African Americans History

The District of Columbia has a population of over 600,000 people. It has only been since 1964 that district residents have been allowed to vote in Presidential elections. The American revolutionary term, "taxation without representation" appears on District license plates. The Free DC! button depicted here refers to the fact that the city of Washington, D.C. still has no representation in the United States Senate, and only one non-voting member in the House of Representatives.

The National Anti-Klan Network was established in 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the result of the coming together of several civil rights groups that felt the need to monitor, prosecute, and publicize the increasing illegal activities and violence being undertaken at that time by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The Network later changed its name to the Center for Democratic Renewal (CDR) and remains a very active civil rights organization combating racism and bigotry.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a graduate of Morehouse College, the Crozer Theological Seminary, and received his Doctorate from Boston University. In 1954 he became the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. He soon became involved in civil rights leading a boycott of segregated city buses. King co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Council in 1957.

In early September 2007 a noose was found hanging from a tree on the University of Maryland campus. The tree was located near a building used to house numerous black organizations, and the noose was clearly seen as an emotional reminder of the horrific crime and terror of lynching against blacks. This "Terps as One" button was distributed at a rally held on campus on September 11, 2007 to protest the racism and intolerance evoked by the noose.

On August 28, 2004 about three members of the Ku Klux Klan and a few members of a New Jersey based White Nationalist group held a "march" in Sharpsburg, Maryland. Local citizens and organizations held various events nearby to promote peace and unity. The United Methodist Church had a presence at these events and distributed various materials, along with buttons. The United Methodist Church General Commission on Religion and Race was established in 1968.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded on February 12, 1909. Originally known as the National Negro Committee, its multi-racial founders' primary purpose was to find ways to establish and promote social equality and secure for all people the rights identified within the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United State Constitution.

There were numerous Freedmen's Aid Societies formed at various times during the Civil War. By 1869 it was estimated that over 9,000 teachers, mostly from the North, were serving in freedmen's schools in the South funded by these societies. These groups also worked closely with the Congressionally established Freedmen's Bureau (1865-1872). Some Freedmen's Aid Societies lasted only a few years. Others lasted much longer.

Organized by Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam (founded in 1930), the Million Man March was held on October 16, 1995 in Washington, DC. Its purpose was to encourage black men to seek atonement and reconciliation, and to take responsibility for their own lives and actions. Estimates of attendance range from 600,000 to 1,000,000 people. Additional "Million Man" related marches include the Million Woman March which was held in Philadelphia on October 25, 1997, the 2000 Million Family March which was held in Washington D.C.

The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was founded in 1942. It was CORE which organized the Freedom Rides of 1961. Over 1000 Freedom Riders, both black and white volunteers, traveled throughout the South attempting to peacefully confront and protest via sit-ins and other non-violent actions the segregation and unequal accommodations in the South, primarily at restaurants, lunch counters, restrooms, and motels.

The Poor People's Campaign was organized by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC). Its primary goal was to address issues of economic justice for the nation's poor. The Campaign originated in Mississippi and was to culminate in a major march in Washington, DC. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, but the campaign continued under the leadership of the Reverend Ralph David Abernathy who also assumed the presidency of the SCLC.