Library of Congress
Loc: African American Perspectives: Ida B. Wells
Read about the efforts of Ida B. Wells to combat lynchings of African Americans that were still occurring mainly in the South during the first part of the 20th century.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: The First Great Awakening
In the middle of the 18th century, a series of evangelical religious revival movements swept across colonial America. Known as the First Great Awakening, the movements were characterized by emotional religious conversions from a state of...
Other
Real African American Heroes: Guion S. Bluford, Jr.
This site provides the resume and a picture of Guion S. Bluford, Jr., America's first NASA African-American astronaut in space.
New York Public Library
In Motion: African American Migration Experience: Western Migration: To Kansas
From the extensive site about African-American migrations, this part of the site focuses on Exodusters and African-Americans who moved to Kansas after the Civil War. Read first-person accounts and see photographs of these hardy...
Google Cultural Institute
Google Cultural Institute: First Post Apartheid Elections
In April 1994, South Africans, for the first time, were able to cast their vote in a national election. View this illustrated account of Nelson Mandela's landslide victory.
Library of Congress
Loc: American Memory: African American Odyssey
This site explores Black America's quest for equality from the early national period through the twentieth century. Content includes the work of abolitionists in the first half of the nineteenth century, depictions of the long journey...
Other
Reliving South Africa's First Freedom Day
South Africa's Freedom Day is celebrated on April 27th of each year. This day marks the first post-apartheid democratic presidential election for this nation. Learn about the first Freedom Day, the inauguration of Nelson Mandela.
Black Past
Black Past: Magggie Lena Walker
With this brief biography, learn about the life and career of Maggie L. Walker, the first African American bank president. Topics also includes Walker's activism, philanthropy and family history.
Black Past
Black Past: Harold Washington (1922 1987)
This biography profiles the political career of Harold Washington, the first African American mayor of Chicago.
ESPN Internet Ventures
Espn: Jackie Changed Face of Sports
An ESPN article that showcases the career and life of legendary baseball player, Jackie Robinson. Selected the first African-American to play in the majors in the 20th century, ESPN named him number fifteen on its list of greatest athletes.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: 300 Women Who Changed History: Zora Neale Hurston
Encyclopaedia Britannica provides a biography of Zora Neale Hurston, a famous novelist and first African American graduate of Barnard College.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Fort Davis Historic Site: Second Lieutenant Henry Flipper
An account of the life of Henry Ossian Flipper, the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. The article highlights not only his successess, but also the many challenges he faced as a...
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: Supreme Court Justices: Thurgood Marshall
Here is an overview of the life and career of Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993), an advocate for civil rights and the first African-American Supreme Court justice. Read about Marshall's family, education, and career in law and government.
Other
The Official Website of Misty Copeland
Learn about the background and artistic influence of ballet dancer Misty Copeland, the first African American female principal dancer for the acclaimed American Ballet Theater. The site also provides links to videos and magazine articles...
A&E Television
History.com: Colin Powell
Colin Powell (1937-2021) ascended from a humble upbringing in New York City to rise through military ranks and eventually become a four star general, a national security adviser, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first...
Read Works
Read Works: Famous African Americans Jackie Robinson
[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage contains biographical information about the first African American to play in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces...
Duke University
Duke University Libraries: Digitized Collections: African American Women
Access Civil War-era documents that give us a rare first-hand glimpse into the lives of African American women at the time: letters of two slave women from the 1830s and 1850s and a hand-written memoir of another woman born shortly after...
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: 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.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1844 1877: Reconstruction: The First Kkk
Explains how the Ku Klux Klan came into existence and how they terrorized African Americans as well as those who sympathized with them. The Klan would suppress the black vote so that Democrats had a better chance of winning an election...
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.
University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge: The First Black Female Poet?
This article looks at a ballad, 'Bars Fight,' by 18th century African-American writer Lucy Terry. It considers the literary qualities of a ballad, and its historical role in society. It then goes on to consider why a Black slave might...
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...
Other
Irin: Niger: Tandja Wins Second Term as President in Historic First
An overview of the African country of Niger's political, economic, and historic background. Biographical details of President Tandja are included. (Published December 8, 2004)