called out the Arkansas National Guard to prevent a group of African-American students, who later became known as the Little Rock Nine, from entering the all-white Central High School. In a broadcast that evening, Faubus defends his decision to call in the state's National Guard.
Interactives (1)
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Black History Month celebrates the contributions of African Americans to American history and culture.
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