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Throughout nearly 250 years of our democracy’s evolution, the journey for African Americans to be equally represented by our founding documents is long, turbulent and continues today. This history can be seen through records at the National Archives. Join the National Archives Foundation as we explore our nation’s past and remember the important role that African Americans have played in shaping our shared story. 

Throughout the year, the National Archives and National Archives Foundation will celebrate black history through online programming and virtual events. 

Virtual Programs

A Recollection of Jackie Robinson

In this program, we’ll celebrate Jackie Robinson by taking a closer look at the Hall of Fame infielder and civil rights pioneer. We’ll examine the reasons why Branch Rickey chose Robinson to break the color barrier, the bigotry that Robinson faced, and the successes he achieved both on the field and in his post-playing career as a civil rights advocate.

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Destroying Segregation: The Personal Mission of Civil Rights Attorney Fred Gray

Hear rare first-person accounts from Fred Gray about how the civil rights movement gained momentum through bus boycotts in Alabama, how his friend Rosa Parks was ready to sit down for progress, and more.

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Freedom Summer Inspiring Young Voters Today

Watch National Archives Foundation Executive Director Patrick Madden in a conversation with Maxim Thorne, Managing Director of the Andrew Goodman Foundation, on how a civil rights murder in 1964 inspired a national movement of young people to vote and engage in civic life today.

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Black Wall Street: The Hidden Economy

After Reconstruction, the Black community built its own financial engine to give each other much-needed economic support and opportunity. This effort faced political and legal intimidation as well as violent and deadly attacks, like the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921.

Watch

Race and reform in America today is incredibly complex, and, in order to understand where we’re going, we need to understand where we’ve been. Help the National Archives Foundation bring the history of our nation’s fight for equality to light by supporting our new Fund for Rights and Justice. The fund will provide resources for research, public programs, exhibitions and educational materials focused on the stories of African Americans and people of color, as found in the records of the National Archives.

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Records on Black History

East Rotunda Gallery: Featured Document Display

Jackie Robinson was as fierce and determined about fighting injustice as he was about hitting home runs and stealing bases. View select documents currently on display in the East Rotunda Gallery.

Featured Document
Rights and Justice Records

The National Archives is full of records that attempt to tell the story of race in America. At our fundraiser to launch the Rights and Justice fund, we highlighted some of the more unique and important documents.

View Records
Records of Rights

In this permanent exhibition in the David M. Rubenstein Gallery at National Archives in Washington, D.C., Records of Rights explores how generations of Americans sought to fulfill the promise of the founding documents.

View Online Exhibit
Amending America

In 2016, in celebration of the 225th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the National Archives hosted a series of national conversations across the country to explore the continuing and often complicated issues of rights of our modern era.

View Conversations

Educator Resources

Tools for teaching with documents from the National Archives’ holdings

Elementary School Activities

Analyzing a Photograph of Jackie Robinson

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Analyzing a Photograph of Harriet Tubman

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Examining Where Rosa Parks Sat

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Middle School Activities

Analyzing a Letter to Congress about Bloody Sunday

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Fannie Lou Hamer and Voting Rights

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High School Activities

Analyzing a Petition about Slavery

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The Path to Justice: Selma ant the Voting Rights Act

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Shop Black History Products
at the National Archives Store

Shop Black History Collection