(Photo: Itoro Umontuen / The Atlanta Voice) In a line that stretches back to the likes of Barbara Jordan, Shirley Chisholm and Carol Moseley Braun, this moment, Stacey Abrams’s moment, is inextricably linked to the past, and to its black women political leaders who made her bid possible. And win or lose, come November 6, history books will now remember the former Georgia House Minority leader as history-making as well. Crystal A. deGregory Ph.D. is the inaugural director of the Atwood Institute for Race, Education, and the Democratic Ideal at Kentucky State University. For inasmuch as we are tempted to exceptionalize moments and achievements, as well as the people associated with them, we more fairly judge and better serve each other when we see ourselves, as standing in a much longer line of history. To be sure, black women have long served as powerful—though often overlooked—agents of change in American politics. And as a black woman, reared in the Deep South, … [Read more...] about Authentic and unapologetic, Stacey Abrams is well positioned to make history yet again
Unknown black history
‘Lynch him!’: New lynching memorial confronts the nation’s brutal history of racial terrorism
Democracy Dies in Darkness Sections Home Try 1 month for $1 Username Sign In Account Profile Newsletters & Alerts Gift Subscriptions Contact Us Help Desk Subscribe Account Profile Newsletters & Alerts Gift Subscriptions Contact Us Help Desk Accessibility for screenreader Retropolis by DeNeen L. Brown by DeNeen L. Brown Email the author April 24 at 7:00 AM Email the author MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A white mob yelling “Lynch him!” pulled Matthew Williams from the Negro ward of a hospital in Salisbury, Md., on Dec. 4, 1931. Williams, who had been shot in the leg, was accused of killing the white man he worked for after a pay dispute. Williams denied the allegation, but the 23-year-old was bound in a straitjacket and thrown out the hospital window. The mob stabbed him with ice picks and dragged his body three blocks to the courthouse in downtown Salisbury, a small city on Maryland’s … [Read more...] about ‘Lynch him!’: New lynching memorial confronts the nation’s brutal history of racial terrorism
Lecture reviews black history
Separating histories into categories can be dangerous, according to British-Nigerian historian and filmmaker David Olusoga. “The division that I’m most interested in — the one that I’ve spent the past couple of years thinking about — is the division between what we call black history and mainstream history,” Olusoga said. Olusoga was the featured speaker at last week’s Ross Horning Lecture, which is hosted annually by the Department of History at Creighton. This year’s lecture, which took place in a nearly full Harper Auditorium, was titled, “Remembering and Forgetting: Black History and the British Empire.” The Ross Horning Lecture Series is a way to remember the life and values of Ross Horning, who taught history at Creighton. Associate professor of history Scott Eastman said that the series of presentations are meant to serve as a reminder of the “enduring value of history and humanistic … [Read more...] about Lecture reviews black history
CBS News Logo Black Death “plague pit” with 48 skeletons is “extremely rare” find
A 14th-century mass burial pit full of victims of the Black Death has been discovered at the site of a medieval monastery hospital, according to archaeologists. Researchers uncovered 48 skeletons — 27 of which were children — at an “extremely rare” Black Death burial site in Lincolnshire, in the United Kingdom, they said. DNA testing of teeth that were uncovered at the site revealed the existence of plague bacteria, the scientists said. The presence of such a large burial site suggests that the community was overwhelmed by the number of victims of the Black Death, said lead archaeologist Hugh Willmott, a senior lecturer in European historical archaeology at the University of Sheffield. A mass grave would have been the easiest way to cope with the number of people who died during the outbreak. [In Photos: Tracking the Devastating Impact of the Black Death] “Despite the fact it is now estimated that up to half the population of England perished during … [Read more...] about CBS News Logo Black Death “plague pit” with 48 skeletons is “extremely rare” find
New exhibit reveals U’s dark history of segregation and anti-Semitism
What’s in a name? A new exhibit chronicling a controversial period at the University of Minnesota raises the question. “A Campus Divided: Progressives, Anti-Communists, and Anti-Semitism at the University of Minnesota, 1930-1942” unearths long buried information about the efforts of university administrators to segregate housing, spy on mostly Jewish students and quash student activism. The names behind the most egregious acts are some of the best known at the U, including former President Lotus D. Coffman and Edward Nicholson, who served as the U’s first dean of student affairs. Both served during a turbulent time when issues of race, equality, war and students’ rights roiled the campus. Both have prominent campus buildings named after them. Now, as controversies over Confederate monuments rage and names of slave owners are being removed from buildings, streets and lakes, the exhibit is likely to raise questions about whether well-known U administrators … [Read more...] about New exhibit reveals U’s dark history of segregation and anti-Semitism