Phillis Wheatley has been criticized for "thinking White" and lacking Black identity. In fact, Wheatley was a strong force among contemporary abolitionist writers and, through the use of Biblical imagery, incorporated anti-slavery statements in her writings. Wheatley's work must be understood within the historical context of…

Analyzes data from "Who's Who Among Black Americans" of 1978 to identify changes in the characteristics of the black elite since the 1930s (as reported in an earlier study). Examines proportion of women among the elite; place of birth; migration and regions of residence; education; occupations; political orientation; and involvement in…

Presents background information on the evolution of rhythm and blues (R & B) from the 1940s to the 1960s: the origin and naming of selected R & B groups, role of instruments in R & B orchestras, soloist/group vocal practices, and the role that independent record labels played in artists' successes and failures. (Author/ML)

Discusses historical and recent writings dealing with miscegenation and the social role and significance of mulattoes (individuals with both Black and White ancestors) in American society. (GC)

Presents a biographical profile of Robert Lloyd Smith, a black Texas legislator of the 1890's. Discusses Smith's philosophy of self-improvement and economic self-sufficiency; his relationship with Booker T. Washington; his involvement in legislation regarding black education, civil rights, and agriculture; and the problems he faced in being a…

Compares the occupational and entrepreneurial opportunities after emancipation of Blacks in the West Indies and those in the US. Holds that the post-Civil War Black Codes and exclusionary policies of labor unions precluded US Blacks from developing human capital and competing economically with Whites. (GC)

Describes the philosophical and political underpinnings of the Freedmen's Bureau, a Federal agency created after the Civil War to assist and protect freed Southern slaves. Argues that, despite some positive results, it exemplified the nation's ambivalence toward a free black community and only contributed to the further entrenchment of racial…

Examines the attempts of the New York Manumission Society, a white anti-slavery group, to monitor and influence the behavior of free blacks in the decades following the Revolution. Identifies chief characteristics of the Society's relationship to New York's black community. Argues that the Society's wealthy white leadership probably imposed its…

Presents an overview of the Highlander Folk School, a nontraditional educational setting in which participants learned how to challenge the racial problems of the South (such as segregation, discrimination, and racism). Describes the school's role in preparing black leaders for the Civil Rights movement and in promoting the participation of white…

Explores use and performance of music in the Black church through examination of (1) the events that led to the conversion of Blacks to Christianity; (2) the formation of independent Black religious groups; and (3) the social and cultural milieu that fostered the development of a unique Black religious music. (Author/ML)

Reports on an examination of 14 American history texts for their content on the Southern Civil Rights Movement prior to the mid-1960s. Cites elitism, factual inaccuracy, and superficiality as common failings in many of these works. (Author/GC)

Thirty-six recently published United States history texts were examined for their treatment of the Freedmen's Bureau, a Federal agency ostensibly established to promote the welfare of emancipated slaves. Only four contained adequate information about the Bureau's role in perpetuating a contract labor system, thus exacerbating low Black…

Examines role of early children's books on Black life in fostering misunderstanding between the races. Traces the history of children's literature accurately depicting African American culture and experience and the development of standards for the genre. Argues for children's literature that is not only nonbiased but actively antibias. (AF)

In an attempt to clarify research problems for historians trying to determine how much Native American ancestry Afro-Americans actually possess, examines the considerable variance in meanings of racial terms (like "mulatto") within the American historical record. (KH)

Argues that too little attention to the history of learning and literacy among African Americans has led to the perpetuation of distortions and misconceptions about their value in the Black community. Misunderstanding of Black children's educational problems is a consequence of ignoring historical evidence and the effects of caste membership. (AF)