Black History Now
Clara Stanton Jones, 1st Black President of the Library Association
Clara Stanton Jones joined the ancestors (May 14, 1913 - Sept 30, 2012). 1st Black president of the American Library Association
Continue reading
Black History Matters
The Past is Present
History written for readers, not for footnotes.
Read the blogBlack History Now
Latest from the blog
Black History Now
Gertrude Howard, Silent Film Actress
Gertrude Howard joined the ancestors (Oct 13, 1892 - Sept 30, 1934). Actress of the silent and early sound film eras. She broke into films in 1925 and appeared mostly in minor or supporting roles, such as “Queenie” in the original version of Show Boat (1929), and “Martha” in Christy Cabanne's Conspiracy.
Continue reading
Black History Now
Rev. Jermain Wesley Loguen, Abolitionist, Author and Bishop
Rev. Jermain Wesley Loguen joined the ancestors (Feb 5, 1813 - Sept 30, 1872). Born enslaved, he became an abolitionist, author and bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church.
Continue reading
Black History Now
Arzell "Z.Z" Hill, Blues Singer
Arzell "Z. Z." Hill (Sept 30, 1935 - Apr 27, 1984). Blues singer, in the soul blues tradition, known for his 1970s and 1980s recordings for Malaco.
Continue reading
Black History Now
Marilyn McCoo, Actress, Singer and TV Personality
Marilyn McCoo (Sept 30, 1943). Singer, actress, TV presenter. Best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group the ‘5th Dimension’,
Continue reading
Black History Now
Mabel Fairbanks, Skater and Coach
Mabel Fairbanks joined the ancestors (Nov 14, 1915 - Sept 29, 2001). Figure skater, coach. A Black and Native American woman, she paved the way for other minorities to compete in the sport of figure skating such as Tai Babilonia, Debi Thomas and Naomi Lang
Continue readingOur Purpose
Why this platform exists
Historianspeaks is a public history project devoted to making the Black past reachable — free of jargon, free of paywalls, and free of the flattened, one-note version of the story most of us were handed in school.
Through essays, conversation, and archival material, this site treats history as a working tool: something that explains the present and helps chart what comes next.
Blog
Black History Now
Weekly blogs on Black history—past and present that shape our contemporary lives.
Start reading
Podcast
The Historianspeaks Podcast
Long-form conversations running from Reconstruction politics to popular culture. Latest episode: Juneteenth and a legacy of song.
Listen nowAcross the Centuries
A collage of the Black past, in color
From the marketplaces of West Africa through the age of sail, plantation colonies, Reconstruction classrooms, the Harlem street, and today’s block parties.
The African past
Kingdoms, scholars, and markets
15th century
Coastal trade and early contact
16th century
Arrival and resistance in the Americas
17th century
Arrival and resistance in a new world
18th century
Artisans and free communities
19th century
Freedom schools after emancipation
20th century
City life, music, and movement
21st century
Culture and community today
Stay Current
Join our mailing list
One dispatch a week: a new essay, a podcast episode, and something from the archive worth a second look.