Curated OER
History Matters: Atlanta Compromise Speech, 1895
Read an excerpt from Booker T. Washington's 1895 Atlanta Compromise speech, in which he stresses accommodation rather than resistance as way to deal with racism. Includes a short audio clip - the only surviving recording of Washington's...
Curated OER
History Matters: Recollection of 1906 Atlanta Race Riot
Walter White, who later became head of the NAACP, recalls witnessing the 1906 Atlanta Race Riots at age 13.
Library of Congress
Loc: African American Odyssey: Booker T. Washngton Era
A history from the Library of Congress of African Americans during the time of Booker T. Washington, "the 1870s to the start of World War I."
Curated OER
History Matters: Seven Letters From the Great Migration
These seven letters to the Chicago "Defender," a black newspaper, offer accounts from individuals who chose to leave the South from 1916-1921 in search of better opportunities as a part of what is now known as the Great Migration.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Linda Brown 1943
Read a brief summary of the life story of Linda Brown whose civil rights experiences were the basis for the famous historical case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
History Link
Bertha Pitts Campbell: An Oral History
From the Washington State Oral History Project comes this captivating interview with Bertha Pitts Campbell, an African American woman and early Seattle civil rights worker. Campbell talks about the discrimination and segregation she...
Library of Congress
Loc: African American Identity in the Gilded Age
Examine the tension experienced by African-Americans as they struggled to establish a vibrant and meaningful identity based on the promises of liberty and equality in the midst of a society that was ambivalent towards them and sought to...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: The Making of African American Identity [Pdf]
The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion...
Library of Congress
Loc: The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship
Online exhibit from the Library of Congress explores black America's quest for equality from the early national period through the twentieth century. Exhibit contains a wealth of items including books, government documents, manuscripts,...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs: American Slave Narrators
Lucinda MacKethan, English professor at North Carolina State University, offers a comparison of two classic slave narratives: Frederick Douglass's 1845 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave and Harriet Jacobs's...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Is This a Map of the Underground Railroad?
In this segment from History Detectives, Anne Zorela, a map collector, believes she's found a map that outlines the routes of the Underground Railroad.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: What Was the Harlem Renaissance?
Professor Kate Rushin describes the Harlem Renaissance as a large social and cultural movement fueled by many factors in this video from A Walk Through Harlem.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Symbolism in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"
This video segment from A Walk Through Harlem features the poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" by Langston Hughes.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Culture & Change: Black History in America
An interactive timeline from Scholastic. Students can click on various times and learn important dates and events in African American history.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: A Walk Through Harlem: Finding Their Voice
African Americans in the 1920's had a new attitude. In this video segment from A Walk through Harlem, learn about the Harlem Renaissance. [0:59]
Stanford University
Stanford University: A Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
A scholarly biographical article on King taken from a work published in 1999 and written by the most authoritative scholar on King today.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Art to Zoo What Can You Do With a Portrait?
This is the very first published issue of Art to Zoo. Unlike later issues, it features three separate topics instead of one larger theme. In this issue you can find information and resources for teaching westward expansion and its impact...
Have Fun With History
Have Fun With History: African Americans
Module on African Americans with links to National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Museum, Northwest African American Museum, and SuSable African American History Museum and numerous videos on various topics including, World War II,...
Other
Early Women Masters: Harriet Powers
A beautiful portrayal of the life and work of the "mother of African-American quilting."
Other
Maryland Historical Society: Collections Online
An online database full of paintings, photographs, manuscripts, decorative arts pieces, and lithographs pertaining to history topics. Topics include American Civil War, African American History, Women's History, and immigration and...
Other
Mississippi Writers Page: Margaret Walker Alexander
The University of Mississippi lauds its native Margaret Walker Alexander. Included are biographical information, an extensive bibliography of her works and those written about her, and a link to the Margaret Walker Alexander National...
PBS
Pbs American Masters: Scientific American: Following Muddy's Trail
This site has a lesson plan on Muddy Waters focused on the American Masters documentary about him. Parallels the Great Migration with the growth of the blues music movement in America. Click on Muddy's name to access a detailed biography...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Breaking Barriers: Critical Discussion of Social Issues
Through a series of picture book read-alouds and journal entries, students engage in critical discussion of complex issues of race, class, and gender.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Social Realism: W. E. B. Du Bois
W. E. B. DuBois is featured here for his writings which advocated human rights for all, but particularly for African Americans in the early twentieth century. Click "W. E. B. DuBois Activities" for related materials.