Black History
African Americans have played a central role in shaping U.S. history. From slavery and its abolition to the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and military, scientific, cultural and political achievements, explore key moments, milestones, facts and figures in Black History.
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See important dates and facts about the African American experience.
Black inventors changed the way we live through their many innovations, from the traffic light to the ironing board.
From a bus boycott to Freedom Rides to a march for fair housing, here are seven events that triggered change.
Black History Month honors the contributions of African Americans to U.S. history. Learn about famous firsts in African American history and other little-known facts.
Black History Month
Black History Month
A brief look at the history of African Americans and Black History Month.
3 Key Movements in Black History
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The federal holiday commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States.
These Black female artists and writers found mainstream success and recognition.
The two 19th century leaders had deep respect for each other. But one was openly—and harshly—critical.
As Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party loomed over Europe, an American and a German boxer squared off in the ring. They'd meet again two years later.
Why Harry Truman Ended Segregation in the US Military in 1948
On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, mandating the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces and ending 170 years of officially sanctioned racial discrimination in the military. Although African Americans had served since the Revolutionary War, they were typically segregated from white troops and often assigned to menial roles. A landmark achievement of both the postwar civil rights movement and Truman’s presidency, the order marked one of the first times a U.S. president used executive authority to advance civil rights. It also helped pave the way for broader desegregation efforts across American society.
How Coretta Scott King Used Her Voice to Sing for Civil Rights
From a young age, Coretta Scott King was influenced by music. She spent her youth singing in church choirs and ended up studying at the New England Conservatory, where she met MLK. She earned a degree in voice and music education and studied the violin.
Executive Order 9981, one of Truman's most important achievements, became a major catalyst for the civil rights movement.
They were overworked, underpaid and demeaned, but generations of porters on the Pullman Palace Car Company helped promote the rights and futures of African Americans.
With the slogan “I am a man,” workers in Memphis sought financial justice in a strike that became Martin Luther King Jr.’s final cause.
