Madame Stephanie St. Clair: Numbers Queen of Harlem
The colorful career of a woman who ran a gambling ring, fought police corruption, and challenged white mobsters.
How Muhammad Ali Prevailed as a Conscientious Objector
The heavyweight champion lost his title when he refused induction into the military during the Vietnam War.
How Sculptor Meta Warrick Challenged White Supremacy
A 1907 exhibition on the founding of Jamestown featured the work of an artist determined to counter demeaning stereotypes.
Black Women Have Written History for over a Century
Barriers of racism and sexism slowed them down, but academia wasn't their only venue.
Poems by 10 Contemporary Black Poets
Poems by Black poets, including Morgan Parker, Hanif Abdurraqib, Simone White, Terrance Hayes, and more.
A New Civil Rights Movement, a New Journal
Freedomways, the African American journal of politics and culture chronicled the civil rights and Black freedom movements starting in the early 1960s. Read it on JSTOR.
Celebrating Black Artists
Profiles of Betye Saar, Krista Franklin, Miles Davis, Basquiat, Kanye West, Faith Ringgold and more.
The Amazing Story of Phil Moore, Hollywood Star Maker
As the first salaried Black musician at a major studio, he was a leader in shaping the sound of movies—though he was often uncredited.
Black Cowboys and the History of the Rodeo
Long overlooked in histories of the West, African-American rodeo stars also faced discrimination and erasure in that sport, too.
Armed Self-Defense in the Civil Rights Movement
When idealistic nonviolent activists encountered violence in the South as they registered Black voters, local leaders lent them protection.