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Introduction

Activists of the modern Civil Rights Movement inherited a revolution that began over 300 years earlier. While the players and the work that they did varied, the issues were, as previously, ones of equality, freedom, and justice. This struggle in America is never-ending. We acknowledge the overlap in this pursuit among different racial and ethnic groups. In one way or another, the struggle touches the lives of all people in America—black, white, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, and others of various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Notwithstanding the civil rights interests of these groups, we concentrate on the group that has been the one of the most tormented—African Americans.

Since 1619, when African Americans were first brought to this country, the public perception of their struggle toward equality, freedom, and justice has been one of ebb and flow. It has been characterized by a range of activities, from quiet disobedience to public agitation, and from organized direction that sometimes gained public support to public opposition and violent reaction. For three and a half centuries, African Americans have had a colorful and eventful past. We note the current surging interest on civil rights issues; thus, we chronicle here the struggle of African Americans and those who have supported their efforts in a convenient and timely work called Freedom Facts and Firsts: 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience. The earliest entry given is for African Americans at Jamestown in 1619. The most recent focuses on 2008, when Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois became the first African American to become president of the United States.

Purpose

A trade source geared toward students, educators, organizations, and the general public, Freedom Facts and Firsts chronicles the struggle for freedom of African Americans, beginning with the earliest documented date to the present time. As the title suggests, many of the entries include contributions of those who fought for freedom, whether as abolitionists, activists, educators, preachers, politicians, organizers, or as demonstrators in the modern Civil Rights Movement. Since the abolishment of slavery did not bring full freedom to African Americans, we searched for the varied ways in which our forebears have worked to bring about the changes that we do see—whether perfect or flawed—in voting rights, housing, education, public accommodations, economic opportunity, and other areas affecting the quality of life for African Americans.

This encyclopedic work aims to increase the wealth of information on African Americans and their struggle for civil rights already published; it builds on such works by bringing together in one convenient volume topics and issues that may appear in different works. It profiles civil rights icons whose work we reintroduce. It also includes obscure figures, many of whom were only recently acknowledged for their work. When those of the latter group made their contributions, the effort might have seemed slight, but as we reexamine the movement toward freedom, we must acknowledge that acts of various magnitudes and scope were all aimed to change America for the better.

Scope

The scope of this work embraces slave uprisings, the work of anti-slavery societies, the familiar civil rights events of the 1950s and 1960s, and the nation’s efforts to promote racial understanding and tolerance. We include the continuing struggles of churches, educational institutions, organizations, and local governments to ensure the civil rights of African Americans. There are entries on sports figures, education leaders, literary figures, the arts, organizations, movements, ideologies and strategies (e.g., Black Power Movement, Black Arts/Black Aesthetic Movement, nonviolent resistance/civil disobedience). These are described and focus on the significance of the cause, citing individuals associated with the cause. Areas that until now have received too little recognition, such as the work of women in the various civil rights movements, are developed here as well. Ella Josephine Baker, who helped to organize student leaders in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, said that “The movement of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s was carried largely by women” for it was church-centered and “sort of second nature to women to play a supportive role.” As we “name names,” we include that of Margie Jumper, who “took a stand by sitting down” on a streetcar in Roanoke, Virginia, 10 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Not intended as a biographical work, Freedom Facts and Firsts gives only brief biographical sketches of popular as well as little-known figures who had their mind on freedom, along with historical items, speeches, and works that document civil rights activities in America.

Arrangement

Freedom Facts and Firsts is an encyclopedia work arranged under nine chapter headings, covering various aspects of the struggle for human justice. Cross-references are used but, in some cases, solely to guide the reader from one form of an entrant’s name to the name popularly used.

The names of those profiled elsewhere in the various entries and chapters in this work are bold-faced, but within these entries are also mentioned people who might not otherwise have an entry; their names will appear within the index. In addition to people, the events and other items that have entries are also boldfaced when they appear in other entries. A bibliography at the end of the book provides readers with other useful sources for further research.

Uses

Freedom Facts and Firsts may be used as a quick ready-reference and a brief introduction to the history of African American freedom movements. Though primarily written in a popular style, it will engage a wide audience, ranging from school children to research scholars. Students may use it to determine term paper topics, and then search elsewhere for additional information to enrich and expand the specific topic. For example, the entry “Bridging the Racial Divide” may be expanded to determine how the divide is bridged in a wide context or extended to include other ethnic groups. Similarly, students may explore efforts of various abolition societies for commonalities of effort, or they may use some of the issues given to establish themes for debates. They may compare the various civil rights laws that have been enacted and then determine whether or how these laws have effected change. They may identify the various race riots in America and become curious to know their wide geographical locations and the range in dates of occurrence. The uses of the information discussed or compiled in this volume are legion. Public, school, college libraries, and collectors of freedom and civil rights information will add Freedom Facts and Firsts to their resources both because of its quick reference and documentary value and because it gives important facts never before published or that have remained obscure. This work helps to bring the contentious struggle for human justice in America to full circle.

Jessie Carney Smith

Fisk University

and

Linda T. Wynn

Tennessee Historical Commission and

Fisk University