Black Contributions
The contributions of the Black community within the United States of America is enormous. With a look beyond the usual prominent African-Americans, there is a great opportunity for educators and academic leaders to open the world up to scholars and provide windows, mirrors, and doors of representation for young boys and girls within Black Culture.
Afrofuturism
A History of Black Futures
Afrofuturism provides a lens to readers, viewers, and listeners to worlds that past African-Americans developed for future generations that directly depicts and outlines worlds and experiences they believed possible. From authors like Octavia Butler, to films like Black Panther, the genre of Afrofuturism created a Black cultural experience that continues to develop and evolve each day.
The African American Heritage Trails- A DC History of Black Culture
June 2023
In Washington, DC. The African-American Heritage Trails were developed through a historical survey conducted in October 2001. The project worked to curate a cultural tourism exhibition that chronicled the history of African-Americans within DC. Organized into fifteen different trails, the exhibition represents African-American history and culture through D.C.
Emma V. Brown Residence
Emma V. Brown was a native Washingtonian and the city's first African-American public school teacher. She would go on to open the first public school for African-Americans in the city and serve as principal in a number of others.
Anna Julia Cooper Residence
Born into slavery, Dr. Anna Julia Cooper would become one of the first African-American women to recieve a Ph.D in education. SHe would go on to lead Dunbar Senior High School a prominent D.C. high school during her time. She would work to promote high levels of academic engagement and believed that student success in school begins with their home lives. Her successes did not come without struggle. Throughout her tenture in education many oppressive tools were used to dismantle her progress. Nevertheless she persisted.
Georgetown Neighborhood
Once a tobacco port and eventially prominently black neighborhood/community, the history of Georgetown is rooted in the contributions of many African-Americans. The area has been completely erased of the culture and contributions.
Anacostia Neighboorhood and Fredrick Douglass Historic Site
Located East of the Potomac River, the home of abolitionist Fredrick Douglass sits atop the city of Washington D.C.
Howard University
Founded in 1865 and the third university of Washington D.C. attracts some of the most influential African-Americans of our time. It has historically been known as the mecca of Black education.
Langston Hughes Residence
Leading poet of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes was a prominent resident of the D.C. area. Contributing to the poetry filled, he worked as a busboy at a local hotel where he was mentored and wrote many of his poems.
The Deanwood School
Constructed from 1909-1930, became one of the first public schools for blacks in the Deanwood neighborhood; it continues today as a charter school in Washington, D.C.
Art as Activism
June 2023
Activism is rooted in centering the voices of people who have voices but aren’t being listened too. In doing so, movements are created that impact change, especially in systems of oppression. While activism has taken many forms within the history of Black Culture, one of the most influential forms has been and continues to be through art.
Art has historically cultivated an immense amount of change and conversation around complex topics not limited to racism, sexism, and other "-isms" of our society. Throughout Black culture, many influential men and women have directly impacted the art worl through their various forms of media to promote deep conversations around critical issues in our society.
Gordan Parks
One of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, Gordon Parks was a photojournalist that worked to document American life through a lens of race relations, poverty, and civil rights. A product of poverty and sergregation, Gordon purchased his first camera from a pawn shop and life would never be the same for him or those that would see the world through his lens.
“I SAW THAT THE CAMERA COULD BE A WEAPON AGAINST POVERTY, AGAINST RACISM, AGAINST ALL SORTS OF SOCIAL WRONGS. I KNEW AT THAT POINT I HAD TO HAVE A CAMERA.”- Gordon Parks
Bisa Butler
Bisa Butler is a New Jersey native and former art teacher that works to highlight the often overlooked and marginalized groups of Black men and women. Using quilting and historical figures, Bisa works to curate life sized quilts that encompass the Black identity of the unheard.
Kehinde Wiley
Working to dismantle the contemporary portraiture art that has historically been created, Kehinde Wiley a native LA and current New York resident, works to create larger than life portraitures of Black men and women. His work has historically been developed to focus on those individuals, specifically Black people who are often left out of the conversation in works of art. He works to reimagine art that has specifcally been used to illuminate "Whiteness" and works to curate experiences in his work that illuminates the beauty and greatness of African-Americans both famous and everyday people.
Alma Thomas
Artist and educator and resident of Washington, D.C., Alma Thomas was the first fine arts graduate of Howard University. She would go on to teach at Shaw Junior High School and developed a ton of artwork that is displayed in various Smithsonian Museums
