February is Black History Month!
Shmoop salutes those — from the biggest names to the most ordinary people — who’ve shaped the African American experience over nearly 400 years.
From David Walker to Toni Morrison, from Malcolm X to Jay-Z, we’ve got you covered.
Featured Shmoop Article
Featured US History
- Jim Crow
- Civil Rights Movement: Desegregation
- Civil Rights Movement: “Black Power” Era
- Brown v. Board & Admissions Quotas
- Race in the American Revolution
- Race in Antebellum America
- Race in Causes of the Civil War
- Race in the Civil War
- Race in Reconstruction
- Race in FDR’s New Deal
- Race in WWII
- Race in the History of Rock & Roll
- Blues Music History
- Desegregation in the NFL
Featured Poetry, Literature, & Biographies
- “Harlem” (Dream Deferred), by Langston Hughes
- “The Weary Blues”, by Langston Hughes
- “The Negro Speak of Rivers”, by Langston Hughes
- “We Real Cool”, by Gwendolyn Brooks
- Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
- “King of the Bingo Game”, by Ralph Ellison
- Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
- Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
- Sula, by Toni Morrison
- The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
- A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry
- Native Son, by Richard Wright
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Theme of Race in Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
- Theme of Race in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
NEW Shmoop Teacher’s Editions
- Teaching Jim Crow
- Teaching the Causes of the Civil War
- Teaching Huckleberry Finn
- Teaching To Kill a Mockingbird
- Teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God
Featured Music
- Empire State of Mind, by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
- Purple Haze, by Jimi Hendrix
- Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud), by James Brown
- Strange Fruit, by Billie Holiday
- Through the Wire, by Kanye West
- When Doves Cry, by Prince
Much More Coming Soon
Any requests? Send us your suggestions.
February 2, 2010 at 7:33 am
I cannot see any mention of Paul Robeson who took on the US government single-handedly on behalf of African-Americans & humanity as a whole with his songs, acting & writings. He was one of the first Civil rights activists before the main movement started.
February 2, 2010 at 10:04 am
[...] February 2, 2010 March is Black History Month Posted by paccorinti under education, free, information Leave a Comment If you haven’t checked out Shmoop.com yet, now would be a good time to do it. They have collected a bunch of their resources related to African-American history for Black History Month. [...]
February 11, 2010 at 7:59 am
[...] Black History Month English & Social Studies Guides Gale- free resources Time magazine History Channel Library of Congress [...]
February 19, 2010 at 6:43 am
[...] honor of Black History Month, Shmoop has compiled 47 free Learning Guides for high school students. Shmoop salutes those – from the biggest names to the most ordinary [...]
February 24, 2010 at 9:48 am
I have just signed up for Shoomp and am finding that I really like it. Thanks
February 26, 2010 at 11:53 am
I think the song talked about New York like a normal person would discribe it. It talked about it’s nice lights and about one of New York’s baseball teams the “Yankees”. Talked about the New Yorkers clothing. Over all I think the song is awsome.
April 2, 2010 at 8:39 am
[...] 45 more Black History Month topics from Blues Music History to Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to the Civil Rights [...]