Lester Craven
@goodtrouble64.bsky.social
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 🇹🇿
In 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that segregated education was unconstitutional and 15 years later emphatically affirmed its decision, then just 5 years later it said remedying the problem isn’t allowed. #BlackSky #bhm #millikenvbradley lestercraven.substack.com/p/brown-v-bo...
Brown v. Board Changed Everything and Nothing
Twenty years after Brown v. Board, the Supreme Court made the practical implementation of school desegregation impossible.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 7:08 AM
In 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that segregated education was unconstitutional and 15 years later emphatically affirmed its decision, then just 5 years later it said remedying the problem isn’t allowed. #BlackSky #bhm #millikenvbradley lestercraven.substack.com/p/brown-v-bo...
Gloria Richardson was captured in an iconic photo that perfectly conveyed her courage and uncompromising commitment to obtaining equality for Black Americans. #bhm #gloriarichardson lestercraven.substack.com/p/gloria-ric...
Gloria Richardson’s Uncompromising Fight for Equality
The civil rights leader was a fierce fighter for equal citizenship for Black Americans.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 17, 2026 at 7:04 AM
Gloria Richardson was captured in an iconic photo that perfectly conveyed her courage and uncompromising commitment to obtaining equality for Black Americans. #bhm #gloriarichardson lestercraven.substack.com/p/gloria-ric...
When Jefferson wrote that all men should be free, everyone knew that not everyone could be free. What was at stake was who would get to decide. #BlackSky #bhm #declarationofindependence lestercraven.substack.com/p/the-right-...
The Right to Decide Who Should Be Free
The enslavement of Blacks was so horrific that it motivated the colonists to fight to ensure that they wouldn’t be slaves to the King of England.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 7:05 AM
When Jefferson wrote that all men should be free, everyone knew that not everyone could be free. What was at stake was who would get to decide. #BlackSky #bhm #declarationofindependence lestercraven.substack.com/p/the-right-...
Despite being denied frontline assignments under Jim Crow, Black soldiers proved their worth through their achievements in the work they were given. #BlackSky #bhm #buffalosoldier lestercraven.substack.com/p/black-sold...
Black Soldiers Prove Their Value Building Alaska Highway
The road to civil rights for Black soldiers began in Alaska.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 15, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Despite being denied frontline assignments under Jim Crow, Black soldiers proved their worth through their achievements in the work they were given. #BlackSky #bhm #buffalosoldier lestercraven.substack.com/p/black-sold...
Hollywood made sure that every one of us knows about Doris Miller even if we don't know his name. #BlackSky #bhm #dorismiller lestercraven.substack.com/p/americas-f...
America’s First WWII Hero Was a Black Sailor
Doris Miller, a mess attendant, performed far above the call of duty during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 14, 2026 at 7:06 AM
Hollywood made sure that every one of us knows about Doris Miller even if we don't know his name. #BlackSky #bhm #dorismiller lestercraven.substack.com/p/americas-f...
In its first 134 years of existence, fewer than 0.04% of West Point graduates were Black, but that was too many for key supporters of the institution. #BlackSky #bhm #invisiblegenerals lestercraven.substack.com/p/black-cade...
Black Cadets at West Point Elicit Racial Backlash
Benjamin O. Davis Jr.’s graduation from West Point in 1936 sparked a decades-long racial backlash.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:05 AM
In its first 134 years of existence, fewer than 0.04% of West Point graduates were Black, but that was too many for key supporters of the institution. #BlackSky #bhm #invisiblegenerals lestercraven.substack.com/p/black-cade...
A.G. Gaston was famous for making money but less famous for how he used that money to improve people’s lives. #BlackSky #bhm #aggaston lestercraven.substack.com/p/self-made-...
Self-Made Millionaire Funded Civil Rights Movement
Alabama’s first Black millionaire, A.G. Gaston used his financial success to promote equality and create opportunities for people who had previously been excluded.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:07 AM
A.G. Gaston was famous for making money but less famous for how he used that money to improve people’s lives. #BlackSky #bhm #aggaston lestercraven.substack.com/p/self-made-...
Black Americans have repeatedly overcome enormous obstacles to build vibrant economies, only to have them destroyed by the government. Yet, many people today ignorantly ask, “Why can’t Black people succeed in business?” #BlackSky #bhm #hayti lestercraven.substack.com/p/us-governm...
US Government Destroyed Flourishing Black North Carolina Community
African Americans have built numerous vibrant economies across America that have been destroyed by the federal government.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Black Americans have repeatedly overcome enormous obstacles to build vibrant economies, only to have them destroyed by the government. Yet, many people today ignorantly ask, “Why can’t Black people succeed in business?” #BlackSky #bhm #hayti lestercraven.substack.com/p/us-governm...
Ah, the n-word. It’s unspeakable, but the idea behind it sure isn’t. How one word used to describe Black people became the most unspeakable word in English and was replaced with something else. #BlackSky #bhm #ojsimpson lestercraven.substack.com/p/the-histor...
The History of the N-Word
How one word used to describe Black people became the most unspeakable word in English and was replaced with something else.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:10 AM
Ah, the n-word. It’s unspeakable, but the idea behind it sure isn’t. How one word used to describe Black people became the most unspeakable word in English and was replaced with something else. #BlackSky #bhm #ojsimpson lestercraven.substack.com/p/the-histor...
After looting the colonies, the plunderers gave the keys back to the locals but kept the money. #BlackSky #bhm #neocolonialism lestercraven.substack.com/p/independen...
Independence Without Capital Birthed Neocolonialism
When Uganda and Tanzania obtained independence, the people lacked the capital to run the economies they inherited.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:53 AM
After looting the colonies, the plunderers gave the keys back to the locals but kept the money. #BlackSky #bhm #neocolonialism lestercraven.substack.com/p/independen...
Spain responded to its genocide of the Taíno people by importing tens of thousands of Africans to Puerto Rico. #BlackSky #bhm #puertorico lestercraven.substack.com/p/spains-sla...
Spain’s Slave Trade Transformed Puerto Rico’s Population
Spain brought so many enslaved Africans to Puerto Rico they became the island’s majority population after the near extinction of the native Taíno.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 8, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Spain responded to its genocide of the Taíno people by importing tens of thousands of Africans to Puerto Rico. #BlackSky #bhm #puertorico lestercraven.substack.com/p/spains-sla...
City planners in Pasadena had a less expensive freeway construction option and still chose the more expensive one that also destroyed more Black-owned houses and businesses. #BlackSky #bhm #pasadena lestercraven.substack.com/p/i-210-drov...
I-210 Drove Blacks Out of Pasadena, California
Pasadena freeway construction planners chose a route that was more expensive than the alternative and that permanently displaced more of the Black population.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 7:22 AM
City planners in Pasadena had a less expensive freeway construction option and still chose the more expensive one that also destroyed more Black-owned houses and businesses. #BlackSky #bhm #pasadena lestercraven.substack.com/p/i-210-drov...
Colonists used their capital as the fuel for developing economic engines in their colonies, then gave the colonies their independence and took away the fuel. #BlackSky #bhm #neocolonialism lestercraven.substack.com/p/colonialis...
Colonialism Is Dead! Long Live Colonialism!
After nearly six centuries of violent colonialism, a new era of economic extraction began that employed more civilized methods.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 7:05 AM
Colonists used their capital as the fuel for developing economic engines in their colonies, then gave the colonies their independence and took away the fuel. #BlackSky #bhm #neocolonialism lestercraven.substack.com/p/colonialis...
The justification for the 911 emergency telephone system wasn’t public safety but control of people to “maintain order.” #BlackSky #bhm #911 lestercraven.substack.com/p/911-was-in...
911 Was Invented in Response to Racial Unrest
The political motivation for developing a single emergency response phone number was fueled by the desire to control the behavior of Black people.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:10 AM
The justification for the 911 emergency telephone system wasn’t public safety but control of people to “maintain order.” #BlackSky #bhm #911 lestercraven.substack.com/p/911-was-in...
In 1967, a group of dedicated, hardworking young Black men developed a new branch of mobile emergency services that has since saved countless lives in the US and around the world. #BlackSky #bhm #freedomhouse lestercraven.substack.com/p/black-trai...
Black Trailblazers Became the First Paramedics
The world’s first system for providing medical services at the scene of an emergency was developed by a courageous group of young Black men in Pittsburgh.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:12 AM
In 1967, a group of dedicated, hardworking young Black men developed a new branch of mobile emergency services that has since saved countless lives in the US and around the world. #BlackSky #bhm #freedomhouse lestercraven.substack.com/p/black-trai...
A named tragedy cost Black Tulsans their lives in 1921; fifty years later, an unnamed tragedy cost them their land. #BlackSky #bhm #tulsamassacre lestercraven.substack.com/p/tulsas-mas...
Tulsa’s Massacre Wasn’t Its Only Racial Catastrophe
Whites who had been trying to take Greenwood from its Black owners were only temporarily held back by the Tulsa Massacre.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:10 AM
A named tragedy cost Black Tulsans their lives in 1921; fifty years later, an unnamed tragedy cost them their land. #BlackSky #bhm #tulsamassacre lestercraven.substack.com/p/tulsas-mas...
George Washington Carver is famous for his peanut products but it’s his spirit of innovation that continues to inspire people to do great things. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/carvers-pe...
Carver’s Peanut Passion is Saving Lives Today
George Washington Carver’s spirit of innovation inspired researchers to develop a peanut-based product that has saved the lives of millions of children.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:14 AM
George Washington Carver is famous for his peanut products but it’s his spirit of innovation that continues to inspire people to do great things. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/carvers-pe...
We all can learn from anyone’s history from anywhere because we’re all part of the same shared story. #BlackSky #bhm #america250 lestercraven.substack.com/p/how-will-y...
How Will You Be Remembered?
Learning from the past is a cheat code for living in the present and influencing the future.
lestercraven.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 7:29 AM
We all can learn from anyone’s history from anywhere because we’re all part of the same shared story. #BlackSky #bhm #america250 lestercraven.substack.com/p/how-will-y...
Given an opportunity that lasted just one week in 1968, Harry Belafonte broke ground in late-night television that still produces results today. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/how-harry-...
How Harry Belafonte Redefined Late Night Television
When the highly respected entertainer was given the unprecedented opportunity to host a late-night talk show, his impact in just one week influenced the industry in ways felt today.
lestercraven.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:27 AM
Given an opportunity that lasted just one week in 1968, Harry Belafonte broke ground in late-night television that still produces results today. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/how-harry-...
The story of the 1874 election day massacre in Eufaula, Alabama, has been intentionally hidden and remains untaught in Alabama schools today. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/forgotten-...
Forgotten Violent Black Voter Suppression in Alabama
On election day in 1874, a mob of White men attacked and killed Black voters, suppressing Black voting in Barbour County for generations.
lestercraven.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 7:52 AM
The story of the 1874 election day massacre in Eufaula, Alabama, has been intentionally hidden and remains untaught in Alabama schools today. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/forgotten-...
Known as the Harlem of the South, The Scrub was the home of Tampa's Black community until freeway construction obliterated it. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/freeway-co...
Freeway Construction Destroys Black Community in Tampa
The Scrub was the heart of the Black community in Tampa, Florida until it was paved over by freeways.
lestercraven.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:39 AM
Known as the Harlem of the South, The Scrub was the home of Tampa's Black community until freeway construction obliterated it. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/freeway-co...
White leaders in Birmingham, Alabama thought it was better for their citizens to have no public facilities than to have to share them with Black people. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/birmingham...
Birmingham Closed Parks and Pools to Prevent Integration
After a federal court ruled that racially segregated public facilities were unconstitutional, the city closed them to everyone.
lestercraven.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 7:15 AM
White leaders in Birmingham, Alabama thought it was better for their citizens to have no public facilities than to have to share them with Black people. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/birmingham...
Activists in 2020 revealed the long-hidden history of the murder of a small town’s first Black commissioner and constable. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/town-commi...
Town Commissioner Lynched for Being Black
Becoming the first Black town commissioner of Graham, North Carolina, got Wyatt Outlaw lynched.
lestercraven.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 7:06 AM
Activists in 2020 revealed the long-hidden history of the murder of a small town’s first Black commissioner and constable. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/town-commi...
To keep a negative portrayal of Atlanta from spreading, city leaders ordered the removal of information about a massacre of Black Americans by a mob of White men. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/atlanta-ma...
Atlanta Massacre History Hidden for a Century
White politicians rewrote Atlanta‘s history to keep the world from knowing Black people were massacred there in 1906.
lestercraven.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:26 AM
To keep a negative portrayal of Atlanta from spreading, city leaders ordered the removal of information about a massacre of Black Americans by a mob of White men. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/atlanta-ma...
The economic and political success of African Americans in North Carolina triggered a viciously violent backlash from Whites, the effects of which would last decades. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/the-only-s...
The Only Successful Coup in US History
The 1898 coup in Wilmington, North Carolina, contributed to keeping Blacks out of politics in the state for nearly a century.
lestercraven.substack.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:56 AM
The economic and political success of African Americans in North Carolina triggered a viciously violent backlash from Whites, the effects of which would last decades. #BlackSky lestercraven.substack.com/p/the-only-s...