Black Studies and History Key Concepts

Garveyism

Ideology emphasizing pride, empowerment, and economic prosperity for Black communities.

Black Power

Movement emphasizing building Black-serving institutions and leaders, coined by Stokely Carmichael.

Black Nationalism

Ideology emphasizing pride in being Black, economic self-sufficiency, and Black separatism.

Panafricanism

Foundation for Black identity, uniting people of African heritage and global diaspora.

Civil Rights Movement

Movement led by African Americans (1940s-1970s) advocating for legal equality and rights.

De Jure Racial Discrimination

Legally sanctioned discrimination supported by existing laws and political systems.

Double Consciousness

Seeing oneself through a racist society's lens alongside authentic self-perception.

Transatlantic Triangular Trade

European economic system exploiting West Africa and the Americas for industrial wealth.

Chattel Slavery

Slavery system where children of enslaved people are automatically born as slaves.

Three-Fifths Compromise

1787 decision counting enslaved people as 3/5ths of a person for representation.

Underground Railroad

Network of activists providing safe routes and hiding places for self-emancipated people.

1619 Project

NYT project investigating the 400th anniversary and legacy of slavery in America.

Freedmen's Bureau

Federal agency established after the Civil War to support newly freed Black communities.

Black Codes

Laws restricting Black people's freedom to own property, do business, and move.

Jim Crow Era

Period of legally enforced racial segregation under the doctrine of "separate but equal."

Black Wall Street

Thriving Black-owned district in Tulsa destroyed during a 1921 white supremacist massacre.

New Jim Crow

Book showing continuity between slavery, Jim Crow segregation, and modern mass incarceration.

Disproportionality

How representation of a group differs greatly compared to other groups.

Affirmative Action

Practices designed to eliminate historical discrimination and improve representation for underrepresented groups.

Controlling Images of Black Women

Stereotypes (like Mammy, Matriarch, Welfare Queen) used to subordinate Black women.

Black Lives Matter

Global movement advocating against police brutality and systemic violence targeting Black people.

Black Feminism

Tradition of Black women using diverse strategies to end violence and exploitation.

Combahee River Collective

Black feminist group addressing interlocking systems of sexism, heterosexism, and racism.