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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Illustration by Eduardo Ramón Trejo. Photos from Getty Images.

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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.

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Black History

Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in the North in 1849 and then risked her life to lead other enslaved people to freedom.

Harriet Tubman was an escaped enslaved woman who became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, leading enslaved people to freedom.

Black History

The Rise of the First Black Woman Licensed Architect

Norma Merrick Sklarek was one of the first Black female architects in America who helped build iconic structures across the country.

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Black History

The Heroic Legacy of Henry Johnson

Henry Johnson served in the 369th Infantry Regiment, a unit of the U.S. Army that was composed primarily of African American soldiers and later became known as the "Harlem Hellfighters."

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From shipyards to factories to government administrative offices, Black women worked to battle authoritarianism abroad and racism at home.

His full radical vision has often been softened and sanitized.

In his 1984 presidential run, Jackson sought to unite a multiracial, multicultural group of Americans.

Rev. Jackson, who was part of King’s inner circle in 1968—and witnessed his assassination—weighs in on that shocking moment, its turbulent aftermath and carrying forth the dream.

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Jackson was a key civil rights leader and presidential candidate.

Black inventors changed the way we live through their many innovations, from the traffic light to the ironing board.

Martin Luther King Jr. helped lead the Civil Rights Movement.

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.

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February is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.

These 12 trailblazers in government, arts, advocacy, business and sports helped shaped American history.

Explore 11 little-known facts about the man who integrated baseball.

Best known for breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier, Robinson is also remembered for his poise on and off the field.

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