JAMES WELDON JOHNSON BRANCH OF ASALH

From the American Revolution to the present, African American women have played a

myriad of critical roles in the making of our nation. Their labor and leadership, their

mother hood and patriotism, and their intellect and artistic expression have all enriched

both the African American community and the nation at large. In slavery and freedom,

their struggles have been at the heart of the human experience, and their triumphs over racism and sexism are a testimonial to our common human spirit.

In American culture today, many know of the accomplishments of a few prominent

figures. From Phyllis Wheatley, the unlikely American patriot during the Revolutionary

War, to Harriet Tubman, the leader of the Underground Railroad from slavery, to

Ida B. Wells, the unyielding opponent of lynching, to Rosa Parks, the mother of the

modern Civil Rights Movement, black women have been notable for standing against

oppression. From Gwendolyn Brooks to Toni Morrison to Rita Dove, they have

distinguished themselves in American letters, and in recent years they have been

recognized as actors and recording artists with Academy Awards and Grammys.

The accomplishments of these exceptional women are the expressions of a vibrant

culture in which African American women play a singular role. The labors, struggles,

organization, and sacrifices of common women have made possible the prominence of

heralded individuals. In churches, community groups, literary societies, sororities,

and advocacy organizations, African American women have been the core of

organized black life, but here their strivings have often escaped the gaze of the public

and hence their history is too little known.

Their story is unique in the annals of American history. Black women were held as

slaves as slaves and middle-class black women labored while their counterparts were

housewives. Subjected to a long history of stereotypes about their sexuality, morality,

spirituality, and intellect, African American women have never succumbed to victimhood

and have pressed forward to uplift themselves, their families, and their community.

To gain an understanding of the history of African American women is to broaden

our understanding of a people and the American nation. The Association for the Study

of African American Life and History dedicates the 2012 Annual Black History Theme to

exploring African American women�s roles in and contributions to the making of America.

See enlarged document...

Ida B. Wells history in Spartacus Educational...

A Warrior Woman....