african studies – Blakfacts Educational Research, Inc.

Why is Black History Month in February?

I’ve often heard people speak of an imagined conspiracy by White folks to short change us by “giving us the shortest month in the year to celebrate Black History. This is far from the truth . . .

Wherever We are, Africa is There

I’ve been saying this for years. Not only do I say it, I believe it. Truthfully, I’ve only been to Africa once, for six weeks, 50 years ago. However, that trip changed my life, forever. The things we did and saw have stuck with me, like glue. Before I went, my idea of Africa wasContinue reading “Wherever We are, Africa is There”

Does Learning Stop at the Classroom Door?

There’s been a lot of talk around the question of which one is more important, self-expression or the ability to follow instructions. In the end, both approaches have their good and bad points and for the most part, both are called upon every day, by educators from Seattle to Savannah. However, when it comes to realtime practices in the classroom, the ability to follow instructions wins. The question is why?

Kuumba House, Birthplace of Black History Month, 1970-2019

To the uninformed it may appear that Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month. In reality this is not the case. Negro History Week was founded by Carter G. Woodson in 1926, by February of 1969 it was sorely in need of major renovation. Black students and faculty at Kent State recognized this needContinue reading “Kuumba House, Birthplace of Black History Month, 1970-2019”

Will the Real Black Panther Please Stand Up?

From the 1960’s to the present when you heard about a Black Panther you thought of a Black man ready to put his life on the line for the good of his family and community. On February 15th, 2018 all of that history was placed aside as Black Panther took on a new meaning.Continue reading “Will the Real Black Panther Please Stand Up?”

The Untold Story of Black History Month

Twenty years after the death of Dr. Woodson, in 1950, Black students and administrators, at Kent State University, felt Black history was still important and took it upon themselves to shine the spotlight on it for an entire month.

Halloween: A Day of Celebration or Devilment?

Halloween is coming up in another week. I wonder how many of us will be celebrating and why? Is it just for the candy, or is there something about Halloween that speaks to our nature? Personally, I gave it up long ago, without any fanfare. In my youth I recall going door toContinue reading “Halloween: A Day of Celebration or Devilment?”

Got a story to tell? Let us know!

We’re hard at work documenting Akron’s Black history. Black history is being made and documented every day. Our job is to find it and put it into a format that makes it accessible, memorable and useful to students from 8-80. Our publications a number of interactive books for children, college level books for secondary andContinue reading “Got a story to tell? Let us know!”