Descendants of African-Americans who began their lives in America as kidnapped slaves were then deprived of civil rights by "Jim Crow" laws. Leaders inspired others to overcome racial prejudice and legal obstacles. These stories highlight the ups and downs of black history.
One of Bass' letters reaches the right people in the North. Henry Northup makes a plan to free Platt (Solomon Northup).
With the blessing of the U.S. Supreme Court, in Plessy v. Ferguson, the South continues to legally practice racial inequality as a way of life.
A former slave named Sarah Gudger tells of the things she experienced in her 121 years of life.
Although Antwone Fisher is not a juvenile delinquent, he spends time in the George Junior Republic reform school in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
Though African Americans were free, after the Civil War, the U.S. federal government (including the federal courts) allows the practice of racial segr...
Jackie plays for the Kansas City Monarchs; African-American baseball players face discrimination in every town.
Risking his own life, Bass agrees to write letters for Platt (Solomon Northup), alerting people in the North that he is wrongfully being held as a sla...
Although he is little-celebrated in the 21st century, Baas Reeves was a giant of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. An African-American U.S. Depu...
Born a slave, Bass Reeves ran away from slavery during America's Civil War. He fled to Indian Territory (today's Oklahoma) where he learned five Nativ...
Black maids raise white children as their own but are still treated as inferiors.
Branch Rickey wants a Black man to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers; he selects Jackie Robinson to become the first Black player in Major League baseball...
In 1946, Jackie Robinson agrees not to fight the discrimination he will face as the first Black baseball player; he earns his team's respect.
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