History

Historical events and milestones towards racial justice.

The Futility of Labor Day in the Movement
A black and white aerial illustration of the first Labor Day Parade in Union Square, New York. People with instruments and signs are marching.

The Futility of Labor Day in the Movement

Although Labor Day originates from the labor movement, its passage did little to help the exploited workers it aimed to honor, even to this day.

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1018 665 Dominique Stewart
A Timeline of the FBI and its Role in Political Persecution
A person in a FBI jacket holds a drone by a body of water with views of a city.

A Timeline of the FBI and its Role in Political Persecution

On August 8, the FBI raided former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home on suspicion of mishandling classified documents (MSN).  When activists demanded defunding of the police, conservatives trumpeted their unconditional support for law enforcement. For the same people to now shout “defund the FBI” raises the question of whether “their love of law enforcement only…

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1484 976 Andrew Lee
Please Don’t Have a Plantation Wedding and Other Atrocities in U.S. Culture
A hand holds a bouquet of cotton, lavender, and eucalyptus. On top is two gold wedding rings.

Please Don’t Have a Plantation Wedding and Other Atrocities in U.S. Culture

Estranging historical tragedies like slavery and genocide as relics of the past, unrelated to modern times, wrongly validates the hosting of plantation weddings and other cruelties in U.S history.

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2400 1600 Andrew Lee
The Enduring Fight to Protect Voting Rights
A colorized version of a black and white photo. A woman casts their ballot in a high school as two other people look at her.

The Enduring Fight to Protect Voting Rights

In the age of growing voter suppression, understanding the history of the Voting Rights Act is critical in ensuring access. 

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1200 800 Dominique Stewart
Building Solidarity Across Differences
A line of four people in bright coats holding each others waists.

Building Solidarity Across Differences

Solidarity amongst marginalized groups requires education, organizing, and work but is essential in dismantling white supremacy.

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2400 1600 Andrew Lee
The Broken Promises of the Declaration of Independence
A close up of the American flag.

The Broken Promises of the Declaration of Independence

“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” is a scathing critique of the failed promises of the Declaration of Independence to Black enslaved people.

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2400 1600 Nicole Cardoza
Black Emancipation and the Legacy of Juneteenth
A clenched fist raised in the air with a rope tied around the wrist.

Black Emancipation and the Legacy of Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States, yet more than 150 years later, Black people continue to fight for their rights and freedom.

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2400 1920 Nicole Cardoza
Puerto Rico and the History of Colonization
The Puerto Rican flag hanging on a pole by the beach.

Puerto Rico and the History of Colonization

The introduction of the Puerto Rico Status Act acknowledges the history of colonization against the island and sets a path for radically shifting the island’s relationship with the U.S.

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2400 1600 Nicole Cardoza
The Jim Crow Roots of Loitering Laws
The lower half of three people standing around outside.

The Jim Crow Roots of Loitering Laws

Loitering laws date back to the Jim Crow era when laws were designed to trap Black people in the convict leasing system. 

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2400 1600 Andrew Lee
The Black Origins of Memorial Day
A field of U.S. flags on tombstones.

The Black Origins of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is one example of how the whitewashing of U.S. history enables the minimizing of the contributions and injustice of Black people in favor of whiteness.

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2400 1714 Dominique Stewart
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