Today's Black History
The Reconstruction Era and What It Means to Us in the Trump Era
The Reconstruction era was a period in United States history and Southern United States history that followed the American Civil War and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the abolition of slavery and the reintegration of the eleven former Confederate States of America into the United States. During this period, three amendments were added to the United States Constitution to grant citizenship and equal civil rights to the newly freed slaves. To circumvent these legal achievements, the former Confederate states imposed poll taxes and literacy tests and engaged in terrorism to intimidate and control black people and to discourage or prevent them from voting.
Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, just as fighting was drawing to a close. He was replaced by President Andrew Johnson. Johnson vetoed numerous Radical Republican bills, he pardoned thousands of Confederate leaders, and he allowed Southern states to pass draconian Black Codes that restricted the rights of freedmen.
Here is a list of videos that explore more about the Reconstruction Period in America.
>>>Resources for Reconstruction Era
>>>Bonus Resource: The History of Race and Labor in the USA >>>
The opinions expressed in these videos are not necessarily those of NAACP DeKalb. The videos are presented for education and information only.
The 70th Anniversary of Brown v Board Of Education May 17, 1954
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. The decision partially overruled the Court’s 1896 decision Plessy v. Ferguson, which had held that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality, a doctrine that had come to be known as “separate but equal“. The Court’s unanimous decision in Brown, and its related cases, paved the way for integration and was a major victory of the civil rights movement, and a model for many future impact litigation cases. Here is a list of videos that show activities surrounding this monumental supreme court decision.
In conjunction with the Remembrance Project Coalition, NAACP DeKalb will present and support Black History events all year.
Look at the many events or history lessons
Events/History
On-Demand Black History Program 2023
Why is it important for African Americans to know our history and teach it to our children? Why is there so much opposition to teaching African American history?
Black History Books for You
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!! Knowledge is obtained through reading. Reading and learning about our true history is so very important especially now. While books (especially textbooks) and media of the past (such as The Birth of a Nation and Amos and Andy, have been used to promote racist ideologies of white supremacy and Black inferiority, the resources compiled in this list provide an overview of Black History and American history (which is our history).
Teach Them Early
"Our purpose is to reverse the brainwashing and break the cycle. We must make sure that those who will come after us love themseves and fully embrace their African heritage. This must stop with us." Mr. Imhotep
Michael L. Thurmond's New Book - James Oglethorpe
The story of how James Oglethorpe (1696-1785) went from being a slave trader to abolitionist serves as a beacon for Georgia to celebrate its founding values.
DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, who has held numerous roles in local and state government since 1986, has spent the last 27 years researching and writing his latest book: “James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia: A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist.” The book, already available to buy, will be released by early next year.
For Thurmond, the story of Oglethorpe can change Georgia’s historical narrative.
“This book will be the most significant contribution I can make to the state that I love,” Thurmond said in his first interview about his latest work. “It is how I maintain my emotional and mental stability as an elected official. It is politics illuminated by history.”
The Lost Ancestors
Kwame Akoto-Bamfo is a young Ghanaian sculptor driven by a calling: to sculpt the likenesses of 11,111 enslaved Africans. He is consumed by the impact of the trans-Atlantic slave trade on Africans today who still mourn the loss of their ancestors.
Although 12.5 million Africans were wrenched from their homes and families over this 400-year period, he says the evidence of the slave trade in Africa “is being washed away.” Akoto-Bamfo is devoting his life to honoring their lives of his ancestors through his art, memorializing them not just as slaves, but as people with humanity and individuality.
History of Remembrance Project
September 18, 2019, Interfaith Service is the official kickoff to our Journey of Remembrance and Reconciliation. The project is gaining momentum for its third phase, which includes approval by the Board of Commissioners of DeKalb County to erect a marker in Decatur Square; placement of a second marker in Lithonia; and collaboration with EJI to move the marker from Montgomery to Decatur, along with an iron or steel module bearing the names of DeKalb’s lynching victims. These and other related activities will be celebrated during a series of events culminating in an unveiling ceremony and reception. Details of the events will follow.
Flowers placed at memorial in Montgomery, AL in honor of lynching victims in DeKalb Count. The work began in 2018 with a civil rights day trip to Montgomery, AL to visit the museum and memorial established by EJI to the victims of racial terrorism, and is moving into its second phase, which includes an essay contest for secondary school and college students and development of a substantial program of Remembrance Memorials and activities.