The Colored Conventions Project - 19th Century Black Organizing

The Colored Conventions Project is an exciting online archive that brings to life the formal gatherings of black folks committed to equal rights and uplift from the antebellum era through post-Reconstruction America. In addition, a number of digital exhibits provide context and content regarding these conventions, which were designed to mobilize the African American community and its white allies to end slavery and pursue full civil rights. 

I cannot say enough about this exceptional archive, except to note that it is sorely needed and critically necessary now, as a full understanding of American history, popularly known as "critical race theory," is under currently under attack by white supremacists and their enablers.

Henry Highland Garnet's "An Address to the Slaves of the United States of America," delivered at the National Negro Convention of 1843, is one of the most important texts that I teach, so I am gratified to see that it comprises one of the online exhibits--it is well worth reading, and illustrates a clear line of radical black politics that stretches from the antebellum era to the current day. Pay attention to Garnet's brilliant use of impassioned rhetoric--the language soars. A brand new book, The Colored Conventions Movement: Black Organizing in the Nineteenth Century (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture) is now available as well from UNC Press.

Click here for the site: https://coloredconventions.org/  

The outstanding online exhibits can be accessed here: https://coloredconventions.org/exhibits/

Below is an overview of the project from the site: 

About the Colored Conventions Project

The Colored Conventions Project (CCP) is an interdisciplinary research hub that uses digital tools to bring the buried history of nineteenth-century Black organizing to life. Mirroring the collective nature of the nineteenth-century Colored Conventions, CCP uses inclusive partnerships to locate, transcribe, and archive the documentary record related to this nearly forgotten history and to curate engaging digital exhibits that highlight its significant events and themes.