history
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Who Was Joel A. Rogers?
Editor’s note: For those who are wondering about the retro title of this black-history series, please take a moment to learn about historian Joel A. Rogers, author of the 1934 book 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof, to whom these “amazing facts” are an homage. Amazing Fact About the Negro No. 100: Which journalist was…
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How Much DNA Do Distant Cousins Actually Share?
For this week’s column I decided to address a topic that comes up frequently in your questions: finding genetic relatives through one of the DNA-testing services that match people who share ancestry. In fact, in last week’s column a reader reached out to “a fourth-generation relative” that she met through such a service, and that…
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Why Image of a Black Swordsman in King Solomon’s Court Was a Watershed Moment in European Art
This image is part of a weekly series that The Root is presenting in conjunction with the Image of the Black Archive & Library at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. Standing beside the august figure of King Solomon, a black attendant silently witnesses a novel dispensation of justice by the…
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Who Were the Great Black Historians?
Editor’s note: For those who are wondering about the retro title of this black-history series, please take a moment to learn about historian Joel A. Rogers, author of the 1934 book 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof, to whom these “amazing facts” are an homage. Amazing Fact About the Negro No. 99: Who were the…
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Am I Related to One of the 1st Black Boxing Champs?
I am the daughter of the light heavyweight champion of the world for 1935-1939: John Henry Lewis. From stories handed down and articles from 1935 newspapers, it was said that my father’s great-granduncle was Thomas Molineaux. I have been unable to find any census records or records of Thomas, only that he won his freedom…
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Black Uncle Sam Weather Vane May Point to Which Way the Wind Blows on the Issue of Race in Post-Civil War America
This image is part of a weekly series that The Root is presenting in conjunction with the Image of the Black Archive & Library at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. Valued for its practical union of art and utility, the weather vane has long been considered a classic form of…
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Which Boxing Champ Was ‘Unforgivably Black’?
Editor’s note: For those who are wondering about the retro title of this black-history series, please take a moment to learn about historian Joel A. Rogers, author of the 1934 book 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof, to whom these “amazing facts” are an homage. Amazing Fact About the Negro No. 98: Who were the…
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Who Owned My Mixed-Race Ancestor in Louisiana?
I am trying to trace my great-grandfather Emile Perrilliat, who was born circa 1848-1850. He died in May of 1913. He lived in St. John the Baptist Parish, La. He was married to Claire (Clara) Thomas, also from St. John the Baptist Parish. My problem is I cannot find him or his family before 1880.…
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Finding Her Roots: Valerie Jarrett’s Family Made Some Fascinating Contributions to American History
If you missed Tuesday night’s installment of PBS’ Finding Your Roots—hosted by The Root’s editor-in-chief, Henry Louis Gates Jr.—it’s worth checking your local listings for a replay. This latest episode focused on “three enslaved families with three unique histories,” including the family histories of Yale-educated actress Angela Bassett, of Malcolm X and What’s Love Got…
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Artemis of Ephesus: A Goddess Who Represented an Ideal View of Blackness
This image is part of a weekly series that The Root is presenting in conjunction with the Image of the Black Archive & Library at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. Among the pantheon of deities worshipped by the ancient Greeks, Artemis of Ephesus stands out as one of the most…