A past to be proud of

A past to be proud of Web sites honor accomplishments of black Americans February 1, 1998 BY DEBORAH SOLOMON
Free Press Business Writer f ever a case needs to be made for the Internet's relevance as a learning tool, Black History Month would be the perfect test subject.

Dozens of Web sites rich with historical texts, photographs and chronologies can be found on the Internet, along with trivia and tidbits about black Americans.

One of the best sites for information about what makes Black History Month important is World Book's African American Journey site at www.worldbook.com/features/blackhistory/index.html. In addition to links to other sites, the World Book offers a comprehensive look at the history of black Americans and their struggles for freedom.

The journey begins in Africa and traces the history of black Americans from the slave trade on. It provides great information on the antislavery movement in the 1800s, the lives of blacks from Reconstruction to World War II and the civil rights movement.

It also contains a brief history of Black History Month, a celebration that began as Negro History Week in 1926 to honor the accomplishments of black Americans. It transformed into Black History Month in 1976 and is timed to coincide with the birthdays of antislavery crusader Frederick Douglass (born in February 1817) and President Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809).

For an explanation of why Douglass is such an important figure in black history, point your browser to the Life and Philosophy of Frederick Douglass Web site at www.history.rochester.edu/class/DOUGLASS/home.html. Here you'll find detailed information about Douglass' life and his writings, which include his famous autobiography and snippets from his antislavery paper, North Star.

One of the best sites for all sorts of information is the African American History site at www.afroam.org/index.html. Here you'll find a smattering of information on everything from the Tuskegee Airmen to Jackie Robinson to the Black Panther Party.

Included on the site is a fascinating tour of advertising aimed at black women during the 1920s and 1930s. At that time, according to the site, "Black America was on a binge to undo its blackness by concentrating on making itself as white as it could be." The site features ads for everything from skin lighteners to hair relaxants and discusses why black women felt the need to shed their "blackness."

Also included is a compilation of articles written by black correspondents during World War II. "This is Our War" features writing from authors who followed black American troops during the war.

For information about a pivotal person in the history of black America, head for the Rosa Parks page at www.grandtimes.com/rosa.html. Here you'll find a complete biography of the woman who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus and began a backlash against racism that brought much-needed change to the southern United States.

Of course, no virtual tour of black history would be complete without information about Martin Luther King Jr. Point your browser to the Stanford University site devoted to King's speeches, writings, letters and other personal papers at www-leland.stanford.edu/group/King.

For more information on King, head to Atlanta's King Center, www.thekingcenter.com. It offers a timeline of King's life, where his journeys took him and how he effected change.

Most of the sites also offer links to other black history sites, including one designed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The NAACP site, www.naacp.org./bhm.htm is an especially good site for children who may not know a lot about black history but who are interested in learning more.

Staff writer Deborah Solomon can be reached at 1-313-222-5173 or through E-mail at dsolomon@det-freepress.com