Tag: African American history

This weekend, families and friends across the nation will enjoy a long weekend and a Monday away from work for Labor Day—the unofficial end of summer and the start of a new season. But whether you're enjoying a plate of barbecue, some extra rest, or using your time off to serve your community, remember this name: John Patterson Green.

Six decades after Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Black Americans returned to the same steps with a familiar message: the fight for voting rights isn't over. The National Action Network and Drum Major Institute organized a march bringing together activists, students, parents and everyday people who wanted to make their voices heard and stand up for the political power previous generations fought to secure.

This Friday marks a historic milestone for one of the country's most controversial Black liberation protests: Black August. It's been nearly 55 years since the first observance took shape inside California's San Quentin State Prison. Black August grew from a turbulent chapter in history marked by prison uprisings, political radicalism, racial injustice and the deaths of men including Black Panther member George Jackson who became symbols of resistance.

If you think Martha's Vineyard is just about yachts and lobster rolls, think again. As thousands prepare to gather in Oak Bluffs this month for the 24th Annual Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, we're looking at the history of the gorgeous, historic island revered as the go-to summer capital of Black excellence and cultural heritage.

As questions continue to swirl around the mysterious death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, another story has taken on a life of its own online. Across social media, users have been claiming that Wells was a descendant of legendary journalist and anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells. The theory spread quickly, with many suggesting the connection made the case even more symbolic, given Mississippi's long history of racial violence. There's just one problem: No evidence suggests the two are actually related.

Philadelphia became the first and only American city to drop a bomb on its own residents. The target was MOVE, a Black liberation organization that had spent years clashing with city officials. What followed would become one of the most devastating and controversial chapters in modern American history.