The Unhidden Minute

During World War II, the iconic image of " Rosie the Riveter " became synonymous with the millions of women who entered the workforce to support the war effort while men were fighting overseas. While Rosie the Riveter is often depicted as a white woman, it's essential to acknowledge the significant contributions of Black women to the war effort, including their roles as riveters, welders, and work...

The 761st Tank Battalion , also known as the "Black Panthers," was a segregated unit in the United States Army during World War II. Deployed to Europe in 1944, the 761st saw extensive combat in France, Belgium, and Germany. They played a crucial role in breaking through enemy lines, providing armored support, and engaging in fierce battles against German forces. Despite facing racism both within a...

Doris Miller (1919–1943), also known as Dorie, was a Black American sailor in the United States Navy, best known for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor , Hawaii on December 7, 1941. Despite being assigned to duties as a mess attendant due to segregation policies, Miller bravely manned an anti-aircraft gun aboard the USS West Virginia . During the Battle of Pearl Harbor, with no p...

Victor Hugo Green , born in 1892, was a Black American postal worker from Harlem, New York, who became renowned for his groundbreaking creation, the "Green Book." In 1936, Green launched this travel guide aimed at Black American motorists, providing crucial information about safe accommodations, restaurants, and businesses that welcomed Black travelers during the era of racial segregation and Jim...

Give me a minute and let me tell you a story. Over the last 60 days this podcast has shared a series of stories in recognition of Black American history. The Unhidden Minute was originally only scheduled to run through the month of February, but after 29 episodes there were still so many more stories to tell, so it continued through the month of March. We just finished our first hour. Now that it’...

Louis Armstrong , often referred to as "Satchmo" or "Pops," was a legendary figure in the realm of jazz music, leaving an indelible mark on the genre and influencing generations of musicians. Born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Armstrong rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most celebrated trumpet players and vocalists of all time. His innovative trumpet playing, charact...

Mary Fields , also known as Stagecoach Mary, was a trailblazing figure of the American West, born around 1832. She became the first Black American woman to work for the United States Postal Service and one of the few female stagecoach drivers in history. Fields was renowned for her remarkable strength, fearlessness, and no-nonsense attitude. Despite facing discrimination and adversity, she earned...

Langston Hughes , an iconic figure in American literature, was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He became one of the most significant poets, novelists, and playwrights of the Harlem Renaissance, a flourishing cultural movement among Black Americans in the 1920s and 1930s. Hughes' works vividly captured the struggles, joys, and aspirations of Black life in America. His poetry, charact...

James Beckwourth , born around 1798, was a remarkable figure of the American West, known for his exploits as a fur trader, scout, and explorer. Born into slavery in Virginia, Beckwourth eventually gained his freedom and embarked on a life of adventure on the frontier. Beckwourth's most notable achievements include his exploration of the Rocky Mountains and his discovery of a mountain pass that now...

Zora Neale Hurston , born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama , was a pioneering Black American author, anthropologist, and folklorist. She is best known for her novel " Their Eyes Were Watching God ," which is celebrated as a masterpiece of American literature. Hurston's upbringing in Eatonville, Florida , the first all-Black incorporated town in the United States, deeply influenced her wor...

Born into slavery in 1838, Bass Reeves emerged as one of the most legendary lawmen of the American West. After the Civil War, Reeves, who had many talents including marksmanship and tracking, became a Deputy U.S. Marshal in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), making him one of the first Black federal law enforcement officers west of the Mississippi River. Reeves' career was marked by his exceptio...

Paul Laurence Dunbar was an influential Black American poet, novelist, and playwright who rose to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio, Dunbar was the son of formerly enslaved parents and displayed a talent for writing from a young age. Dunbar gained widespread acclaim for his poetry, which skillfully blended African American dialect with traditional E...

Founded in 1877, the town of Nicodemus, Kansas was a beacon of hope and self-determination for Black Americans during the post-Civil War era of Reconstruction. Part of the larger Exoduster movement , through which thousands of Black Americans migrated westward in search of land, freedom, and economic opportunity, the settlers of Nicodemus established a thriving community centered around agricultur...

Give me a minute and let me tell you a story.  From its very beginning, the United States of America has been built upon the dedicated efforts of remarkable human beings. Our history is a conglomeration of the deeds and achievements of countless individuals whose contributions to the enduring legacy of our less than perfect union must be acknowledged. That includes those who identify as Black indi...

During the Great Depression from 1933 to 1936 a racially integrated unit of the Civilian Conservation Corps known as Company 818 built a series of trails through Grand Canyon National Park . Established to provide financial security for the unemployed, the CCC helped its participants learn valuable trade skills while protecting the integrity of the natural environment. But Black members of Company...

Buck C. Franklin was a prominent attorney in Tulsa, Oklahoma through the 1920s. He played a significant role in advocating for the rights of Black Americans during a time of deep segregation and racial tension. Born in Homer Oklahoma in 1879, Franklin moved to Tulsa in 1921, just before the infamous Tulsa Race Massacre . Beginning on May 29th of that year, more than 300 people were murdered in a w...

Charles Young , born in 1864 to enslaved parents in Kentucky, became the third Black American to graduate from West Point Military Academy in 1889. Throughout his military career, he faced discrimination but persevered, eventually becoming the highest-ranking Black American officer in the United States Army at the time. In 1903 while serving as a Captain of an all-Black regiment of the 9th U.S. Ca...

The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 stands as one of the most devastating episodes of racial violence in American history. Occurring in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a prosperous African American community known as " Black Wall Street ," the massacre was sparked by an allegation of a black man assaulting a white woman. In the ensuing chaos, a white mob, deputized by local authorities, loo...

The Harlem Renaissance was a vibrant cultural and intellectual movement that emerged in the 1920s within the Black American community in the burrow of Harlem in New York City. This period marked a profound shift in the cultural landscape, as Black American artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals flourished, challenging societal norms and stereotypes while celebrating their heritage. Literat...

The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was one of the most renowned Black American units to serve in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized in 1863, the regiment was composed primarily of free Black men from Massachusetts and other Northern states. Under the leadership of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw , the 54th Massachusetts became a symbol of Black American valor and determination in the f...

Josephine Baker , an iconic entertainer, and civil rights activist, played a lesser known yet vital role during World War II. Born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri, Baker faced racial discrimination in her early life but found success and fame in Paris. During World War II, she served as a spy for the French military intelligence agency, the Deuxième Bureau . Her status as a performer granted her ac...

Henry Johnson was a Black American soldier who served with distinction during World War I. Born in 1892 in North Carolina, Johnson was assigned to the 369th Infantry Regiment , also known as the Harlem Hellfighters . His unit was one of the few Black American combat divisions in the U.S. Army at the time. On May 14, 1918, while on sentry duty in the Argonne Forest in France, Johnson and his fellow...

Mary McLeod Bethune was a prominent Black American educator, civil rights leader, and political activist. Born in 1875 to formerly enslaved parents in South Carolina, Bethune overcame poverty and discrimination to become one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. Driven by her belief in the power of education to uplift communities, Bethune founded the Daytona Educational and Industri...

During World War I the 369th Infantry Regiment , was an Black American military unit known as the Harlem Hell Fighters . Established in 1913 as a National Guard unit based in New York City, the regiment was one of the few Black American units to serve in combat during the war due to racial segregation in the U.S. military. Led by Colonel William Hayward , the Harlem Hellfighters were deployed to F...

Eugene James Bullard (October 9, 1895 – October 12, 1961) , was the first black American military pilot. Born in Columbus Georgia, Bullard fled to Europe in 1912 shortly after the death of his mother and the attempted lynching of his father. If order to escape the horrors of the Jim Crow South, he made a life for himself overseas in France. He earned a living as prize fighter and a Vaudeville ente...