Frederick Douglass was one of the most influential African American leaders of the 19th century. Born into slavery in Maryland, he endured severe hardships but learned to read and write secretly—a skill that fueled his desire for freedom. In...
During the brutal era of chattel slavery in the United States, slave owners viewed literacy as a direct threat to the institution of slavery. They feared it could empower their slaves to pursue freedom, access abolitionist literature, or organize...
Garrett Morgan was an African American inventor and entrepreneur known for life-saving innovations like the Safety Hood, a precursor to the gas mask, and the traffic signal, which improved road safety. His story is one of overcoming systemic barriers,...
Charles Deslondes was an enslaved African man who was brutally executed for leading the 1811 German Coast Revolt, widely regarded as the largest slave uprising in U.S. history, involving over 500 people.
Born around 1789 on the plantation of Jacques...
Mary Lumpkin, a former enslaved woman, inherited the land housing Lumpkin’s Jail, a notorious slave facility infamous for its brutal treatment of enslaved Africans and its role in forced breeding for profit. Willed to her by Robert Lumpkin, her...
During the era of chattel slavery in the United States, Southern states actively suppressed the education of African Americans, both enslaved and free. Alabama, like many other states, recognized literacy as a potential threat to the institution of slavery....
Margaret Crittendon Douglass was a white woman and former slaveholder, who was convicted and jailed in Norfolk, Virginia, for teaching Black children to read. Her story is a reminder of the brutal measures taken to suppress Black education during...
The Nocra prison camp was an Italian concentration camp on the island of Nocra, off the coast of Massawa, in Italian colony of Eritrea, that was used to intern freedom fighters. The camp played a significant role in Italy’s...
The Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits, is a Catholic religious order renowned for its commitment to education, missionary work, and theological scholarship. However, their history includes a troubling chapter: the 1838 sale of 272 enslaved Africans to...
Henry Edward Clonard Keating, born on December 13, 1871, in Nova Scotia, was a military officer who served in the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). His brief but intense career unfolded during the British colonial campaign in West...
