For most of the American Reconstruction period following the Civil War, a one-room chapel on Sharpsburg's East High Street served as church and school for the local African American community.  ... read more »

When the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, the Black community owned less than 1% of the United States’ total wealth, the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans was told during its fourth meeting. ... read more »

Prominent journalist and prolific author Keith Boykin is that courageous soul who takes deep dives into the political cesspool. ... read more »

The so-called “conservative” justices on the Supreme Court are rewriting the laws passed by Congress to serve their own partisan purposes. Now the excuse is to limit voter fraud, even though there is no evidence of such fraud other than in the ravings of partisan politicians. This struggle will continue. ... read more »

This degrading term dates back to the 1830’s. Therefore, dating it back to the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860 caused seven southern states to secede and form the Confederate States of America; four more states soon joined them. ... read more »

The celebration of Juneteenth nationally took a new turn in its bid to become a nationally recognized Black holiday last year in the context of the intensified struggle against police violence and systemic racism. ... read more »

“I am deeply saddened by the untimely passing of my friend and colleague, Rep. Hastings of Florida,” Texas Democratic Congressman Al Green wrote in an email to the Black Press and posted to Twitter. ... read more »

“He came to the bed, lifted the cover from the face of his child, gazed at it long and earnestly, murmuring, ‘My poor boy, he was too good for this earth. God has called him home. I know that he is much better off in heaven, but then we loved him so. It is hard, hard to have him die.’” ... read more »

“Some had to pay fees. Some were tested. Many people died for that right. It is too important for us not to vote, and if we want to have a democracy, we need to participate in it. We can’t hope that situations will change. We have to be active in helping candidates get elected who will create that change,” said Lex Scott, the president of the Black Lives Matter Utah Chapter. ... read more »

The history of Black Catholics in the U.S. is a dramatic mix of struggles and breakthroughs, but it has been largely ignored in the curriculum of Catholic schools. That may soon change. ... read more »

As you may know, many of your confederate ancestors went home after fighting the Civil War to find their lives, as they had known them, changed forever. Plantations and businesses had been burned to the ground. Unemployment among southerners was high and unable to continue to exploit Africans for free labor and without a representative government to appeal to, depression set in. The stolen wealth, to which the south had grown accustomed, like an abandoned cotton field, dried up. ... read more »

Every 10 years, the United States Census Bureau works to conduct an accurate count of the nation’s population, as provided for under the U.S. Constitution. This decennial count – which is currently underway – is one of our nation’s most inclusive civic activities, including every person living in the country, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion or citizenship. ... read more »

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” So reads the 15th Amendment, ratified on February 3, 1870, the third of what came to be known as the Reconstruction amendments. ... read more »

“Harriet” the movie is a portrayal, based on the life of the legendary African American heroine.  It is not, nor is it intended to be a documentary of her remarkable life.  At times during the movie historical facts are noted on the screen.  Harriet Tubman lived for 91 years, this movie covers about 8 to 10 years of her life.  So we know there is much more to her life that we don’t see in the movie.  I pray the movie raises interest in Harriet Tubman, particularly among young people, many of whom had unfortunately never heard of Harriet Tubman.  ... read more »

Ahead of the first day of oral arguments in the Supreme Court case Comcast Corp. V. National Association of African American-Owned Media (NAAOM),Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) led her colleagues in introducing a resolution that affirms the vital role that the Civil Rights Act of 1866– particularly Section 1981 of the Act – has played in prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity when making and enforcing business contracts. Should Comcast Corporation, the plaintiffs in the case, prevail at the Supreme Court, it will be nearly impossible for entrepreneurs, innovators, and creators of color who have been victims of racial discrimination to bring forth lawsuits and have their rights protected and enforced in a court of law. ... read more »