Black History in Two Minutes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 abilities to march were possible.

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. 

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.

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

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 white employers were staying the same.

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.

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 form their own group called the Women's Club.

While more Black students sought formal education in a university setting, white organizations were not as open to embracing them into their space. Seeing a need, Black students formed their own fraternities and sororities aimed at creating community and celebrating key principles of success.

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 enter the arena, ready and willing to fight for injustice.

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.

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 formed.

In 1972, Vernon Johnson 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 exchange.

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 mortgages for soldiers who serve their country.

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.

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 was fertile with opportunities.

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.

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.

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.

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 Black farmers and their families a safe place to live and grow.

The 15th Amendment was a monumental piece of legislation that gave Black men the right to vote. As a result of it, over 2,000 African-American men would be elected to office at various levels of government.

Black soldiers have been an instrumental part of the armed forces since the Civil War. They put their lives on their line for their country and entered war to protect the very land that didn't promise to protect them.

Transitioning from job to job as a teenager, Oscar Micheaux was able to write a story that was inspired by his experience on a farm. The novel, entitled The Homesteader, was published and later adapted into a silent motion picture. With this project, he became the first black filmmaker to independently produce and direct his own feature films.

At the turn of the twentieth century, W. E. B. Du Bois curated an exhibit at the Paris Exposition in France entitled “The Exhibit of American Negroes.” The exhibition used photographs to disrupt the negative imagery that was used to depict black Americans at the time.

The landmark case Brown v. Board of Education declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. However, for most black and white families, the decision was met with resistance and a court mandate didn’t mean things were going to change.

With the formal ending of slavery in place, many freed black people saw this as an opportunity to start anew. But, for those in the south, things didn’t seem much different. The southern black experience saw more aggression, lynchings and segregation. As a result, the time to move was imminent.

The Underground Railroad for many of us symbolizes the journey African slaves went on in the name of freedom. But, contrary to popular belief, the first path wasn’t south to north. Instead, it was north to south.

As the United States began to expand, the demand for cotton led to an increase of slave trades in the country. Eager to capitalize, slave owners sold slaves into the deep south and west in the name of expanding the economy.

In the early 1500s, the transatlantic slave trade commenced. Europeans invaded west and central Africa, capturing free people, enslaving them, and placing them on ships as cargo. Conditions aboard these slave ships were horrendous, and the voyage was long and brutal.

In 1973, DJ Kool Herc set up his turntables and introduced a technique at a South Bronx house party that would change music as many people knew it. His ability to switch from record to record — as well as isolate and repeat music breaks — led to the discovery of the hip hop genre.

During the 2004 Democratic National Convention, a first-term senator named Barack Obama from Illinois delivered a speech that exuded excitement, charisma and spark. Four years later, he found himself on that same platform as he launched his campaign to become the president of the United States.

Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica and experienced the impacts of colonization at the hands of the British. As a result, he developed a passion for improving race relations and launched a Black Nationalism movement that would seek to elevate black people throughout the world.

In 1915, D.W. Griffith, released a film that would go down as one of the most disturbing representations of black Americans ever, The Birth of a Nation. Released post-Civil War and Reconstruction Era, the film played on stereotypes abroad.

In the early 1500s, a West African man named Juan Garrido joined the ranks of Spanish explorers who ventured out in hopes of discovering new parts of the world. With their sights set on locating the fountain of youth, Garrido and other travelers landed in what we now call Florida in 1513.

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson tore down the color barrier and became the first black baseball player to play in the Major League arena. His talent, education, and ability to withstand racial issues that were sure to come, made him the ideal candidate.

Taking cues from American Bandstand, Soul Train became a black cultural phenomena. Created and hosted by Don Cornelius, a Chicago radio reporter and DJ, the show was launched in 1970, but only in Chicago. However, the program became an overnight success story as it quickly swept the nation.

Born Henry Louis Aaron, baseball legend Hank Aaron swung his way into the history books in 1974. While the Atlanta Braves enjoyed the benefits of having the talented athlete on their team, actions off the field forced the conversation to transition from celebratory to cautionary.

In 1861, the south’s threats of seceding the union led to the start of the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln’s primary goal was to minimize secession talks. But, as black slaves who were forced to fight for the confederacy escaped to union territory, a shift occurred that worked in the favor of the president.

In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., with additional commentary from Hasan Jeffries of Ohio State University, we will take a look at the slaves who risked it all on a quest to attain the freedom they deserved.

The phrase “40 acres and a mule” — a promise to former slaves — would be hatched from this meeting. Unfortunately, President Andrew Johnson would renege on this promise and many families never saw this promise come to fruition. While land ownership would have been a step in the right direction, negotiations robbed black families of an opportunity to invest in an economic future with.

The events unfolding across the United States today in the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, are an eerie repetition of events that marred the history of race relations in this country almost exactly a century ago.

Lynching was an action used to terrorize the black community for generations, with the first known public display of this injustice taking place in Madison, Mississippi in 1835.

In 1963, John Lewis’ excitement would meet his life’s purpose when he joined the Civil Rights Movement. He is now known as one of the greatest activists and change fighters to enter the arena of social and racial justice reform.

White publications have sought to represent all voices in America since it’s discovery. But, in 1827, Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm joined forces and created the Freedom’s Journal. This publication created a space for black journalists to speak on issues relevant to black people.

Black inventors have made significant contributions in the name of not only advancing the American brand, but by way of breaking down a system that didn’t always allow for their innovative brands to exist.

Black History in Two Minutes (or so) has been officially a TWO TIMES 2020 Webby Award winner. Voted by People's Voice as Best in the Podcast: Documentary Category. Honoring The Best Of The Internet Since 1997.