The Game Is Changing for Historians of Black America
For centuries, stories of Black communities from the past have been limited by racism in the historical record. Now we can finally follow the trails they left behind.
Inheritance
How Black America is shaping the nation
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This work was commissioned, produced, and edited by The Atlantic's editorial staff. Support for this work was provided in part by the organizations listed here.
Support for this project was provided by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
Black America’s Neglected Origin Stories
The history of Blackness on this continent is longer and more varied than the version I was taught in school.
America’s Political Roots Are in Eutaw, Alabama
When I think about the 1870 riot, I remember how the country rejected the opportunity it had.
The 1970s Black Utopian City That Became a Modern Ghost Town
What the demise of an experimental Black town reveals about the struggle for racial equality today
The Magazine That Helped 1920s Kids Navigate Racism
Mainstream culture denied Black children their humanity—so W. E. B. Du Bois created The Brownies’ Book to assert it.
Everybody Knew Teenie
Charles “Teenie” Harris captured at least 125,000 people during the 40 years he documented Black life for The Pittsburgh Courier.
American Democracy Is Only 55 Years Old—And Hanging by a Thread
Black civil-rights activists—and especially Black women—delivered on the promise of the Founding. Their victories are in peril.
Curt Flood Belongs in the Hall of Fame
His defiance changed baseball and helped assert Black people’s worth in American culture.
A Forgotten Black Founding Father
Why I’ve made it my mission to teach others about Prince Hall
“Inheritance”: A Live Virtual Event
Atlantic writers brought the project to life at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 18.