How this all began...
Since 2013 when I decided to go back to school for my bachelor's, I knew exactly what my degree was going to be. However, I did not know what I planned on doing with my degree. Most people that study history end up gravitating towards a certain topic, era, or historical event. I was no different. I found that every opportunity I had to choose a topic to research and write about, I always somehow related it to African American history. Shortly after graduating, I decided to go back to school and pursue my Master's of Arts in History. Again, I had no idea how I planned on using that degree. I did, however, know that to fulfill my concentration requirements, I would take African-American History.
While not knowing how I planned on using my degree was extremely frustrating, the beautiful thing about it was that I left myself open to a world of possibilities. Which brings me to the last month or so. There are three specific things that inspired the desire to create this website. First was social media. As far as social media goes, I am only active on Facebook, but I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have seen people share memes, pictures, websites, or information about African American or Black history that were just emphatically wrong. We are so quick to share information without verifying the validity of what we are sharing. I have seen quotes attributed to people like Harriet Tubman, that are not accurate. I have seen headlines like, "The Black Panthers Started the WIC Program." Which is also not accurate. So my first objective of this website is to provide a place where people can go to get historically accurate information. Blacks have done so many phenomenal things in history, there is no need to spread false or historically inaccurate information.
This brings me to the second thing that inspired me. I recently saw a video of a meeting of the Cobb County Commission in Georgia. There is a park in Cobb County that is named after Confederate General Joseph Johnston. They were allowing residents to comment on whether or not the park should be renamed. Mary Stevens, a resident, believes that the name of the park should be left as is. This is not surprising. Also not surprising was her Lost Cause beliefs, stating "The war was not about slavery. Read Lincoln's inaugural address in which he said he was fighting to keep the Union, not slavery." She also mentions, "Had it been so bad for the freed slaves, they would have left the South." She also shared an image of former black Confederate Soldiers to show that blacks fought for the Confederacy. Her rhetoric is not only wrong, but it is dangerous. We cannot rewrite history to fit our beliefs or narratives today. I understand that as much as I'd like to inspire a change in her and people like her, it is likely that even if given the facts and evidence to disprove their beliefs, they will continue to choose to believe what they want. It was my husband that helped me to reach that understanding. That is why it is so important for us to be equipped with the correct information and to have a platform where that information can be shared and discussed.
Finally, I recently came across a podcast entitled "Teaching Hard History: American Slavery". Which is described as, "A Framework for Teaching American Slavery." This podcast is hosted by Hasan Jeffries, a professor of African American history at The Ohio State University. The podcast features leading scholars and educators discussing American slavery, its impact on the development of the United States, and how its legacy still impacts us today. It provides resources for teachers and really just anybody with an interest in history to help better understand and teach about American slavery. The topic of slavery is difficult to talk about, and it is equally difficult to teach. This podcast inspired the desire to want to start the conversation however uncomfortable it may be. The only way for us to move forward is to have a firm and accurate understanding of the past.
I decided that I wanted to continue to read, research, and write about African American history. More importantly, I wanted to be able to share that information in a way that can be received by anybody, whether you only have 5 minutes or have a substantial amount of time to dedicate to it. My goal is to start from just before the arrival of the first Africans in Jamestown in 1619 and work my way to the present day. I will be writing short articles on a variety of topics and events that pertain to African American history. I will also include reviews of any books I've read, documentaries I've watched, or places I have visited. I will also be providing a place for historical documents and sources. Finally I will provide a place where you can get information on genealogical research, how to begin, what to look for, ways to possibly move forward if you get stuck - which is a problem for many African Americans because of slavery and the lack of records on ancestors that were held in bondage.
I invite everyone to comment, share, discuss, and debate any information I provide. I will always provide footnotes and a bibliography to show how and where I retrieved my information. I also welcome questions on any topics or requests for information on any topic that I have not already written about. My hope is that this site provides accurate and relevant information for anybody, African American or not, who is interested in the study of African American history.
While not knowing how I planned on using my degree was extremely frustrating, the beautiful thing about it was that I left myself open to a world of possibilities. Which brings me to the last month or so. There are three specific things that inspired the desire to create this website. First was social media. As far as social media goes, I am only active on Facebook, but I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have seen people share memes, pictures, websites, or information about African American or Black history that were just emphatically wrong. We are so quick to share information without verifying the validity of what we are sharing. I have seen quotes attributed to people like Harriet Tubman, that are not accurate. I have seen headlines like, "The Black Panthers Started the WIC Program." Which is also not accurate. So my first objective of this website is to provide a place where people can go to get historically accurate information. Blacks have done so many phenomenal things in history, there is no need to spread false or historically inaccurate information.
This brings me to the second thing that inspired me. I recently saw a video of a meeting of the Cobb County Commission in Georgia. There is a park in Cobb County that is named after Confederate General Joseph Johnston. They were allowing residents to comment on whether or not the park should be renamed. Mary Stevens, a resident, believes that the name of the park should be left as is. This is not surprising. Also not surprising was her Lost Cause beliefs, stating "The war was not about slavery. Read Lincoln's inaugural address in which he said he was fighting to keep the Union, not slavery." She also mentions, "Had it been so bad for the freed slaves, they would have left the South." She also shared an image of former black Confederate Soldiers to show that blacks fought for the Confederacy. Her rhetoric is not only wrong, but it is dangerous. We cannot rewrite history to fit our beliefs or narratives today. I understand that as much as I'd like to inspire a change in her and people like her, it is likely that even if given the facts and evidence to disprove their beliefs, they will continue to choose to believe what they want. It was my husband that helped me to reach that understanding. That is why it is so important for us to be equipped with the correct information and to have a platform where that information can be shared and discussed.
Finally, I recently came across a podcast entitled "Teaching Hard History: American Slavery". Which is described as, "A Framework for Teaching American Slavery." This podcast is hosted by Hasan Jeffries, a professor of African American history at The Ohio State University. The podcast features leading scholars and educators discussing American slavery, its impact on the development of the United States, and how its legacy still impacts us today. It provides resources for teachers and really just anybody with an interest in history to help better understand and teach about American slavery. The topic of slavery is difficult to talk about, and it is equally difficult to teach. This podcast inspired the desire to want to start the conversation however uncomfortable it may be. The only way for us to move forward is to have a firm and accurate understanding of the past.
I decided that I wanted to continue to read, research, and write about African American history. More importantly, I wanted to be able to share that information in a way that can be received by anybody, whether you only have 5 minutes or have a substantial amount of time to dedicate to it. My goal is to start from just before the arrival of the first Africans in Jamestown in 1619 and work my way to the present day. I will be writing short articles on a variety of topics and events that pertain to African American history. I will also include reviews of any books I've read, documentaries I've watched, or places I have visited. I will also be providing a place for historical documents and sources. Finally I will provide a place where you can get information on genealogical research, how to begin, what to look for, ways to possibly move forward if you get stuck - which is a problem for many African Americans because of slavery and the lack of records on ancestors that were held in bondage.
I invite everyone to comment, share, discuss, and debate any information I provide. I will always provide footnotes and a bibliography to show how and where I retrieved my information. I also welcome questions on any topics or requests for information on any topic that I have not already written about. My hope is that this site provides accurate and relevant information for anybody, African American or not, who is interested in the study of African American history.
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Last updated 08/14/2018
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