"African American history started with the arrival Africans to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries."
An overview of significant events, movements, and figures in African American history, including the transatlantic slave trade, the Civil War era, Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, and the modern civil rights movement.
Slavery: The history and impact of the transatlantic slave trade, the Middle Passage, and the system of slavery on African Americans.
Civil rights movement: The movement for equal rights and justice for African Americans, focusing on key figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks.
Jim Crow laws: The legal and social system of segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the South.
Reconstruction: The period after the Civil War where the United States government attempted to rebuild the South and address issues of race and equality.
Harlem Renaissance: The cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s that celebrated African American literature, art, and music.
The Black Panthers: The political organization that emerged in the 1960s to fight for racial justice and civil rights, including self-defense against police brutality.
Voting rights: The history of voting rights for African Americans and challenges faced in the fight for suffrage and equal representation.
Education: The history of African American education, including the establishment of historically black colleges and universities and struggles for equal access to educational opportunities.
Black feminism: The intersection of race and gender in the fight for women's rights and equality, led by figures such as Audre Lorde and bell hooks.
Segregation in the North: The history of segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the Northern United States.
The Great Migration: The movement of African Americans from the South to the North between 1910 and 1970, including its causes and impact on African American communities.
Police brutality: The history of police violence against African Americans, from the Civil Rights era to present-day incidents such as the killing of George Floyd.
Black Lives Matter: The modern-day movement for racial justice and the fight against police brutality, sparked by the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012.
Mass incarceration: The disproportionate incarceration rates of African Americans and the impact of the criminal justice system on black communities.
Redlining: Discrimination in housing and mortgage lending practices that has contributed to the racial wealth gap and residential segregation.
Historical accounts of slavery: Accounts of the transatlantic slave trade and the impact of slavery on Black people in the United States;.
Civil Rights Movement studies: The fight for social justice and political rights for Black people in the United States, including the work of civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X;.
African cultural history: The history and cultural traditions of African societies, including the history of African tribes and ethnic groups, religion, and art;.
African American Literature: The study of Black literary works, including poetry, novels, and essays;.
Black feminist theory: The intersection of race and gender in the lives of Black women, including the struggle for equality and representation;.
African American language and linguistics: The study of the unique language systems and dialects of Black people in the United States, including African American Vernacular English;.
African American visual arts: The study of Black artists and their contributions to the world of the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, and photography;.
African American Music: The study of Black music, including gospel, blues, jazz, and hip hop;.
African American religion and spirituality: The study of the role of religion and spiritual practices in the lives of Black people, including traditional African religions and Christianity;.
African American Education: The history and impact of education on the Black community in the United States, including segregation and desegregation, affirmative action, and access to higher education;.
African American politics: The history of Black political activism and organizing, including the contributions of Black political leaders, political parties, and political movements;.
African American business and entrepreneurship: The history and contributions of Black entrepreneurs and business people to the economic development of the United States;.
African American health and wellness: The study of the unique health disparities and healthcare systems that affect the Black community in the United States, including the impact of systemic racism on physical and mental health outcomes.
"Of the roughly 10–12 million Africans who were sold by the Barbary slave trade, either to European slavery or to servitude in the Americas, approximately 388,000 landed in North America."
"A group of enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia in 1619, marking the beginning of slavery in the colonial history of the United States."
"By 1776, roughly 20% of the British North American population was of African descent, both free and enslaved."
"The American Revolutionary War... led to great social upheavals for African Americans; Black soldiers fought on both the British and the American sides."
"After the conflict ended, the Northern United States gradually abolished slavery."
"During this period, numerous enslaved African Americans escaped into free states and Canada via the Underground Railroad."
"Disputes over slavery between the Northern and Southern states led to the American Civil War."
"178,000 African Americans served on the Union side."
"President Abraham Lincoln issued the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery in the U.S."
"The Reconstruction era began, in which African Americans living in the South were granted equal rights with their white neighbors."
"A system of racial segregation known as the Jim Crow laws was passed in the Southern states."
"In response to poor economic conditions, segregation and lynchings, over 6 million primarily rural African Americans migrated out of the South to other regions of the United States in search of opportunity."
"Efforts coalesced into a broad unified movement led by civil rights activists such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr."
"The federal government passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed racial discrimination."
"The 2020 United States census reported that 46,936,733 respondents identified as African Americans."
"African Americans have made major contributions to the culture of the United States, including literature, cinema, and music."
"African Americans were subjected to abuse and racism by white Americans during the slavery and Jim Crow eras."
"White men would lynch black men due to fear of white women being raped."
"Slaves were treated as property by their white slave owners. Slave men and slave women were also sexually exploited by their white slave owners. Violence against slaves was also common."