Research Guides: Black History Month: On the Web

Museums & Digital Collections

Paul Laurence Dunbar Collection at Wright State University Special Collections & Archives
"Born in Dayton, Ohio, on June 27, 1872, Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first African American literary figures to garner critical acclaim on a national scale. Although he lived just thirty-three years, Dunbar's contributions in a variety of genres left a legacy that endures today."
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
"The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a museum of conscience, an education center, a convener of dialogue, and a beacon of light for inclusive freedom around the globe."
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture
"The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. To date, the Museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts and nearly 100,000 individuals have become members. The Museum opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution."
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
"Our vision is of a world in which the adversity and achievement of African American history inspire everyone toward greater understanding, acceptance, and unity!"
The DuSable Museum of African American History
"To promote understanding and inspire appreciation of the achievements, contributions, and experiences of African Americans through exhibits, programs, and activities that illustrate African and African American history, culture and art."
Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
"To inspire conversations about the beauty, power, and diversity of African arts and cultures worldwide."
Library of Congress Digital Collection: African American History
Digital collections from the Library of Congress focused on African American History

Organizations

Association for the Study of African American Life and History
"Established on September 9, 1915 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, we are the Founders of Black History Month and carry forth the work of our founder, the Father of Black History.
We continue his legacy of speaking a fundamental truth to the world–that Africans and peoples of African descent are makers of history and co-workers in what W. E. B. Du Bois called, “The Kingdom of Culture.” ASALH’s mission is to create and disseminate knowledge about Black History, to be, in short, the nexus between the Ivory Tower and the global public. We labor in the service of Blacks and all humanity."
African Studies Association
"The African Studies Association encourages the production and dissemination of historical and contemporary knowledge about Africa. The African Studies Association encourages the production and dissemination of historical and contemporary knowledge about Africa. The ASA is based in the United States and aims to cultivate a better understanding of the continent, taking a holistic approach to its areas of focus. This includes all facets of Africa’s political, economic, social, cultural, artistic, scientific, and environmental landscapes, to name a few."
National Urban Leauge
"The National Urban League is a historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization with 90 affiliates serving 300 communities, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than two million people nationwide."
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
"Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons."

Websites

Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: Challenges and Triumphs in the Pursuit of Equality
"Present[s] primary source documents from several of the time periods in American History when the river of the Black Freedom Struggle ran more powerfully, while not losing sight of the fierce, often violent opposition that Black people have faced on the road to freedom."
The King Institute
"In 2005, with an initial $1 million endowment pledge from Hall of Fame football star Ronnie Lott and his All Stars Helping Kids organization, Dr. Clayborne Carson founded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute to provide a permanent financial base for the King Papers Project and a broad range of other educational activities."
The HistoryMakers
"Non-profit research and educational institution committed to preserving and making widely accessible the untold personal stories of both well-known and unsung African Americans. Through the media and a series of user-friendly products, services and events, The HistoryMakers enlightens, entertains and educates the public, helping to refashion a more inclusive record of American history."
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem
"The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences."

Playlists

TED Talks to celebrate Black History Month
"23 Insightful talks that offer fresh, thoughtful perspectives on Black identity."

Celebrating the Women of the Civil Rights Movement

In February 2015, Former First Lady Michelle Obama provided opening remarks at a panel discussion, Women of the Civil Rights Movement, hosted by the The White House and Essence Magazine.

Moderated by Essence Editor-in-Chief Vanessa De Luca, the panel brought together the following five women who have played critical roles in America's progress on civil rights:

Carlotta Walls LaNier, youngest member of the Little Rock Nine
Charlayne Hunter-Gault, activist and journalist
Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Janaye Ingram, National Executive Director, National Action Network
Chanelle Hardy, Senior Vice President for Policy, National Urban League

Length: 59m 56s

Amanda Gorman: The Hill We Climb

"Poet and activist Amanda Gorman recites her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the historic inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Her words call for hope, unity and resilience in a time of division. "While democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated," she says. "In this truth, in this faith, we trust. For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.""

Length: 5m 49s

Black History Month: On the Web