Review the Content You Missed
February 1, 2023
"The Negro History Bulletin" by Dr. Carter G. Woodson
The history behind Black History Month and the importance of Black-led publications.
February 2, 2023
Mudcat Grant's 1965 Minnesota Twins Baseball Card
James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant Jr. was a two-time All-Star baseball player and was named The Sporting News American League Pitcher of the Year in 1965. He used his position as a player to raise awareness of racial injustice; once, he sang the national anthem before the game but changed the lyrics. Instead of “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave,” he sang, “This land is not so free, I can’t even go to Mississippi.”
February 3, 2023
"Black Is Beautiful" by Kwame Brathwaite
The “Black Is Beautiful” slogan represented the importance of celebrating Black culture. “Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful”, published by aperture in 2019, honors the work and life of Kwame Brathwaite and his influence in popularizing the phrase.
February 4, 2023
"Mississippi Goddam" by Nina Simone
Missisippi Goddam,” written and performed by Nina Simone in 1964, is a testament to the injustices of the Civil Rights Movement and the moment Simone was spurred into public civil rights activism.
February 5, 2023
"Dance on the Volcano” By Marie Vieux-Chauvet, translated by Kaiama L. Glover
"Dance on the Volcano" (originally published as "La Danse sur le volcan") is a powerful fictional narrative of the events of the Haitian Revolution from the perspective of women of different backgrounds and identities. Written by author, playwright and poet Marie Vieux-Chauvet, the piece is one of the few that tells the story of this pivotal historical moment from a woman's point of view.
February 6, 2023
The Mayme Agnew Clayton Collection of African-American History and Culture
Mayme Agnew Clayton dedicated her spare time to archiving Black history. By the end of her lifetime, she had personally collected over 2 million artifacts and over 30,000 out of print books. She single-handedly curated and preserved what’s considered to be the largest and most academically substantial independent collections of African American history and culture.
February 7, 2023
"Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin"
Bayard Rustin was an openly gay, Black strategist, pacifist, and innovating civil rights activist. “Time on Two Crosses” is a collection of essays and photos that offer his perspective on the civil rights movement of his time.
February 8, 2023
The Work of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
Daniel Hale Williams was one of the first physicians to perform open-heart surgery in the United States and founded a hospital with an interracial staff.
February 9, 2023
"An African-American Woman's Perspective on the Independent Living Movement in the Bay Area 1960-1980"
A series of interviews with Johnnie Lacy, a disability rights and independent living movement leader, highlight her contributions to Black history and her tireless efforts to center the voices of Black disabled communities.
February 10, 2023
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Parable of the Sower is a classic 1993 science fiction novel by American writer Octavia E. Butler, a Black sci-fi writer. This dystopian fictional novel centers on the story of Lauren Oya Olamina who navigates survival in a world where society has largely collapsed due to climate change, growing wealth inequality, and corporate greed.
February 11, 2023
The Resurrection of Henry Box Brown
Henry Brown was a public speaker and magician whose story and work was critical for the end of slavery in the 19th century. While enslaved, he had himself shipped North in a wooden box to escape.
February 12, 2023
"Strange Fruit"
Performed by Billie Holiday
The legacy of "Strange Fruit," written by Abel Meeropol and popularized by Billie Holiday, offers an unflinching view of the horrors of the Reconstruction era and highlights a dark history of violence against Black activists and performers.
February 13, 2023
"Directed by Desire: The Collected Poems of June Jordan"
“Directed by Desire: The Collected Poems of June Jordan” is a thoughtful collection of the finest work from Jordan's ten volumes of poetry, as well as dozens of "last poems" that were previously never released.
February 14, 2023
"Atom Smasher" by Jerry Lawson
Rhe first game created by Jerry Lawson’s video game development company, likely the earliest Black-owned game development company in the U.S. His work revolutionized the video game industry, sparking the business model you see with your Xbox or Playstation today.
February 15, 2023
The Breakthrough by Gwen Ifill
"In The Breakthrough, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama's stunning presidential victory and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power.”
February 16, 2023
"Snow Eggs" by James Hemings
James Hemings was an enslaved man and the first American to learn classic French cuisine. He helped popularize many of the dishes you know and love today.
February 17, 2023
The High-Five between Glenn Burke and Dusty Baker
The first-ever instance of “The High-Five” was invented by rookie outfielder Glenn Burke and his teammate Dusty Baker when playing against the Astros on October 2, 1977. Glenn Burke is also known for being the first openly gay player in Major League Baseball.
February 18, 2023
The Quilts of Gee’s Bend
The quilts of Gee's Bend represent a practice of quilt making that started with enslaved women in the early 1800s in Alabama. The patterns and styles have been passed down through generations, literally and figuratively stitching together a legacy of Black culture throughout time.
February 19, 2023
“Unjust Malaise” by Julius Eastman
“Unjust Malaise” (2005) is a collection of songs by Julius Eastman, an openly gay Black classical artist. The album was released posthumously, and represents a series of recordings collected and compiled by other artists.
February 20, 2023
“Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times
of Marsha P. Johnson”
Marsha P. Johnson was a Black trans activist and self-proclaimed drag queen central to the early LGBTQ+ rights movement, including the 1969 Stonewall uprising. The 2014 documentary, “Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson,” centers on interviews and recordings of Johnson throughout her life.
February 21, 2023
"Rachel" by Angelina Weld Grimké
“Rachel,” written in 1916, is considered the first play written, directed, and performed by an all-African American cast. It was written by Angelina Weld Grimké (1880-1958), a playwright and poet who often wrote about racism and systemic oppression.
February 22, 2023
The Work of the Kamoinge Workshop
The Kamoinge Workshop is a collective of Black photographers that joined together in the 1960s to create their own art ecosystem. “Kamoinge Members” (1973) by Anthony Barboza, a founding member and its president from 2005-2016, celebrates the original members.
February 23, 2023
"The Combahee River Collective Statement"
The Combahee River Collective Statement, published in 1977, was a text that advocated that society should be reorganized based on the collective needs of those who it most oppresses. The statement, written by a Black, lesbian, womanist organization, is considered one of the most foundational texts of contemporary Black feminism and influences Black liberation work today.
February 24, 2023
The Work of Tracey "Africa" Norman
Tracey “Africa” Norman is an internationally known American model who broke barriers for the Black and brown trans community. Her legacy of work, particularly being the face of Clairol's Born Beautiful (1975), continues to redefine the fashion and beauty industry.
February 25, 2023
The Game of Spades
Spades is a card game popular in the Black community with a rich history from the Civil War, the Great Migration, and railway cars. Now it's a common part of Black family gatherings, creating space for intimacy, connection and love.
February 26, 2023
"Anna Washington Derry" by Laura Wheeler Waring
Laura Wheeler Waring was an African American painter known for painting elite African American leaders during her time. Her most celebrated work, "Anna Washington Derry" (1927) honors the legacy of an elderly working-class woman.
February 27, 2023
"A Red Record” by Ida B. Wells
A Red Record, published in 1894, is a comprehensive analysis of all the public lynchings held in the South between 1864 and 1894. Written by Ida B. Wells, an anti-lynching advocate, journalist, teacher, suffragist and civil rights activist. The publication introduced many people outside of the South to the growing violence inflicted on Black people. It also contextualized that lynching wasn’t just a response to crime, but a violent act of white supremacy to hinder Black success.
February 28, 2023