Damn, it's been a year already? I still haven't downloaded suggestions from last year's music post. Anyway, in keeping with the past two years, I'm going to attempt to go beyond the surface celebration of black history this month and get into some actual shit. As I said last year that I said last year, "Another year, another month of trivializing the history and contributions of black people. As I said last year: "I'm going to try this thing where I find really good pieces about black history (around the world), and not just some random facts about peanut butter. Hopefully these articles will amount to more than just an amalgamation of historical trivia. Let me know if you have any ideas!"
With that, let's begin with some legit history/nerdbait:
W.E.B. DuBois’s Color Line From 1900, in Visuals
Hand-drawn and full-color infographics from 1900, how could it get any better? These visuals were created by students of preeminent black scholar W.E.B. DuBois while he was teaching Sociology at Atlanta University (h/t All My Eyes). This series of charts showing the race conditions in Georgia was produced to be part of the “Exhibit of American Negroes” for the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Georgia was chosen for being the state with the largest population of blacks at the time. The charts cover a range of data such as population distribution, occupation, migration, land ownership, income and more. As described by DuBois, “the purpose of the exhibit was fourfold: first, it was concerned with showing the history of the American Negro; second, it attempted to describe ‘his present condition;’ third, ‘his education;’ and fourth ‘his literature.’
Over 60 charts were created. Professor Eugene F. Provenzo, Jr., at the University of Miami, has created an online archive of them. Three graphics in color are archived at the Library of Congress. They’re not just informative, they are visually striking as well.
Source
I included the best link from the article in the actual body here, but there are images at the source that everyone should check out! Really great stuff about Georgia in the 1900's.
With that, let's begin with some legit history/nerdbait:
W.E.B. DuBois’s Color Line From 1900, in Visuals
Hand-drawn and full-color infographics from 1900, how could it get any better? These visuals were created by students of preeminent black scholar W.E.B. DuBois while he was teaching Sociology at Atlanta University (h/t All My Eyes). This series of charts showing the race conditions in Georgia was produced to be part of the “Exhibit of American Negroes” for the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Georgia was chosen for being the state with the largest population of blacks at the time. The charts cover a range of data such as population distribution, occupation, migration, land ownership, income and more. As described by DuBois, “the purpose of the exhibit was fourfold: first, it was concerned with showing the history of the American Negro; second, it attempted to describe ‘his present condition;’ third, ‘his education;’ and fourth ‘his literature.’
Over 60 charts were created. Professor Eugene F. Provenzo, Jr., at the University of Miami, has created an online archive of them. Three graphics in color are archived at the Library of Congress. They’re not just informative, they are visually striking as well.
Source
I included the best link from the article in the actual body here, but there are images at the source that everyone should check out! Really great stuff about Georgia in the 1900's.
Edited at 2012-02-01 11:34 pm (UTC)
Can't wait for the next music post (even though I'm still behind on the last one).
*flails*
stalkingregularly following this comm).ETA: LOL I LINKED THAT PARIS 1900 EXHIBITION ARCHIVE FOR DAY 10 OF LAST YEAR! I'm glad to see more people looking at the material because there's a lot of primary documents
Edited at 2012-02-02 01:53 am (UTC)
Love the Black Life: Portraits series.
Yay! Black History Month posts! *bouncebouncebounce* For the last month I've been anxious for it to turn February! Gleeeeeeeee! <3
Edited at 2012-02-02 04:51 am (UTC)
Saw a new JCPenny ad today. February themed, so snow stuff, Valentine's day stuff. In the middle of all of that was a clip of schoolchildren. A young boy was dressed up as what looked like Abe Lincoln, surrounded by girls in school dresses dancing with him. I can only imagine it's in reference to Black History Month, but there were no black children in the clip. I... what.
(which, it'd still kinda suck if they completely ignored BHM, but it beats the alternative interpretation >.>)