In honor of Juneteenth, we are highlighting our Headlines and Heroes blogs focusing on African American history and culture. These range from a look at fugitive slave ads to a piece featuring the Library’s acquisition of the rare comic book series, Negro Romance, to several profiles of notable black Americans. We hope you’ll take this opportunity to read through them all and then choose at least one as a lead-in to further research.
Champion Cyclist “Major” Taylor
Cyclist Marshall W. “Major” Taylor was described as the fastest man on earth. He won thousands of dollars as a bicycle racer and became one of the most famous African Americans in the United States. Taylor faced the fastest cyclists in America, Canada, Europe, and Australia, winning most of the races he entered.
Celebrating Black History Month in Chronicling America Newspapers
Thirteen Chronicling America* topics pages are described and linked, including one on Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation was published in newspapers as a preliminary document in late September 1862 and was issued on January 1, 1863.
Frederick Douglass Newspapers, 1847-1874: Now Online and Update: Frederick Douglass Newspapers: More Issues Online
These two posts focus on our new online collection of hundreds of issues of the three weekly newspapers edited by the eminent African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass: The North Star, Frederick Douglass’ Paper, and the New National Era.
Harlem Hell Fighters: African-American Troops in World War I
“Hell Fighters” was the nickname the German enemy gave the African American 369th Infantry Regiment, and the name stuck for good reason. They were among the first American troops to see action, fighting under French command, and two of the regiment’s soldiers were the first Americans awarded Croix de Guerre by the French government.
Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad
Abolitionist Harriet Tubman escaped slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in 1849. She then returned there multiple times over the next decade, risking her life to bring others to freedom as a renowned conductor of the Underground Railroad.
Hiram Revels: First African American Senator
Two days after Mississippi