Discover the inspiring journey of Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett, America's first Black diplomat, who broke barriers through courage, intelligence, and quiet determination.

In 1931, nine African American boys in Scottsboro, Alabama, were falsely accused of raping two White women, but were found guilty by an all-White jury. In overturning their convictions in Norris v. Alabama, the US Supreme Court ruled that excluding Black people from the jury violated the 14th Amendment. Despite this ruling, the practice of excluding Black people from juries continued as prosecutors used their peremptory challenges to deliberately strike Black jurors.

James Batson, a Black man who was convicted by an all-White jury, had his conviction overturned by the Supreme Court in 1986 when it ruled that prosecutors could no longer use their peremptory challenges to remove jurors on the basis of race. Yet even after Batson, all-White juries still exist. Because jury pools are often drawn from voter registration lists, anti-Black voter suppression tactics have the effect of reducing the number of Black people available for juries. However, it’s essentially impossible to study this since 39 of 50 states do not provide public access to jury pool data. Additionally, courts have rendered Batson meaningless by allowing prosecutors to strike jurors for ridiculous reasons such as the way they dress. In North Carolina, prosecutors have struck Black jurors twice as often as White jurors; in Louisiana and South Carolina, it’s three times as often.

A study in Alabama found that the only juries that delivered death penalty sentences were those with at most one Black juror. In Mississippi, Curtis Flowers was tried six times for a 1996 murder case and over the course of the trials the prosecutor struck 41 of the 42 potential Black jurors. The Supreme Court overturned the case in 2019, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh ruling the White prosecutor waged a “relentless, determined effort to rid the jury of Black individuals” in order to have an all-White jury, which was “unconstitutional.” It’s easy to see why prosecutors, 95% of whom are White, prefer White jurors: Whites are almost twice as likely to support the death penalty, and studies show that all-White juries discuss the facts of the case less, make more errors, and are more likely to convict Black defendants. In 2021, Mississippi agreed to pay Mr. Flowers $500,000 for wrongful imprisonment. He was 56 when he died at home in October 2026.

Recommended reading: Race and the Jury: Illegal Discrimination in Jury Selection (Equal Justice Initiative, 2021)

All-White Juries Deny Justice to Black Defendants

Dear community,

I've been listening to hip-hop for a long time and have also spent a bit of time exploring its cultural and political context. I've watched the occasional FD Signifier video on American politics and Black culture, followed The Company Man and his Culture United podcast, and listened to artists from across several decades: Boogie Down Productions, Rakim, Nas, Big Daddy Kane, N.W.A., Public Enemy, and many others. At this point, I can probably name at least one album I've heard from most major artists, if not entire discographies when we're talking about Kendrick, Nas, 2Pac, Biggie.

However, as a European, I realise that my knowledge of Black American history and politics has some significant gaps. I know the broad outlines and am familiar with figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as events such as the Rodney King incident. What I'm missing, though, is a coherent historical perspective that would allow me to understand these references in their full context.

I've often found myself wondering how much more there is to appreciate in hip-hop once you understand the history behind its lyrics. Public Enemy frequently incorporates quotes from Malcolm X; Nas references everything from Willie Lynch to Willie Hutch and Betsy Ross; Kendrick Lamar invokes Marcus Garvey; and Tupac's connection to the Black Panther movement adds another dimension to his music. I recognise these references, but I don't always know enough about their historical significance to grasp the full weight of what the artists are saying.

For instance, I know that "By any means necessary" is associated with Malcolm X, and I'm familiar with the iconic photograph of him standing by a window with a rifle, which KRS-One recreated. But if someone asked me about the historical circumstances behind that image, what Malcolm X meant by the phrase, or why these symbols became so influential, I wouldn't be able to give them a satisfactory answer.

Some things I did research, like who Emmett Till was and what "strange fruit" by Nina Simone refers to, which was very chilling.

So, what books would you recommend for someone who wants to develop a solid understanding of Black American history, ideally through a concise but comprehensive introduction? I'm looking for something that covers the major events, movements, and historical figures, from which I can build a deeper understanding of the political and cultural references that run throughout hip-hop.

I'm not necessarily looking for an exhaustive academic treatment of every period. I'd love a good starting point that gives me the historical framework I currently lack and helps me engage with the music on a deeper level.

I'd really appreciate any recommendations, especially books that are accessible to someone approaching the subject from outside the United States.

Thanks in advance!

Satchmo in Ghana — Black People in Music

What happens when the trumpet that invented American music goes home?

May 1956. Louis Armstrong (Satchmo), the genius from New Orleans who taught the world how to swing — lands in Accra. Thirteen bands on the tarmac. A hundred thousand people at the Polo Grounds. A song that left Louisiana generations ago and made it back before he did.

This isn't just a concert. This is Cold War America trying to use Black music as a weapon, a future African president in the crowd, and a grandson of slavery standing on African soil saying, "This is my country too."

From highlife to brass, from Accra to New Orleans — the sound they tried to bury came home.

Sankofa Chronicles: A Black History Podcast. Black People in Music, Episode 2.

Follow the porch. Share with one neighbor.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr and the Noble Peace Prize

I can only laugh and ponder at the 250 years of Amerikkka’s hypocrisy, lies, deceit and the racial dogmas that have now become prevalent and more emboldened in this day and time, mostly because of the political climate and the propagandized media against the Black community.

The 250 years of Amerikkkas Independence isn’t a day of celebration for me or most Black people because we know that this is not a day for us. We Black people were still hunted like prey, sold at auctions and enslaved as property to these forefathers of this country.

The funniest thing to me is the absolute stupidity of the Alabaster people and their lack of knowledge of their own history, especially one and that would be the king fool that started this 250th nonsense in the first place.

The Revolutionary war was fought from 1775–1783 the declaration of independence was submitted for recognition on July 4th of 1776, yet Amerikkka’s independence was not acknowledged until 1783 with the treaty of Paris. So technically this country hasn’t been independent of British rule for 250 years, only 243.

Being born in Richmond Virginia I for one am all too familiar with the history of my ancestors being erased and forgotten. Here my people were slaves as early as the 1600’s and well after that. The Virginia slave codes of 1705 established a racist set of laws, systems and hierarchy that would be followed and adopted for generations to come.

Richmond was also the number one thoroughfare for transportation, and auctioning of slaves, and the capital of the confederacy during this time. Virginia would continue to be the largest slave holding state in the country even after the Revolutionary war ended in 1783.

Virginia was one of the thirteen colonies that relied heavily on slavery because the economy depended on it from tobacco, cotton, and the sale of slaves. She would also become one of the largest contributors to this war from weapons, ammunition and soldiers.

Some black men fought as well because they were offered freedom from both sides.

Yet those racist white men that fought in the revolutionary war to gain independence from British rule were never fighting for Black people’s independence in this country, if that was the case there would have been no such thing as the Emancipation Proclamation, nor the fugitive slave act. These white men fought for their own independence to establish a land of their own to be governed by their own racist laws.

The director of the FBI J Edgar Hoover in his 8/25/67 COINTELPRO memo to the agents who were trained to spy, watch Black nationalist groups in this memo he list goals that are to be achieved through this program and the second one reads “to prevent the rise of a messiah who could unify and electrify the Black nationalist movement. Malcolm X might have been such a messiah he is the Martyr of this movement today. Martin Luther King, Stockely Carmichael and Elijah Muhammad all aspire to this position. Elijah Muhammad is less of a threat because of his age. King could be a a very real contender for this position should he abandon his supposed “obedience” to white liberals doctrines (nonviolence) and embrace Black nationalism. Carmichael has the necessary charisma to be a real threat in this way.”

From Mayor, Governor, and President Black people have all been ignored by those that they vote for and put in positions of power.

Even from the celebrities we Black people are left to fend for ourselves we have no one that is willing to die for something bigger than themselves for standing up for the rights of us all as our ancestors have done and are now being slowly forgotten about.

Other races may have things to celebrate about but the Black community we have a war on our doorstep, we all just witnessed Amerikkka make it plain that even in a stand your ground state BLACK PEOPLE STILL CANT DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM WHITE ATTACKERS!

No, there is absolutely no reason for us to celebrate Independence day when we are still so dependent on this system and the government of this country that continues to allow police to get away with the so-called mistake of taking a Black life.

The hypocrisy of Amerikkka is deafening. Here we have a country built on RACISM, yet have those in government positions acting as if Black people ONLY should forget what has happened in the past and forgive those for what they have done and just move on.

Other races that have been wronged by the government of this country Indians, Japanese, Jewish peoples are not told this, in fact it will be made sure that in schools these histories are taught so that they are never forgotten.

While we Black people have presidents that will make laws that ban teaching the truth about our history in schools and museums so that it would be forgotten. No other race has been under constant attack since they have been here except my people Black people.

Distractions are the new weapons of choice and these Hypocritical made up Hollow-days are just distractions from the bigger picture of this country trying to keep Blacks as the lower caste race in this country.

The truth is this country and the government never wanted us to be totally independent of them because as we have seen in the past what they have done to those Black towns that were independent of them such as the Tulsa massacre.

We have seen what they have done to the Black panthers who were training up Black families to be independent and self reliant.

We remember the MOVE 9 and how they had their own community in Philadelphia and were bombed by the police on live news.

I will never understand the total belief and reliance that some Black people have in the red, white and blue when these same colors that you would die for are allowing the murders and lynchings of Black people on a daily basis in this country, So logically speaking this would be the 250th year of Amerikkkas hypocrisy and its constant denial of racism to one specific group since before and after the start of this racist ass country.

RevolutionaryMinded™️ Publishing
Gabriel Prosser

In East Harlem, at the Abraham Lincoln Houses, you’ll find this sculpture of Abraham Lincoln seated beside a Black child.

Created by sculptor Charles Keck, it was unveiled on February 12, 1949, Lincoln’s birthday. The monument connects Lincoln’s legacy of emancipation with the history and aspirations of Harlem’s Black and working-class community.

At Real’s Tours NYC, we enjoy sharing these lesser-known stories about New York. Had you heard of this sculpture?

The ratification of the 15th Amendment in 1870 gave African Americans nationwide the right to vote for the first time. However, Whites in the South were determined to prevent Blacks from having any political power by any means necessary. In 1868, three hundred Black people were massacred in Opelousas, Louisiana, a pogrom so effective not a single Black person voted in the area for years afterward. Just five years later, 150 Black people were massacred in Colfax, Louisiana, including all of the newly elected Black officials. Despite the murderous oppression, more than a hundred Black Americans were elected to state and federal office in Louisiana. The tide turned in 1875 when Congress restored voting rights to former Confederates, enabling White supremacists to retake control of Louisiana’s government.

In Mississippi, the state’s 1890 constitutional convention proceeded to disenfranchise, isolate, and marginalize the Black population. The convention produced a constitution containing restrictions on education and voting that prevented Blacks from participating in Mississippi’s civil society until the 1960s. Mississippi Governor and US Senator James K. Vardaman said, “Mississippi’s constitutional convention of 1890 was held for no other purpose than to eliminate the nigger from politics.”

After bringing Reconstruction to an end in the South, White political leaders embarked on a period of Redemption, codifying the exclusion and suppression of Black political activity. From the criminalization of vagrancy in the early 20th century to the war on drugs decades later, Black people were relentlessly arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated, which resulted in their removal from the political process. As of 2025, Mississippi and Louisiana are the states with the highest percentage of Black residents, yet neither state has any elected officials in statewide office who are Black. In fact, Mississippi hasn’t elected a Black candidate to statewide office in 135 years, and after the 2026 election, only one US representative from each state will be Black.

Recommended reading: How Jim Crow-Era Laws Suppressed the African American Vote for Generations | HISTORY

Blacks Remain Underrepresented in Mississippi and Louisiana

Has anyone checked out www.aelearning.net it is a new black history website. Its kinda cool.

A reminder that Britain was not the largest slave trading nation; that indigenous slavery was greater and more extensive and that Indian Ocean trade was longer than Transatlantic trade

#Democracy #NorthCarolina #TheSouth #USAfricanAmericans