ClassBrain’s Top 10 Black History Websites


“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams Aug. 1, 1816


“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
- George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905-06

Although Black History Month is an appropriate time period to examine African-American History, it is so much a part of the story of America that we should continue to educate ourselves every day of the year. The following websites are a selection of the best resources available on the web today covering this subject.


Resource Guides

1. African American Odyssey
Part 1 of this unique look at The Civil Rights Era touches on Desegregation, The Psychological Effects of Racism, The Brown Decision, Daisy Bates and The Little Rock Nine, The Montgomery Bus Boycott, as well as Civil Rights in the Arena and on the Stage. Part 2 discusses Sit-ins, Freedom Rides, Demonstrations, and The Voting Rights Act of 1965. From this page you can also access several exhibitions including Slavery, Free Blacks, Abolition, Civil War, Reconstruction, The Booker T. Washington Era, WWI-Post War and The Depression-WWII.
URL: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart9.html
Source: Libary of Congress

2. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
This wonderful resource not only includes a King Biography, Encyclopedia, Interactive Timeline, Major Events Chronology from 1929-1968, and the Freedom Struggle Chronology from 1896-1968, but you’ll also encounter an entire section filled with published documents. Delve into King’s Publications, Speeches, Sermons, Autobiography, and Papers. Explore selected quotes and popular research requests, information about this special project, and lesson plans with resources for classroom study.
URL: http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
Source: Stanford University

3. The Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History
This comprehensive website features Eras in Black History, an examination of five centuries of black heritage from the slave revolts to the Civil Rights Movement. You’ll find biographies and photographs of notable people throughout, as well as descriptions and documents of historic events. Also, explore the Timeline of Achievments, which gives light to yearly contributions of African-Americans in various aspects of life including the arts and politics. Film clips, audio recordings, a bibliography section, and a study guide for students further enhances this critically acclaimed website.
URL: http://search.eb.com/blackhistory/
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

4. Gale Resources - Black History
This incredible collection of activities and information was created by Gale to complement classroom topics. Teachers and students will be able to read bioraphies of significant African-American individuals, take a Black History Month quiz, follow a timeline of events that helped shape African-American heritage, and explore activities taken from the Black History Resource Book. The Featured Titles list is an excellent way to find the best suggestions for further reading on this topic.
URL: http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/bhm/
Source: Thompson - Gale

5. The Underground Railroad
An interactive look at the trials and tribulations experienced by slaves on their road to freedom, this site is modeled after the ‘choose your own adventure’ idea. There’s also a special section for younger kids, a timeline, classroom ideas, resources, and links. The Faces of Freedom section explores the biographies of the people brave enough to stand up against slavery and help others to freedom.
URL: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html
Source: National Geographic

6. Africans in America
Learn about America’s journey through slavery in four parts: The Terrible Transformation 1450-1750, Revolution 1750-1805, Brotherly Love 1791-1831, and Judgement Day 1831-1865. Each section has a historical Narrative, Resource Bank, and Teacher’s Guide. Click on the Youth Activity Guide to learn more about how to utilize this interactive website.
URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/home.html
Source: WGBH Educational Foundation

7. Celebrate Black History Month
Click on any of the names on this list spanning several decades to learn about great African-Americans. The list includes Hank Aaron, Louis Armstrong, Hurricane Carter, Nat King Cole, Dorothy Dandridge, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimi Hendrix, and many, many more.
URL: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/intro.html
Source: The History Channel - A & E Television Network

8. The African-American Mosaic
This is a visual resource guide for the study of Black History & Culture presented by the Library of Congress. Click on “Colonization” and you’ll find rare documents and maps pertaining to this subject. There are also separate sections on Abolition, Migration, and the WPA.
URL: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/intro.html
Source: Library of Congress


Web Quests

9. Little Rock 9, Integration 0?
Explore in-depth the stories of nine African-American students who, chose to attend an all-white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Although they had the power of the justice system by way of the U.S. Supreme Court on their side, they had to first get past the armed soldiers blocking the entrance.
URL: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/little_rock/intro.html
Source: SBC Knowledge Network Explorer

10. Tuskegee Tragedy
Study this extremely low point for Ameirca’s public health service, the Tuskegee Tragedy. Although there has since been a public apology from former President Clinton on the governments behalf, the remnants of such a dispicable situation continue to breed mistrust. Learn the story of how beginning in the 1930’s, 399 men signed up to receive free medical care from the U.S. Public Health Service. They were in fact given the disease syphilis and denied access to treatment. By the time the study was exposed in 1972, deaths, complications, and the passing on of the illness has ensued beyond repair.
URL: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/tuskegee_quest.html
Source: SBC Knowledge Network Explorer