Social progress in the United States often seems to take two steps forward and one step back, with hard-fought civil rights wins countered by a seemingly inevitable backlash. In this spirited talk, writer Charles M. Blow makes the case...

Although slavery was abolished in New York City in 1827, residents remained divided on the issue through the Civil War. NewsHour correspondent Gwen Ifill talks with historian James Horton about slavery's impact on New York.

In 1955, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that public schools should be racially integrated, and overturned the separate but equal doctrine established in Plessy v Ferguson decades before. This was made possible by a concerted legal...

We’re continuing our discussion of nineteenth-century American theater with a look at some upsetting parts of the US's theatrical past. In the nineteenth century, race and racism contributed to a unique and troubling performance culture,...

Women have been a powerful (and largely underappreciated) force in the movement for Black equality in the United States. The Black Power Movement is no exception to that trend. Today, we'll learn about how women contributed to several...

Slavery was inherently cruel and unjust, and it was cruel and unjust to different people in different ways. Today, Clint Smith teaches you about the experience of enslaved women, and how their experience of slavery was different than...

Sometimes, a single decision can change the course of history. Join journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson as she tells the story of the Great Migration, the outpouring of six million African Americans from the Jim Crow South to cities...

The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States in 1865. But it was just the beginning of a long fight for equality and civil rights.

Explore the events leading to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, where tensions between Black residents of Greenwood and white citizens erupted after the arrest of Dick Rowland. Learn how a white mob attacked Greenwood, leading to devastating...

Follow the relentless struggle for civil rights in the face of Jim Crow laws, from early desegregation efforts to the historic marches in Selma. Learn about the pivotal events that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting...

Discover the tragic events that unfolded during the Jim Crow era, from the destruction of thriving Black communities like East St. Louis and Tulsa's Black Wall Street to the widespread violence of the Red Summer. This video highlights...

Learn about the origins of Jim Crow laws and how they enforced racial segregation in the United States. This video traces the history from the minstrel character "Jim Crow" to the establishment of laws that restricted the freedoms of...

Discover the emergence of ragtime and blues music during and after the Reconstruction Era. Learn how ragtime brought a rhythmic, danceable sound to America, while the blues gave voice to personal stories of struggle and resilience....

Explore the struggles and protests for equal access to public beaches during the Jim Crow era, including the tragic story of Eugene Williams and the Chicago riots of 1919. Learn about wade-ins and the efforts to desegregate beaches,...

Matthew Delmont is the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth College. A Guggenheim Fellow and expert on African American history and the history of civil rights, he is the author of four books: Black...

Facing racial barriers in 19th-century Iowa, Susan Clark Holley’s legal battle pioneered school desegregation, laying early groundwork for the monumental Brown v. Board of Education case.

The first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about the hardship and struggles of ordinary people.

As the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Alice Walker helped to bring the Black experience to readers across the globe. A true trailblazer, her work continues to entertain and enlighten.

At a time when Jim Crow laws made racial segregation legal across much of the United States, author Richard Wright gave voice to a struggle – as the first African American author to achieve widespread critical and commercial success.

When picturing a jury, you probably imagine 12 people - no more, no less. But did you know there is no hard and fast rule about how many members are required on a jury? Today, Danielle looks at the differences between petit and grand...

With ongoing protests across the United States and the globe against law enforcement violence and extrajudicial killings of people in Black, brown, and impoverished communities, the world is contemplating the place of police in our...

John Adams warned us. George Washington begged us not to. Despite numerous warnings, here we are on the cusp of the 2020 election with two major parties locked in a perpetual struggle for power. Today Danielle looks at the emergence of...

You're probably aware that the United States healthcare system is letting down many Black Americans. Today, Danielle looks at the historic reasons for distrust of medical establishment in the Black community as well as why these huge...

Language is constantly changing and ethnonyms are no exception. From "Negro" to "Colored" and "African American" to "Black," the people and cultures of African origin living in the United States have had many names. Today Danielle looks...