Stories

Untold stories and rarely seen images of the Black experience

The Irony of Racial Uplift

Despite Anita Hill accusing Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in 1991, the controversy surrounding him now is mainly about his politics. Yet, the story of Justice Thomas exemplifies a longstanding irony of racial uplift efforts: the elevation of Black figures who perpetuate the silencing or mistreatment of Black women.

Under the Cover of Darkness

Students at Jackson State stood together in 1970 to display their power and resilience after being attacked by law enforcement.

Roller Skating and the Black Freedom Movement

Ledger Smith roller skated 700 miles from Chicago to Washington, D.C. in August 1963 to join the March on Washington. His journey, supported by the NAACP, drew national media attention and was an act of resistance against segregation and racism.

The Black Rugrats

The Gold Dust Twins advertising campaign used caricatured Black children to sell cleaning products, which reinforced racist stereotypes and white nostalgic myths of Black servitude in the 20th-century United States.

Desegregating the Schoolhouse Doors

Vivian Malone and James Hood calmly faced reporters as they prepared to integrate the University of Alabama in 1963, symbolizing the determination of Black youth in the face of those who were staunchly opposed to desegregation.