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Posted by: Danna Bell
When I learned that Smokey Robinson would be the next recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, I was thrilled. The Gershwin Prize honors a living musical artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations.
Posted in: African American History, Fine and Performing Arts
Posted by: Danna Bell
I first stumbled across an image of Tom Wiggins when looking for images of African Americans during the Civil War, but I didn’t pay much attention to him until two days later when I saw the same piece of sheet music displayed at the National Portrait Gallery.
Posted in: African American History, Fine and Performing Arts
Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
The West African country of Liberia shares special historical ties to the United States, dating back to its founding in 1822 by former slaves and free-born blacks from the United States under the sponsorship of the American Colonization Society (ACS).
Posted in: African American History, World History
Posted by: Anne Savage
Teaching difficult topics using carefully selected primary sources can help students connect the past to the present. Looking at events through the lens of history can often make approaching a difficult topic easier.
Posted in: African American History, Contemporary United States (1945-present), Teaching Strategies
Posted by: Stephen Wesson
Starting today, the Library has made the Rosa Parks Papers available on its Web site. This collection contains thousands of unique artifacts that shed light on this courageous fighter for social justice. The letters, diaries, notes, photographs, and other documents in this collection, which is on loan to the Library for ten years from the Howard G. Buffet Foundation, provide invaluable insights into her life and thoughts.
Posted in: African American History, Contemporary United States (1945-present), News and Events, Women's History
Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
What can a flag tell us about the people who marched behind it? We recently rediscovered these regimental flags from the Library's online collections and were struck by the vivid imagery and mottoes. We did a little research on the flags – and the artist behind them – and decided to highlight them during African American History Month in February.
Posted in: African American History, Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1877), Veterans and Military History