Where Should I Start Learning Black History?

Start with sources and timelines before arguments. A reader should know the broad shape of the story, then return to the debates with better judgment.

First Path

1. Read a short timeline of African American history.
2. Study one primary source from slavery, one from Reconstruction, one from the Black church, and one from the civil rights era.
3. Learn the names of local institutions: churches, schools, newspapers, mutual aid societies, and civic organizations.
4. Keep a notebook of people, dates, questions, and sources.