I visited The Legacy Museum, if not the first week, then the second week that it opened. The Legacy Museum was created by the Equal Justice Initiative and is located in Montgomery, Alabama.
The Legacy Museum is split into four parts or themes that chart the history of the systematic oppression of Black people. The first section is kidnapped, which relates to slavery. The second is terrorized which relates to lynching. The third, which is segregated relates to Jim Crow. And the fourth, which is the most modern relates to mass incarceration.
Visit http://noirehistoir.com/blog/the-legacy-museum for show notes and video.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is dedicated to the memory of African-Americans who lost their lives to lynchings. Reading books about lynchings is one thing. But, it was something different to walk through the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and crane your neck to look at all of these blocks knowing that each one of them represented the loss of at least one person’s life.
Show notes and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice.
Phillip Dray details the history of mob violence and lynchings in "At the Hands of Persons Unknown". Dray lays out how lynchings were used as a form of political terrorism aimed at subjugating Black people and enforcing white supremacy.
Show notes and video available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/at-the-hands-of-persons-unknown.
I recently took a day trip to Birmingham as part of my goal to visit as many Southern cities as possible while living in Atlanta. I was attracted to visiting the city by its role in the history of the Civil Rights Movement and also the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was founded in 1992 and is located in Birmingham’s historic Civil Rights District.
Read about my visit at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/birmingham-civil-rights-institute. Link in bio.
“Black Against Empire” by Joshua Bloom and Waldo E. Martin, Jr is the definitive history of The Black Panthers. The book not only charts the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party but also provides detailed backgrounds of its most prominent members.
Visit http://noirehistoir.com/blog/black-against-empire for show notes and video.
“Before the Mayflower” by Lerone Bennett Jr is the ultimate book to read if you’re interested in Black History, especially American Black History. Originally published in 1962, the book covers the history of Black America from 1619 to 1962.
Visit http://noirehistoir.com/blog/before-the-mayflower for show notes and video.
"The Other Wes Moore" explores the lives of two young Black men coming of age during the same era, in similar neighborhoods, and with the same name. (What are the odds?) They both experience adolescent bumps and bruises. But, their lives diverge setting one on the path to prison and the other to becoming a Rhodes Scholar.
Show notes and video are available on the Noire Histoir website at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/the-other-wes-moore-book-review.
I had high expectations for "The Coming" by Daniel Black. The book tells the story of a group of Africans being enslaved and enduring the experience of the Middle Passage. Lots of other people thought "The Coming" was a moving experience but the writing style wasn’t my cup of tea.
Visit http://noirehistoir.com/blog/the-coming-book-review for show notes and audio.
"The Assassination of Fred Hampton" by Jeffrey Haas is an incredible book about a less celebrated but important Black figure. The details may differ but the story of Fred Hampton is unfortunately not uncommon. Yet, his death stands apart from most others as it was proven to have been the result of a concerted effort by the FBI and Chicago police.
"The Book of Harlan" by Bernice L. McFadden tells the story of a Black musician from Harlem who travels to Paris around the time the city falls to the Nazis. McFadden uses the main character's life to tie together moments in the Black experience from about the 1920’s to the 1960’s/1970’s.
Visit http://noirehistoir.com/blog/the-book-of-harlan-book-review for show notes and video.
Moonlight is a great study in the facade of machismo and hyper-masculinity. It explores the development and suppression of Black boys’ and men’s identities and sexuality. On a basic level, it’s a coming of age story about a gay Black male. Yet, because it’s about that it’s also about so much more.
Show notes and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/moonlight-movie-review.
"Ain't I a Woman" by Bell Hooks explores the impact of racism and sexism on Black women. Not as separate factors but through the lens of intersectionality. The book charts the history of how “sexism operates both independently of and simultaneously with racism to oppress us” (Black women).
Show notes and video are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/aint-i-a-woman-book-review.