TSM | Junior Curators - Black History

Category: Black History

5-9-23

CAMPANILE: Climbing Towers of Social Progress -or- A Look at Segregated Spelling Bees

By Barbara Hall C-A-M-P-A-N-I-L-E. What does a free-standing bell tower have to do with Tennessee? (That’s what campanile means.) Can you think of a time we had to memorize a vocabulary list? You might also remember participating in a spelling bee. Before the 1600s, many people did not know how to spell or pronounce words. Robert Cawdrey created the first English dictionary in 1604. His dictionary had 3,000 words with short definitions. People began to learn to spell words correctly usi... Read More

Posted by Christopher Grisham at 5-9-23

Black History

2-21-23

First of Many: Ida B. Wells Part III

First of Many Part III-The Fight for Equality By Philip Staffelli-Suel Welcome back to our final blog of the three-part series exploring the life of Ida B. Well-Barnett. When we left our last adventure, Mrs. Wells was fighting for the right for women to vote. Today, we will be closing out our series talking about Mrs. Well’s fight for African American equality. Wells was a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), but she nev... Read More

Posted by Christopher Grisham at 2-21-23

Black History Civil War and Reconstruction

2-14-23

Fisk University

By: Tori Kleinpeter Once the Civil War ended, the United States had to put itself back together after the destruction of the war. This period is called “Reconstruction.” During this time, there were lots of changes to the way people lived. The biggest one was the newly freed population of African Americans. Tennessee now had over 275,000 free people that had been enslaved just a few years before. Before the Civil War, it was illegal in many states to teach enslaved individua... Read More

Posted by Christopher Grisham at 2-14-23

Black History Civil War and Reconstruction

1-31-23

The First of Many - Part II: Suffrage

By Philip Staffelli-Suel I desire no quarrel with the W.C.T.U., but my love for the truth is greater than my regard for an alleged friend who, through ignorance or design misrepresents in the most harmful way the cause of a long suffering race…. -Ida B. Wells-Barnett Welcome back to an exciting adventure of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. When we last left off Mrs. Wells had retired from the newspaper in 1897. Today we are going to talk about her trailblazing work in getting women... Read More

Posted by Christopher Grisham at 1-31-23

Black History Women's History

11-8-22

Ida B. Wells-Barnett - The First of Many Part I - Journalism

By Philip Staffelli-Suel Welcome back Junior Curators! This is the start of a series exploring how one individual in Tennessee’s past became the first of many things. Together we will learn about how one person can change the course of history. Everyday something is happening in the world. It can be hard for people to keep up with current events. How do we get news today? The internet, radio, television, and…newspapers. Before there were many platforms of communication, newspap... Read More

Posted by Stephanie Davis at 11-8-22

Black History Civil War and Reconstruction

10-6-22

Who Are the Fisk Jubilee Singers?

By Jennifer Watts Tennessee has rich musical traditions. From folk, country, blues, and gospel, music has been an important part of the state’s legacy. The Fisk Jubilee Singers is one musical group that has been performing for over 150 years! They have traveled the world and performed for some of the most famous people in history including a United States President and a Queen! The story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers is one of hardships and success. Let’s learn more about how this ... Read More

Posted by Stephanie Davis at 10-6-22

Black History Civil War and Reconstruction

7-1-22

Alfred Martin Ray and the Spanish-American War

By Philip Staffelli-Suel Welcome back Junior Curators! Today we are going to be talking about the Spanish-American War and Alfred Martin Ray. What is the Spanish-American War? In February of 1895, Cubans began a rebellion against Spanish rule. Over the next few years, support for the Cubans spread throughout the United States. Remember, the United State once fought to be free from a European power too. The way newspapers reported on the conflict became known as yellow journalism. This caused... Read More

Posted by Christopher Grisham at 7-1-22

Black History Modern Tennessee

2-1-22

Diane Nash: A Civil Rights Legend

By Philip Staffelli Welcome back Junior Curators! February is Black History Month! So, in this blog we are going to learn about someone important to Black History, Tennessee History, and United States History. Today we are going to explore the life of Civil Rights activist, Diane Nash. Diane Judith Nash was born in 1938, in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised a Catholic and attended public and Catholic schools. Nash even considered becoming a nun. After graduating high school, she first atten... Read More

Posted by Matthew Gailani at 2-1-22

Black History Tennessee in the 20th Century

10-26-21

The Nashoba Community: A Tennessee Utopia?

By Katie Yenna What do you think an “intentional community” means? Well, the name speaks for itself! It is a planned community where people with similar beliefs and values decide to live and work together as a team. These communities usually have a goal for their residents, much like the Nashoba establishment in Tennessee. This Nashoba Community was established in 1825 by Francis Wright, an abolitionist from the United Kingdom. Her intention was to create a “utopian” ... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 10-26-21

Black History Communities Statehood/Early Tennessee Women's History

8-17-21

Highlander Folk School

by Oliver Arney The Highlander Folk School was unlike any school that you have seen today. If you could visit today, you would not find classrooms full of children, no large gyms holding P.E., and no playgrounds. That is because the Highlander Folk School did not teach children, it was a school for adults. The school was founded in the middle of the Great Depression and became a center of learning during the Civil Rights Movement. Myles Horton from SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordina... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-17-21

Black History Communities Tennessee in the 20th Century

3-2-21

The Unstoppable Josephine Groves Holloway

by Joyska Nunez-Medina Girl Scout troops are groups where girls can come together to learn and grow. The Girl Scouts of America started in 1912 in Savannah, Georgia. Juliette Gordon Low, the organization’s founder, visited Britain in 1911 and learned about the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides. She thought that a similar organization in the United States could teach girls important skills and lessons. Girl Scouting was supposed to be open to all girls, but that was not the case everywher... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 3-2-21

Black History Communities Women's History

2-25-21

The Fastest Woman in the World: Wilma Rudolph

by Lauren Grizzard Did you know that a Tennessean was an Olympic athlete? Do you know where “The Fastest Woman in the World” was from? To learn the answers and more, check out five things to know about Wilma Rudolph below! 1. Wilma Rudolph was born in St. Bethlehem (now Clarksville), Tennessee on June 23, 1940. If you visit Clarksville today, you will see a street and buildings named after her, and even a life sized statue! ... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 2-25-21

Black History Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

2-23-21

More than Music: The Important Legacy of Julia Britton Hooks

by Grace Allen Image courtesy of Memphis and Shelby County Room at Memphis Public Library. Julia Britton Hooks was a very talented musician and teacher. In her lifetime, she was dedicated to teaching music to people of all ages in Memphis, Tennessee. They called her “The Angel of Beale Street.” Julia inspired and taught some of the most famous Black musicians of the early 1900s including W.C. Handy, later known as the Father of the Blues. But Julia Britton Hooks was more than ... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 2-23-21

Black History History of Music/The Arts Women's History

2-16-21

Professor Cameron

by Matthew Gailani World War I and the Story of Henry Alvin Cameron On April 6, 1917, the United States of America officially entered World War I. The war itself started in 1914, shortly after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The United States managed to stay out of the war until 1917 despite terrible fighting around the world. This changed for a few reasons. Americans were being killed on ships sunk by German U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean. The most infamous example of this wa... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 2-16-21

Black History Tennessee in the 20th Century

2-9-21

The Tigers of Tennessee

by Matthew Gailani A History of Tennessee State University Tennessee has many colleges, universities, and schools, each with its own history. Nashville, the state’s capital, is home to several campuses. One of them is Tennessee State University, or TSU. TSU is a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) and was founded over 100 years ago in 1912. Its first name was the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State Normal School for Negroes.* It was a public school built to teac... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 2-9-21

Black History Modern Tennessee Tennessee in the 20th Century

12-1-20

Tina Turner: From Nutbush City Limits to Life as the Queen of Rock & Roll

by Mamie Hassell In the mid-1940s, you would have found young Anna Mae Bullock in class at Flagg Grove School. This was an all-Black, one-room schoolhouse in Nutbush, Tennessee. Nutbush is in West Tennessee. It is one hour from Memphis. During that time, most folks in West Tennessee were farmers, and so was Anna Mae’s family. Her parents, Floyd and Zelma Bullock, were sharecroppers. Sharecroppers rented small plots of land from a property owner and grew crops on it, but each year they ... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 12-1-20

Black History History of Music/The Arts Women's History

10-13-20

From Chattanooga to the “Empress of the Blues”

by Matthew Gailani You may already know that Tennessee is famous for its music. Nashville is “Music City,” Memphis is the “Home of the Blues,” and Bristol is the “Birthplace of Country Music.” Tennessee artists have been so important to the history of music in the United States that many of them are known just by their nicknames. Elvis Presley was known as the “King.” W.C Handy was known as the “Father of the Blues.” Johnny Cash was... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 10-13-20

Black History Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

9-9-20

What is Suffrage?

by Christopher Grisham Suffrage has been something that people have fought for throughout Tennessee’s history, but what is it? The word doesn’t sound very nice. It sounds like suffering, and why would anyone want that? It turns out that suffrage means the right to vote. If you have suffrage, that means you have a voice. You get to help choose the people that make rules and laws for everyone else. This is necessary to make sure the things that are important to you are important to... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-9-20

Black History Women's History

9-1-20

“I Am A Man” Dr. King and The Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike

by Matthew Gailani On February 12, 1968, 1,300 Black sanitation workers went on strike in Memphis, Tennessee. This meant that they refused to do their job of picking up trash throughout the city until their demands were met. But why did the men go on strike? The men were forced to work in dangerous conditions. They were paid very little. They were not allowed to form into groups called unions. They were even treated worse and paid less than their white co-workers just because of the col... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-1-20

Black History Tennessee in the 20th Century

8-20-20

Voting Rights Scavenger Hunt

by Grace Allen Do you know what suffrage means? It means the right to vote. Right now, you might be hearing a lot about the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, but it wasn’t the only time people have challenged the law for the right to vote. Here is a scavenger hunt to test your knowledge on the history of voting rights in Tennessee! Using the link below, click on any lock and answer the question. If you need a hint, click on the lightbulb. When you type the answer in, click ... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-20-20

Black History Women's History

8-11-20

“Lifting as We Climb” Mary Church Terrell and the 19th Amendment

by Matthew Gailani August 18, 2020 will be 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment, or change, to the Constitution says that, “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” In other words, you can’t keep someone from voting just because they are a woman. While this still did not mean everyone could vote at the time, it was a big st... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-11-20

Black History Tennessee in the 20th Century Women's History

7-28-20

The Clinton 12: The Integration Story of Tennessee’s Public Schools

by Mamie Hassell Do YOU love school? Smart teachers, cool computers, a fun playground, art class, fancy instruments for music class, a big library, wonderful sports, and a tasty cafeteria for lunch. Are these some of your favorite things about it? Well what if your school had all this cool stuff, but another school in your town did not? Do you think this would be fair? Sadly, schools were not always equal. Black students were not given rights because of the color of their skin. Many B... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-28-20

Black History Communities Tennessee in the 20th Century

6-16-20

Standing Up by Sitting Down

by Christopher Grisham Have you ever heard of Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks? For many of us, they are the first names that pop into our minds when we think of the fight for civil rights. What about the name Ida B. Wells? Portrait of Ida B. Wells, TSM Collection. When Ida B. Wells was born in 1862, the United States was fighting the Civil War and most African Americans were still enslaved. The war and slavery ended just a few years later in 1865, but African Americans were still ... Read More

Posted by Katie Yenna at 6-16-20

Black History Women's History

4-22-20

How Young W.C. Handy Grew Up to Become “The Father of the Blues”

by Jeff Sellers The day finally arrived. For weeks young W.C. Handy had worked odd jobs. He picked berries. He made soap. He saved and saved. Now he had enough money to buy the guitar he always wanted. Young W.C. loved music. I mean really loved music. He played every chance he could get. Every Sunday he played at church where his father was the local pastor. When he proudly showed the guitar to his mother and father, they were displeased, or unhappy. W.C. Handy’s boyho... Read More

Posted by Joseph Pagetta at 4-22-20

Black History History of Music/The Arts Tennessee in the 20th Century