Read Works
Read Works: Famous African Americans Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
[Free Registration/Login Required] Biographical information about the famous boxer Muhammad Ali is contained in this passage. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and...
Read Works
Read Works: Famous African Americans Duke Ellington
[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage contains biographical information about the famous jazz composter, Duke Ellington. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and...
Read Works
Read Works: Famous African Americans Marian Anderson
[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage contains brief biographical information about the famous singer named Marian Anderson. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies...
Read Works
Read Works: Famous African Americans Maya Angelou
[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage contains biographical information about the famous author and civil rights leader and activist named Maya Angelou. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential...
Library of Congress
Loc: Lesson Plans: Civil Rights
A rich resource on civil rights from the early struggles of African Americans during slavery on through to today. Includes seven lesson plans for multiple grade levels, with information on standards.
Great Idea Finder
Great Idea Finder: Lewis Howard Latimer
An extensive biography of the life of African-American inventor, Lewis Latimer. Find out about his primary claim to fame in the development of an incandescent light bulb, but be sure to read about his many patents, and his importance to...
Other
O'malley Seidler Partners: Hall of Famers: Jackie Robinson
Learn about the challenges Jackie Robinson had to deal with while being the first African-American to play major league baseball.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Althea Gibson Won Again!
Althea Gibson made it possible for the Williams sisters to play at Wimbledon. As the first African-American to win that title, she was a pioneer. See photos and read more about her on this Library of Congress site.
Library of Congress
Loc: The Negro in the Wars of the Nation
African Americans have fought proudly for our country as far back as the Revolutionary War. Christian Fleetwood gives an account of the history of African-American soldiers in the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. He cites examples of...
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Marian Anderson's Performance
Marian Anderson was the first African American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera. She had to overcome prejudice many times in her career. The Library of Congress tells you more with words and pictures.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story:jackie Robinson Throws Opening Pitch
Jackie Robinson was not only one of the all-time great baseball players, he was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. The Library of Congress presents a site with information and photographs of this amazing man.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Gwendolyn Brooks, Poet [Pdf]
"Gwendolyn Brooks, Poet" is a one page, biographical passage about Gwendolyn Brooks, an African-American poet from Chicago. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Dancing Towards Dreams
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
American Academy of Achievement
Academy of Achievement: Ernest J. Gaines
Biography of American author, Ernest Gaines, well-known for his novels and essays, including The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman and A Gathering of Old Men, both adapted for television.
Black Past
Black Past: Ellison, Ralph
This encyclopedia article gives a brief biography of Ralph Ellison, African American novelist and essayist, famous for his book, "Invisible Man."
Curated OER
History Matters: w.e.b. Du Bois Critiques Booker T. Washington
W.E.B.DuBois, famous African American activist, wrote an essay disputing the path Booker T. Washington advocated in his Atlanta Compromise speech, and, instead, proposed a call for greater political power, civil rights, and higher...
Other
Rhode Island College: About Edward Mitchell Bannister
This site provides a detailed biography of the famous African American artist, Edward Mitchell Bannister.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Claude Mc Kay
A biography and analysis of the life of the famous author, as well as literary criticism as well as online poems, letters and a bibliography. Includes many quotes and his poetry.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Capture, Making of African American Identity: V. 1
Several narratives of the capture of West Africans, including the famous autobiography of Venture Smith, from the eighteenth century, two accounts of conditions on slave ships, and an audio recording of the memories of the descendants of...
US House of Representatives
History, Art, and Archives: Barbara Charline Jordan 1936 1996
One of the first African-Americans elected from the Deep South and the first black Congresswoman ever from that region, read about how Barbara Jordan emerged as a powerful interpreter of the Watergate impeachment investigation.
University at Buffalo
Phat African American Poetry Book: Arna Bontemps
Three of Arna Bontemps' more famous poems are printed here.
Other
Afgen.com: George Washington Carver
This resource reviews the life of famous African American inventor George Washington Carver. Includes mention of how this humble, soft-spoken man drew the attention of many important world figures of his day and how he "revolutionized...
Other
Romare Bearden Foundation
Site provides not only a biography of this great African-American artist, but many beautiful images of his work. At this site you can use "Bearden in the Classroom," for teaching ideas across grade levels. A great place to explore!
Columbia University
Columbia University: The Price of Freedom [Pdf]
A lengthy interview with Mr. Ferguson who was a very early follower of Malcolm X and who was present at the assassination of the famous African American leader.