Full Dancing - Krystal Savage 2014

History of Black Dance: 20th-Century Black American Dance

Front cover of The Sketch showing Josephine Baker, 1931.

Front cover of The Sketch showing Josephine Baker, 1931.

Harlem Renaissance

Black culture had a real influence on dance and other art forms in the 20th century. After the American civil war a surge of people from the Caribbean and Deep South migrated into North American cities. In New York the district of Harlem became home to black people from different cultural traditions with their own dances and music.

Harlem became the ‘in place’ to be amongst both black and white New Yorkers – its clubs brought together dance and music that was alive and exciting. Dances such as the Charleston, Lindyhop and Jitterbug sprang from these clubs as did Jazz music. The influence of this Harlem Renaissance on music and dance in New York in the early 1920s spread into Europe.

A History of Black Hair From the 1400s to Present

A History of Black Hair From the 1400s to Present. 1920s: Marcus Garvey, a black nationalist, urges followers to embrace their natural hair and reclaim an African aesthetic. 

1444: Europeans trade on the west coast of Africa with people wearing elaborate hairstyles, including locks, plaits and twists.

1619: First slaves brought to Jamestown; African language, culture and grooming tradition begin to disappear.

1700s: Calling black hair “wool,” many whites dehumanize slaves. The more elaborate African hairstyles cannot be retained.

1800s: Without the combs and herbal treatments

Basics of African American Women's History

Women are half the human race, and they're half of black history, as well.Here are some highlights bringing together black history and women's history. Scroll through this list to find timelines of African American history and women, biographies of African American women, African women rulers, and more.Here are some resources that will get you started quickly in learning about and exploring the history of African American women.The timeline will show the events and individuals in historical context, and the ever-growing list of biographies will introduce you to some powerful and interesting individuals. If you want to test your knowledge of African American women's history, try the quiz.

Thank you mama for the nine months you carried me through

Thank you mama for the nine months you carried me through
All the pain an' sufferin'
No one knows the pressure you bare a just only you
It's my words and my utterin'

I'm gonna make u so proud, such good son you have
You are the one who teaches me all the good from the bad

Even when the system keeps pressurin' my dad

Black Teens With Racial Pride Do Better in School ,let's teach our kids be proud

Black Teens With Racial Pride Do Better in School ,let's teach our kids be proud of who they are
African American teenagers perform better academically when their parents instill in them a sense of racial pride.

New research shows that when parents use racial socialization—talking to their children or engaging in activities that promote feelings of racial knowledge, pride, and connection—it offsets racial discrimination’s potentially negative impact on students’ academic development.

Preparing adolescents for possible bias is also a protective

Hallowed Be The Memory Of Dr. Walter Rodney!

ULTIMATE MILITANT AFRIKAN BLOOD SALUTE TO THIS SON OF THE SOIL OF OUR BELOVED AFRIKA . THIS MAN WAS THE EPITOME OF THE AFRIKAN BLOOD SPIRIT OF INTELLECT AND DIGNITY .
Today is 33 years that Dr. Walter Rodney was taken from us much too soon. His legacy and work to fight capitalist, imperialist and colonialist exploitation lives on! Solidarity.

Check out:
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa
Book: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa is a book written by Walter Rodney, which takes the view that Africa was deliberately exploited and underdeveloped by European colonial regimes.
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The life of the great Guyanese scholar and revolutionary Walter Rodney

Carefree Black Girl: The Life And Death Of Karyn Washington

On Saturday, April 19, dozens of people gather in front of the Faith Community United Methodist Church in Baltimore. Some mingle outside, hugging friends, relatives, and acquaintances from present and past, while others make their way up the steps, passing through the Greco-Roman columns into the foyer. On a narrow table against the wall, a guestbook fills steadily with signatures. I consider adding mine. I did not know her.