A profile on Gloria, a 22-year-old single mother who decided to occupy an abandoned home in Southwest Philly. Here, she discusses her story, process, and reasoning:
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (1983). A summer block party on Madison Ave btwn Tompkins Ave & Throop Ave. Photographed by Robert Madden of National Geographic.
Philadelphia (1984). In the 1980s, Philly was home to about 40k abandoned houses, and thousands of ppl in need of housing. As a response, Philadelphians made an organized effort to solve the housing problem by squatting. *THREAD*
Prince George's County, Maryland (1940). A man enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps paves a road in Beltsville. The CCC was a gov't agency that employed men btwn 18-25 to work on America's public lands, forests, and parks.
United States of Attica by Faith Ringgold (1972), a map detailing many Indigenous, slave, and immigrant uprisings in each state since the 1700s and dedicated to the men who died during the 1971 Attica prison riots in upstate NY.
Washington, DC (1920s). A photo of the Howard Players of Howard University, the oldest Black student acting group in America. Photographed by Addison Scurlock.
Hampton, Virginia (1935). Young children learn math from a student teacher at the Whittier School, the practice teaching ground at Hampton U. Many HBCUs started out as "normal" (teaching) schools, designed to increase education/literacy after slavery thru Black educators.
Washington, DC (1995). Rosa Lee Cunningham, a mother of 8, explains why she never learned how to read. Her situation is the story of illiteracy in many Black communities throughout the 20th century. She died of AIDS later that year. Please read her story:
City Councilman (and future mayor) John Street discusses the cyclical problem of abandoned housing in Philly. The clip goes on to explain the government's failure in addressing this problem.
Howard University, Washington DC (2001). Fans scream as DMX performs at the college's annual Yardfest, during Homecoming weekend. Photographed by Marvin Joseph.
Chicago, Illinois (1969). A member of the Black Panther Party peeks through a door that was riddled with bullets by police during a predawn raid the week before.
Howard University, Washington DC (2009). Howard alum and DC native Taraji P. Henson makes her way down Georgia Ave with Ludacris during the Howard Homecoming Parade. Photographed by Mark Gail.
Washington, DC (1946). Freshmen students Rose Esters, a History major from Atlantic City, NJ, and Sarah White, a premed student from Baltimore, MD pose together in Truth Hall dormitory at Howard University. Photographed by Alfred Eisenstadt.
Baltimore, Maryland (1942). Sergeant Franklin Williams and his girlfriend Ellen Hardin split a soda while he is home on leave. About 1.2 million Black Americans served in World War II.
Baltimore, Maryland (circa 1890). The Baltimore Blues Baseball Club, a Black pro baseball team who played against both Black and white teams. Photographed by Mark Rucker.
Southeast DC (2018). Children work and play at the Barry Farm Dwellings, a public housing development that was demolished in 2019. Photographed by Joy Sharon Yi.
Baltimore Maryland (1932). Students at Frederick Douglass High School, the second oldest high school for Black people in America, formerly on Calhoun & Baker Sts.
A 25-year-old Muhammad Ali appears on PBS to discuss his 5-year prison sentencing and boxing ban for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War. He explains why his high- profile refusal is necessary for the progression of his race (1968).
Washington, DC (1937). William Andrew Johnson, formerly enslaved by President Andrew Johnson, poses in front of the Capitol. Photographed by Harris & Ewing.
Harlem, Manhattan (1935). Boxer Joe Louis, 21, w his new wife, stenographer Marva Trotter, 19, strolling through the neighborhood. The night before, he married Marva in an Edgecombe Avenue apartment, and won a fight against Max Baer at Yankee Stadium.
Washington, DC (1914). Students at the National Training School for Women and Girls at 601 50th St NE, the first vocational school for Black women in the country.
Hot Springs, Virginia (1920s). A group of young gold caddies at the Homestead Resort. Black caddies have been an important part of the game of golf since the late 1800s.
Baltimore, Maryland (1994). Members of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on E Oliver St, which is said to be the first exclusively Black Catholic parish in America.