
Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2019)
Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2020)

Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2019)
Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2020)

Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2016)

Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2015)

Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2016)

Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2015)

Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2016)

Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2015)

Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2016)
Photo courtesy of Charles H.F. Davis III (2016)
Resources
Benjamin Fletcher was a revolutionary Black worker, public orator, and militant labor organizer with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). In April 1890, he was born to African American parents who migrated to Philadelphia, PA, from post-Reconstruction era Virginia.
Gladys Bentley was a blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. Bentley’s recording career lasted over 20 years. Born in Philadelphia, PA in 1907, Bentley ran away to New York City at age 16.
Labor Day is much more than just a day to mark the “end of summer” with family gatherings and blockbuster sales. It’s supposed to be a time to commemorate the important contributions of workers to U.S. history. This is especially true when thinking about the role of Black labor in the long Black liberation struggle.
First recognized as an official holiday by the state of Texas in 1979, the commemoration of General Gordon Grainger’s arrival in Galveston to enforce the emancipation of enslaved peoples has recently gained greater national attention. But what does Juneteenth teach us about today’s ongoing struggle for freedom and liberation?
Projects
News
Following their collaboration for Black History Month, BLM Grassroots and the Scholars for Black Lives are renewing their partnership on a new political education project that will present critical insights and timely analyses from the S4BL network of community and campus scholars. The first installment in the series will focus on ongoing importance and political significance of Juneteenth.
The National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation has awarded Charles H.F. Davis III, Founder and Director of Scholars for Black Lives, a postdoctoral fellowship for his project entitled #PoliceFreeCampus: A Digital Ethnography of Black Campus-community Resistance, New Media Organizing, and Abolitionist Praxis for a Police-free Future. The NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is highly competitive and supports 25 early-career scholars working in critical areas of education research.
In a new partnership to advance political education during the month of February, Scholars for Black Lives and Black Lives Matter Grassroots have joined to create the #BlackHistoryMatters digital media campaign. The campaign brings together more than a dozen university and community scholars to discuss the political significance of the recognized and forgotten people, place, and events in Black diasporic history.
The Scholars for Black Lives is providing communications support and working in partnership with the Scholar Strike for Racial Justice. #ScholarStrike is an action inspired by the NBA, WNBA, Colin Kaepernick and other athletes, to underscore the urgent importance of addressing racism and injustice in the United States