Module 01
Africa's earliest human histories
Archaeology, evidence, societies and the diversity of Africa; no single simplistic origin story.
Course lesson in development
Black History · Chronological Course
A Journey Through Time
A connected historical course exploring African societies, the African diaspora, the Americas, liberation struggles, achievements and the modern world.
Course Roadmap · In Development
Understand the Bigger Story
Unlike the Hall of Legends, which lets you freely explore individuals, the course will guide learners through historical developments in sequence, using maps, primary sources, interpretations, and short assessments. The outline is available now; individual course units are still being researched and built.
Explore Available LessonsThe course journey
Module 02
Ancient African civilizations
Nile Valley, Kush, Aksum and other documented histories in their regional contexts.
Course lesson in development
Module 03
Kingdoms, trade and intellectual life
Western, Eastern, Central and Southern African societies; commerce, belief, scholarship and political change.
Course lesson in development
Module 04
The Atlantic world and forced migration
European expansion, African political contexts, enslavement, resistance and the Caribbean and Americas.
Course lesson in development
Module 05
Abolition, emancipation and freedom
Organized resistance, freedom struggles, abolitionist work and the American Civil War.
Course lesson in development
Module 06
Reconstruction, colonialism and institutions
Citizenship, education, African resistance to imperialism, state-building and political mobilization.
Course lesson in development
Module 07
Migration, culture and transformation
Jim Crow, the Great Migration, Harlem Renaissance, journalism, innovation and global artistic exchange.
Course lesson in development
Module 08
Civil rights, decolonization and independence
Mass movements, African independence, liberation struggles and changing legal rights.
Course lesson in development
Module 09
Black history in the contemporary world
Science, culture, scholarship, politics, global connections and historical memory.
Course lesson in development
Learn while the course is developed
Two related historical lessons are already available: The Great Migration and The Harlem Renaissance. They are independent lessons—not a completed chronological course.
Historical research foundation
Curriculum development will prioritize African and African American historians and primary sources, including UNESCO's General History of Africa and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.