Skip to main content
Person on Laptop - Hero Styled Find Resources

History Explained

Black history is American history, but far too often the contributions of Black Americans have been neglected and ignored. The long march to freedom and equality begins with knowing our people's origins, struggles, and achievements.

Lift Every Voice and Sing

"Lift Every Voice and Sing," often called "The Black National Anthem," was written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson.

History of Our Anthem

We have a wonderful history behind us… and it is going to inspire us to greater achievements.

- Carter G. Woodson, American historian and scholar known as the father of Black history
NAACP Office Harlem

The History of Lynching in America

White Americans used lynchings to terrorize and control Black people in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Learn more about the history of this brutal practice and how NAACP worked to end lynching.

Police in riot gear - protestor in foreground - wearing face mask

The Origins of Modern Day Policing

America's modern-day police mentality can be traced back to "slave patrols" created in the early 1700s to terrorize slave uprisings. Learn more about the racist roots of policing and why NAACP advocates for a smarter criminal justice system.

Purple Together

Support the movement

Donate to NAACP today to help power the fight against structural racism and inequality.

Donate now

Join the fight

You are critical to the hard, complex work of ending racial inequality.

Become a member

Give Monthly To Keep Advancing

You can become a Champion for Change and receive a t-shirt with your monthly gift of $19 a month or more right now.

Make a Difference - Donate