The contributions of Black Service Organizations in the volunteer and civic space have been around since the Revolutionary War. Out of those spaces came formal organizations aimed at redefining American democracy.

Elite Black Public High Schools in Jim Crow America

May 20th, 2022 3m 12s

In November 1870, four Black students created their own safe space to study in a Washington D.C. church. That space would eventually become the first Black public school, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

Father Divine

May 13th, 2022 3m 4s

As the nation dealt with the darkness of the Great Depression, a Black leader by the name of Father Major Jealous Divine (Father Divine) rose from the shadows. His message resonated with many as he identified himself as God in the human flesh.

Congressional Black Caucus

May 6th, 2022 3m 19s

In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. we celebrate a group of Black congressional leaders who constitute the Congressional Black Caucus and to be the voice for marginalized groups today.

Poor People's Campaign

Apr 29th, 2022 3m 8s

In 1967, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. expanded the Civil Rights Movement by creating a sweeping economic and healthcare care plan aimed at the poor.

The Movement and Campus Violence

Apr 22nd, 2022 3m 14s

College campuses became integral in the quest for social reform in the 1960s. With large numbers of Black students already present, campuses allowed young people an opportunity to ensure their voices were not only heard, but that their abilitie

Free Black Americans Before the Civil War

Apr 15th, 2022 3m 23s

Even though slavery ended in the 1860s, free Black Americans made up 10% of the United States Black population. While the rest of the population was made up of slaves, those who escaped quickly learned that freedom didn’t mean access.

The Roll Back

Apr 8th, 2022 3m 12s

America entered a special moment where freedom rang high and many of the promises of the constitution appeared to — in some ways — allow Black people to enjoy freedom and rights that were never seen before.

The History of Negro League Baseball

Apr 1st, 2022 3m 47s

Baseball is one of America’s staples that dates back to the 1800s. And while the culture of catchy tunes and snacks are shared from coast to coast, the journey to inclusivity was a long, hard, and well-earned fight for Black athletes.

The 1893 World's Fair

Mar 25th, 2022 3m 47s

The 1893 World Fair took place in Chicago, Illinois, welcoming countries from around the world to feature their contributions for everyone to see.

Black Woman Laborers

Mar 18th, 2022 2m 42s

After the Civil War, Black women recognized the opportunity to become wage workers and contributors to society. However, decent wages and respect was fleeting. Black women in the workforce realized quickly that while times were changing, their

Black Liberation and Womanist Theology

Mar 11th, 2022 3m 34s

James Cone, a highly regarded professor, preached about Black liberation at the center of the gospel. His elevated teaching not only inspired followers but it also provided an alternate theology that shifted the power of the church.

The Woman's Club Movement

Mar 4th, 2022 3m 13s

Black women have been no stranger to organizing since America’s earliest inception. But it would be during the Reconstruction era that Black women were able to elevate their messaging and started a movement by forming their own group called the

Black Greek-Letter Organization

Feb 25th, 2022 3m 14s

While more Black students sought formal education in a university setting they formed their own Black Greek-Letter Organization aimed at creating community and celebrating key principles of success.

Brenda Travis

Feb 18th, 2022 2m 47s

Brenda Travis of McComb, Mississippi, encountered the dangers of merely existing in Jim Crow’s America as a child after witnessing her brother’s unlawful arrest in the middle of the night. It would be that event that inspired a young Travis to

Black Power and the Birth of Black Studies

Feb 11th, 2022 2m 59s

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination not only further ignited the civil rights movement, but it also inspired students in the collegiate setting to revolutionize the spaces that didn’t fully accept their existence.

Black Feminist Organizations

Feb 4th, 2022 3m 12s

While the Civil Rights Movement continued to spread across the US and the feminist movement evolved, one group felt neither movement really addressed their existence: Black women. As a result, the National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) was

Integrating Wall Street

Jan 28th, 2022 3m 23s

In 1972, Vernon Jordan became the first Black person to sit on a corporate board in the United States. As a result of his presence, he opened the door for Johnson Products, the first Black-owned business, to be listed on the American stock exch

The GI Bill of Rights

Jan 21st, 2022 3m 10s

From the inception of the United States, Black soldiers have answered the call to serve on the front lines. And in 1944, the US government created the GI Bill, providing benefits and offerings like job training, loans for school and access to m

Job Ben Solomon

Jan 14th, 2022 2m 58s

In 1730, Job Ben Solomon — a Senegalese man and active slave trader — was captured during an excursion in the Gambian River region. Once stateside, he was imprisoned for attempting to escape from Maryland.

Chicago Sound: The Birth of Modern Gospel

Jan 7th, 2022 3m 12s

As Black families left the South, their migration allowed them to bring their religion and musical practices along with them. But it would be one man in particular, Thomas Dorsey, who would find himself in the middle of a Chicago community that

Segregated Travel During Jim Crow

Dec 17th, 2021 2m 40s

Jim Crow’s separate but equal not only impacted restaurants and schools, but it also led to the segregation of travel on buses. Black patrons in Winston Salem, North Carolina, frustrated with limited routes, took matters into their own hands.

The Clotilda

Dec 10th, 2021 3m 22s

In 2019, researchers were able to properly authenticate the last known slave ship to enter the United States illegally. That ship, The Clotida, was found in the Mobile River in Southern Alabama.

Mamie Till Mobley

Dec 3rd, 2021 3m 25s

The lynching of Emmett Till in 1955 became a pivotal point for race relations in the United States. Instead of sitting by silently, his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, opted to utilize the media in a way it had not been used before.

The History of Black Farmers

Nov 19th, 2021 3m 10s

Well before formal legislation was passed, promising freed slaves certain land rights, Black farmers traveled west, exploring, and developing heavily forested land. With tons of experience in their pockets, migrating west made sense and allowed