One of the very best things the
internet has to offer is the wealth of information readily available at your
fingertips. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can find vast resources
of knowledge on literally thousands of topics. A recent search of Google (a
website used to locate information on the internet) located over 18 million references
to the phrase "black history" on the web. The same site reported over
11 million references to the phrase "African American history". In
recognition of the month-long celebration of Black History, I thought it would
be an opportune time to highlight some of the online resources that feature
stories of our rich history and culture.
(http://www.afroammuseum.org/)
This website is the online home of the
Boston museum which chronicles the contributions of African Americans during
the colonial period in New England. Among the many features of the site are a
virtual tour of the Black Heritage Trail -- a walking tour that explores the
history of Boston's 19th century African American community; information on The
African Meeting House -- the oldest black church edifice still standing in the
United States and information on the Abiel Smith School, the nation's first
public school for African American children. The site also has updated
information on the many exhibits and events that take place at the museum.
(http://afroamhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa052801a.htm)
Much has been written about the bravery and courage of the soldiers that
comprised one of the first all-black Civil War regiments. The most well known
depiction of their story is probably the movie, “Glory,” with stars Denzel
Washington, Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman. However, the Internet has a
large number of sites that pay homage to this historic group of soldiers. The
site listed above does an excellent job of detailing the formation of the
regiment. It provides information on the young white officer, Colonel Robert
Gould Shaw, who led the regiment and came to greatly respect the soldiers that
served under him. It also provides photographs of some of the actual members of
the regiment and includes the tales of many of the brave participants,
including Louis N. Douglas and Charles Douglas, the sons of Frederick Douglas,
and William Carney, the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance)
In the early 1900s, particularly in the 1920s, African-American literature,
art, music, dance and social commentary began to flourish in Harlem, a section
of New York City. This African-American cultural movement became known as
"The New Negro Movement" and, later, as the Harlem Renaissance. More
than a literary movement, the Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of
African-Americans and redefined African-American expression. Many of the people,
places and events of the renaissance movement are chronicled at this site.
Notable participants such as Zora Neal Hurston, Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey
and Fletcher Henderson are all discussed here. You will also find information
on some of the places that came to prominence during this period, including the
Cotton Club, the Apollo Theater and the Savoy Ballroom.
(http://www.blackcowboys.com)
“A Black gun-totin' female in the American Wild West. She was six feet tall;
heavy; tough; short-tempered; two-fisted; powerful; and packed a pair of
six-shooters and an eight or ten-gauge shotgun. A legend in her own time, she
was also known as Stagecoach Mary.” This is a description of just one of the
many colorful characters profiled at this site. Although largely overlooked by
Hollywood moviemakers, African Americans played a large part in the development
and exploration of the American West. There were many men and women who
populated the American frontier and lived and worked as cowboys. Bulldoggin'
Bill Pickett, Nat Love and Bose Ikard are a few of the cowboys profiled at this
site which also includes links, memorabilia, and books available on these
unsung hero’s of the American West.
These are just a handful of the many sites on the web that explore the history and contributions of African Americans. For more information log onto Google (http://www.google.com) and type in “Black History” or “African American History.” n