Black History

Washington History, Vol. 32, No. 1/2, Meeting the Moment: SPECIAL ISSUE (FALL 2020), pp. 64-67 (4 pages). From the introduction: "'We are not ancestors!' some protesters defiantly proclaim. Yet those ancestors--from Radical Black Republicans who demanded police accountability to Black Power advocates who called for community control of police--can teach us how previous generations created and seized opportunities to address racial inequality in policing."

American Quarterly; College Park Vol. 71, Iss. 2, (Jun 2019): 397-403. Abstract: "Aside from often-misrepresented stories of civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, the rich histories of Black and African Americans are often excluded from “American history.” The DuSable’s mission to “promote understanding and inspire appreciation of the achievements, contributions, and experiences of African Americans through exhibits, programs, and activities that illustrate African and African American history, culture, and art” rests at the heart of this effort.2 As a historical record of the African American LGBT+ community, BLK represents marginalized voices. According to Randall C. Jimerson, “The problem is not politicizing archives. According to Bell, the name BLK (pronounced “black”) referenced a “racially indicative” naming custom of African American publications such as Ebony, Jet, Onyx, and Sepia (National AIDS Education and Services for Minorities Hall of Fame, accessed March 15, 2018, naesm.org/hall-of-fame/alan-bell/, para. 2)."

The Journal of Negro Education; Washington Vol. 88, Iss. 4, (Fall 2019): 425-426. Abstract: "Toldson asserts that the history of Black people, as taught in most schools, is replete with victimization and despair, with isolated flashpoints of individual heroes. In fact, heroes throughout Black history are the rule, not the exception. Conventionally, in the US, prisoners of war, such as Senators John McCain and John Kerry, are considered heroes. Therefore, the 4 million Black people who endured the inhuman captivity of slavery are heroes, and anyone throughout history who worked to preserve slavery was an enemy of the state. From this perspective, slavery is not a story of captivity and despair, but of sacrifice, endurance and fortitude. Black people, whether one of the 500,000 who were free prior to the Civil War or the 4 million who were subjected to slavery, had a history and a role in Black liberation."

Du Bois Review; Cambridge Vol. 16, Iss. 1, (Spring 2019): 267-277. Abstract: "This paper offers a broad overview of Black citizenship within the United States, concentrating on the major shifts in Black life that have transpired since the classical phase of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. We examine several critical aspects of Black citizenship including economic status, education, criminal justice and mass incarceration, and political participation. Our report reveals that Black progress toward equal citizenship is inconsistent at best; at worst, it is stagnant and at times, regressive. As such, we conclude that dramatic solutions beyond traditional reformist approaches are needed in order to realize genuine citizenship and equal rights for Black people within the United States. In closing, we briefly highlight a specific example of a strategic approach to advancing substantive social and political change."

Gender & Education. Jul2019, Vol. 31 Issue 5, p590-603. Abstract: "Quiltmaking has historically been an art form and socio-political tool among African-American women. This paper will examine quiltmaking among African-American women as a radical form of pedagogy that is grounded in an ethic of care. From the historical roots of slavery to contemporary social movements like Black Lives Matter, African-American women have taught each other quiltmaking while forming close bonds of sisterhood to resist racism, oppression, and patriarchy. Drawing on Black feminist thought, this paper will show how quilt-making is connected to an ethic of care in African-American culture that is called 'othermothering.' The idea of 'othermothering' has its origin in African traditions and refers to women who share mothering duties [Collins, P. 2000. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. New York, NY: Routledge]. Quiltmaking practices permit the formation of bonds formed through 'othermothering' that support sisterhood, solidarity, and resistance."