BHMAA BLOG
ABOUT THE WEBMASTER
ORIGINS OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
FAMOUS AFRICAN AMERICANS IN HISTORY
GRADUATE STUDY LINKS
TOP BOOKS FOR READERS
CONTACT INFORMATION
The need for economic development has been a central element of black life. After centuries of unrequited toil as slaves, African Americans gained their freedom and found themselves in the struggle to make a living. The chains were gone, but racism was everywhere. Black codes often prevented blacks from owning land in towns and cities, and in the countryside they were often denied the opportunity to purchase land. Organized labor shut their doors to their brethren, and even the white philanthropist who funded black schools denied them employment opportunities once educated. In the South, whites sought to insure that blacks would only be sharecroppers and day labors, and in the North whites sought to keep them as unskilled labor. Pushing against the odds, African Americans became landowners, skilled workers, small businessmen and women, professionals, and ministers. In the Jim Crow economy, they started insurance companies, vocational schools, teachers colleges, cosmetic firms, banks, newspapers, and hospitals. To fight exclusion from the economy, they started their own unions and professional associations. In an age in which individuals proved unable to counter industrialization alone, they preached racial or collective uplift rather than individual self-reliance. The late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries witnessed an unprecedented degree of racial solidarity and organization. In 1910, a group of dedicated reformers, black and white, gathered to create an organization to address the needs of African Americans as they migrated to the cities of the United States. The organization that they created a century ago became we all know as the National Urban League. For a century, they have struggled to open the doors of opportunity for successive generations, engaging the challenges of each age. ASALH celebrates the centennial of the National Urban League by exploring racial uplift and black economic development in the twentieth century. - Association for the Study of African American Life and History
Looking for good research books? Click on the links below:
Click on the yellow links below.Learn about Famous African Americans in
History!!!
Use the navigation bar to learn about their occupations and
their achievements.
Black History Month: The African
American Experience is frequently updated. The webmaster has the right to
change or add any new content if he or she believes the information will promote the spirit and
legacy of African American history and culture. This site is an
educational resource engine. The webmaster will only provide information that fits
within the goals and mission of this site. The pictures, logos and
background image may not be used in Web pages, electronic or written publications
without the written permission of the webmaster. Viewers may not submit
content that contains viruses, Trojan horses, worms or any other computer
programming codes that may damage, interfere or otherwise adversely affect the
operation of this site. The site contains hypertext links to information created
and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are
provided for the viewers convenience. The author does not endorse or represent
the views of the books and organizations provided here. A high-speed internet
connection is highly recommended to view this image-intensive site. All viewers
are responsible for what they take and learn from this site. If you have any
concerns, comments, and suggestions or something needs to be corrected on this
site, please contact the webmaster by clicking
here.