Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences

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Photo, Roger Arliner Young, Zoologist
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This site contains biographical profiles of over 200 African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science and engineering. The site provides brief (roughly 250 word) biographies of scholars from fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, zoology, and veterinary medicine, as well as inventors. Among the scientists included in the site are prominent figures like George Washington Carver, scientist and inventor of numerous industrial applications for agricultural products, and astronomer and mathematician Benjamin Banneker.

Each entry also includes a bibliography of sources for further biographical information. The site is indexed by scientist name and profession, and there are special sections for the biographies of 20 women scientists and 14 of the first African Americans to receive PhDs in science. Though there are no primary documents on this site, it is a good place to find general information on prominent African American scientists throughout American history.

Excerpts from Slave Narratives

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Title, Excerpts from Slave Narratives
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Unadorned and easy to navigate, this comprehensive website contains 46 first-person accounts of slavery and African life dating from 1682 to 1937. Each document is introduced with an illustrative sentence or short paragraph that describes the historical context.

There are both recognizable and unknown actors in this website. Former slaves such as Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman, as well as white abolitionists such as John Brown express forceful, if familiar, condemnations of slavery.

In addition, there are unheralded historical voices that not only speak poignantly, but also reflect different (African-centered) perspectives. For example, a ship doctor's searing report of the Middle Passage; a slave husband's anguished letter to his wife after she was sold; and black social reformers' protests against the cruel punishments of slave owners.

When taken together, the assembled testimonies, including those by women, present slavery as a deeply entrenched institution that provoked a wide range of compelling commentary.

Dox Thrash: An African American Master Printmaker Rediscovered

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Graphite and brown pencil, "Self-portrait," Dox Thrash, Early 1930s
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The art of Dox Thrash (1893-1965) is exhibited in more than 60 images—mostly reproductions of his prints, but also including drawings and photographs of the artist at work. Born in Griffin, GA, Thrash spent most of his life in Philadelphia, which he expressively documented in his artworks. The exhibit proceeds along a timeline from birth to death that allows visitors to read a biographical narrative placing his life in appropriate historical context and to view images relevant to each period. Texts and images also can be downloaded in PDF format. Thrash's prints illuminated aspects of African American community life in Philadelphia with scenes of street life, workers, domestic scenes, and leisure activities. Thrash also portrayed scenes drawn from his experience as a soldier in World War I, life on the road, and the lynching of blacks.

In addition to his artistic creations, Thrash invented a new and influential printmaking technique—the carborundum process—in the 1930s as he worked in the WPA Graphic Arts Workshop. The exhibit provides descriptions and images of nine techniques Thrash used, and also includes four audio files of the curator discussing the process of putting the exhibit together. Valuable for students of the history of art and for those interested in expressive depictions of African American life and culture in Philadelphia.

Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938

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Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-38
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More than 2,300 firsthand accounts of slavery and 500 black and white photographs of former slaves are presented on this website. These materials were collected in the 1930s by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Project Administration, a Roosevelt Administration New Deal bureau.

Each slave narrative transcript is accompanied by notes including the name of the narrator, place and date of the interview, interviewer's name, length of transcript, and catalog information. Each photograph has similar notes. Browse photographs and narratives by keyword, subject, and narrator. An introductory essay discusses the significance of slave narratives and a selection of excerpts from eight narratives along with photographs of the former slaves. This is a rich resource for exploring slavery, historical memory, and New Deal efforts to document America's past.

Atlanta in the Civil Rights Movement

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Logo, Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education
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This well-designed website explores the fundamental role of the churches, businesses, and institutions of Atlanta's Auburn Avenue, as well as the colleges and universities of the Atlanta University Center, in developing black leadership in the civil rights movement. The main section, "Atlanta's Story," is a timeline of Atlanta's civil rights movement between 1940 and 1970 with four essays: "Gradualism and Negotiation" covers the years 1940-1949; "Retrenchment and Redirection" discuses the events of 1950-1959; "Direct Action and Desegregation" examines the years between 1960 and 1965; and "The Quest for Black Power" explores 1966-1970.

Additionally, an extensive bibliography offers a list of more than 120 books and 50 articles both on the Atlanta Civil Rights movement and the movement in general. "Web resources" has more than 50 links to related websites. The site also provides a searchable inventory of special collections materials. Finally, the site offers a small photo gallery of 25 images. A useful starting point for anyone researching the civil rights movement or Atlanta.

Rocky Hill Historical Society and Academy Hall Museum

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Formed in 1962, the Rocky Hill Historical Society's first mission was to save the Academy Hall. The Hall was built in 1803 as a navigation school to teach young sailors and future sea captains. Today the town's history is accessible to the public through the museum, library, and programs located in Academy Hall. The library contains book collections, manuscripts, stories, oral histories, photographs, and maps, and is open for research. The Academy Hall Museum displays artifacts, farm implements, military items, maritime history, technology, and costumes.

The museums offers exhibits and research library access.

Historic Crail Ranch [MT]

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The Historic Crail Ranch preserves the story of Augustus Franklin Crail and his family. Living in the cabin in the early 1900s, the Crails kept pigs, sheep, and cattle; grew hay; and ran a lumber mill. Other structures on site included barns, a forge, a hay barn, a piggery, and a spring house. Architecturally, the ranch contains the oldest original building in Big Sky, Montana; and is an example of a historic log structure.

The ranch offers a living history experience.

9/11 and the War on Terror Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/04/2008 - 14:04
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Professor and author Noam Chomsky discusses the current "War on Terrorism" in the context of earlier perceptions of terrorism and national threat, including the Cold War and World War II.

The link provides direct access to the video, as no visual webpage exists as a gateway.

Szarkowski: How To See

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According to the History of Photography Podcasts website:

"During his 29-year tenure as director of the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, curator and photographer John Szarkowski (1925-2007) changed the way the world saw photography."

This recording of Jeff Curto's class session introduces Szarkowski's work.