African American History

Learn about the achievements of African Americans who have shaped South Carolina and American history.

Black History Month is celebrated every February to honor the achievements of African Americans who have shaped American history. Historian Carter G. Woodson hoped to raise awareness of African American's contributions to civilization by establishing Negro History Week. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that included both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass' birthdays. The week was later expanded to a month in 1976 during the United States bicentennial.

PHOTO: On March 20, 1969, Black hospital workers at the Medical College of South Carolina in Charleston went on strike to protest the firing of twelve employees and to call for higher wages and union recognition.

Within this Collection

Gullah Gourmet
Gullah Gourmet

Lesson

When enslaved Africans came to the coast of South Carolina they brought many foods with them that have become traditional Southern favorites. They include peanuts, sweet potatoes, okra, black-eyed...

Colored Water Fountain | Periscope
Colored Water Fountain | Periscope
Episode 2

Photo

Ruby was born in 1954. At the time, African-American children and white children had to attend separate schools. Segregation, or the separation of African American and white people, was practiced by...
Ruby Bridges (1960) | Periscope
Ruby Bridges (1960) | Periscope
Episode 1

Photo

Ruby Bridges' first day at William Frantz Elementary School was very unusual. Integration, or the sharing of schools by African American and white people, had recently become law in 1960. She was one...
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Legislation | Periscope
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Legislation | Periscope
Episode 6

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Dr. King's efforts would lead to wider recognition of equal rights, education and political representation for African Americans and other minorities. For his work, he earned a Nobel Peace Prize in...
March on Washington - Crowd on the Mall | Periscope
March on Washington - Crowd on the Mall | Periscope
Episode 5

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Dr. King traveled around the world giving speeches and organizing peaceful protests. He met with presidents to urge support for civil rights. His "I Have a Dream" speech was delivered in Washington, D...
Rosa Parks | Periscope
Rosa Parks | Periscope
Episode 4

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In 1955, Rosa Parks, a seamstress living in Montgomery, Alabama, wanted to peacefully demonstrate what civil rights meant to her. She was arrested for sitting at the front of the bus, a place reserved...
March on Washington | Periscope
March on Washington | Periscope
Episode 3

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Like Gandhi, Dr. King committed his life to peacefully helping people attain civil rights. Much of Dr. King's work concerned the civil rights of African Americans. During the 1950s, there were fewer...
Mahatma Gandhi | Periscope
Mahatma Gandhi | Periscope
Episode 2

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Gandhi used nonviolent protest to promote civil rights for the people of India. "True nonviolence should mean a complete freedom from ill will and anger and hate and an overflowing love for all." –...