Black History Year

Today's History Story: Top Lies About Twerking We’re wrapping up our incredible conversation with Reverend Dr. Courtney Alma Bryant about erotic defiance and body reclamation. Erotic defiance is a powerful form of resistance and self-expression. Those brave enough to reclaim their bodies from racist and sexist constraints reap the liberating rewards that come with celebrating their desires without...

To the North lay freedom, or so many believed. Starvation, exposure to the elements, and especially the threat of recapture still hung heavy over the heads of those who had escaped bondage. But what about escaping even further south? _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black h...

Bass filling our ears, bodies dancing to new sounds. Words clipped from the documents that oppressed us, making them our own. The broken patterns of soft, colorful fabric. Our culture is synonymous with experimental creativity. Here are three examples of how. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to ampl...

Beyond being the once-key ingredient in soda, the kola nut has a long history with our people that goes deeper than any sugary drink. It’s a symbol of peace, prayer, and justice. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack h...

It’s an iconic dish that warms the tables of our homes, fellowship halls, picnic tables at cookouts, and anywhere else special enough to bestow it. We don’t play about mac and cheese, and its incredible history in Black kitchens could explain why. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stor...

Today's History Story: The Jezebel Myth Many dehumanizing stereotypes have persisted from slavery and Jim Crow to our present day. One of the most insidious? The Jezebel. But who was Jezebel, and what does her story reveal about the West’s deep-seated fear of Black bodies, sexuality, and the erotic? Today’s guest has plenty to say about it. Reverend Dr. Courtney Alma Bryant is a dynamic thought le...

Against all odds, Sylvia Robinson transformed her setbacks into the world's first hip-hop record and ignited a global movement. Without her, hip-hop may not be what it is today. Here’s how she laid the foundation for hip-hop to go worldwide. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of...

You know the story of Rosa Parks. She refused to cater to discrimination on mass transit. But did you know that a prominent Black woman in Philadelphia served that same transit justice a century earlier? _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in sch...

Drumbeats filled the air, navels pressed against each other, and hips swayed. A dance of celebration was one of the few things the Congolese were able to take into enslavement. The history of the rumba is a tale of cultural erasure. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black hi...

Today's History Story: Staying Safe While Traveling Traveling wasn't always accessible for our ancestors. The Great Migration allowed many Black individuals to leave the South and move to urban areas. Over time, leisure travel became common among Black people, facilitated by resources like The Green Book, offering opportunities to break free from oppression and to discover the interconnectedness o...

She got heated often. Yelled. Raged. Her emotions were belittled. She was called Sapphire and used to weaponize how Black women express anger. Thankfully, she stayed mad, and her rage was her greatest teacher of what it means to protest. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Bla...

He was told Black blood shouldn’t be mixed with white blood. Refusing to accept this racism, he chose another, more powerful path. His story is ironic, given that he was the one who made blood storage possible in the first place. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black histo...

Reesa Teesa broke the internet with her 50-part video series, “‘Who TF Did I Marry?” Her storytelling captivated the audience, but Reesa was simply continuing a centuries-old Black tradition. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You mak...

Go to any cookout and just the sight of juicy, bright red watermelon makes our mouths water. But the taste isn’t the only thing we savor. Enjoying watermelon is an ancestral practice with roots extending all the way back to Africa. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black his...

Today's History Story: John Johnson Attica Have you ever stopped to consider how much media focuses on police narratives? The sheer volume almost feels dystopian. There’s even a term for it: copaganda. Whether you’ve heard it or not, copaganda's reach is vast, with even vaster consequences. It infiltrates every form of media, from the morning news to evening cartoons. So what's the history of copa...

She’s walked on runways, owned her own modeling agency, and has traveled all over the world. However, Bethann Hardison’s accolades in modeling and fashion pale in comparison to what she has done for generations of Black women. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history...

Enslaved Africans braided grains of rice into their hair. Okra seeds were tucked into pockets. Many of the foods we eat today you may have thought were American are actually native to Africa and helped our people survive. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you d...

The fact was this: He didn’t have any hair on his head. But “science” proved his hair matched the murderer’s, so they locked him up, stealing decades of his life. And he isn’t the only one. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make...

The Gateway Arch is one of St. Louis's crowning architectural achievements, but it has a horrific historic past. Here is the little-known history behind one of the nation’s most recognizable landmarks. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in schoo...

Today's History Story: Georgetown University Sold Us What hasn't America stolen from us? Our bodies, our culture, and the land that grounds a nation we've built. We refuse to accept this. For centuries, we've reclaimed our bodies and our culture. Now, we want our land. Reparations are due, people. Land reparations. And today's guest knows plenty about that. Brea Baker is a freedom fighter and writ...

They told him his work was too controversial and rejected it from the academy! But he knew Black people worldwide needed to know the truth – so he published it on his own. What was so important that he could not keep quiet? _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you...

A folktale tells of a time when Black people could spout wings and fly. Though it may be a myth, this young pilot took those words to heart! _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at Black...

It’s open season on Black lives. We are murdered by police, hunted by white vigilantes, and relegated to second-class citizenship. Nevertheless, we ALWAYS make our voices heard. But one of our first attempts to unite didn’t involve our voices at all! _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the s...

The crowds swarm the city, throwing rocks, punches, and insults. The cops pretend to control the crowd, but they’re really helping white rioters attack Black citizens. How did this happen in a city known for its diversity? _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you...

Today's History Story: Black Men Aren't Allowed to Have Emotions, Right? Gender has shaped and continues to shape much of our lives. It tells boys to wear blue and girls to wear pink, dictates what careers are “appropriate” as adults, and even has a say in how we’re expected to express our feelings. Quiet as it's kept, a big reason gender norms exist is to maintain white supremacist notions of wha...