A Cultural Heritage

Study the Cultural Heritage of African American History

Use these 4 online educational video titles to survey the cultural contributions of black Americans from the turn of the century to the present day. Discover how jazz, first given a voice by leading African American musicians and singers, gained the worldwide popularity it still enjoys today. Explore the world of black literature and enjoy a special look at the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain a greater appreciation for the cultural contributions of African Americans.
• Trace the development of jazz, an American music that has its roots in Africa, and identify African American musicians and vocalists, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzie Gillespie, Billie Holiday, and Scott Joplin.
• Survey the works of African American writers, from the eighteenth-century poetry of Phillis Wheatley to the abolitionist speeches of Frederick Douglass to the literary voices of the Harlem Renaissance and the racial themes of contemporary authors.
• Discover the paintings and sculptures created by African American artists, including Selma Burke, Meta Warrick Fuller, Jacob Lawrence, and Henry O. Tanner, and identify the innovative photographic techniques developed by James Van Der Zee 

• History > African American History > A Cultural Heritage
• Jazz Dawns in America (Runtime: 12:02)
• Jazz Sounds in America (Runtime: 16:59)
• A Literary Renaissance (Runtime: 19:03)
• A Vision of Beauty (Runtime: 19:18)