Making History Blog
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Tools of Oppression: Cotton Cards
Mary Ann Carlton (1839-1921), a former slave, used cotton cards to contribute to the sharecropping of her family. In the late 18th century, American citizens knew that the road to…
Camp James Weldon Johnson
Page from a Camp Johnson pamphlet, 1953. Camp Johnson Records, 1939-1995, MSS 229, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center. In the early 20th century, “fresh air” camps began sprouting…
The 50th Anniversary of Josh Gibson’s Hall of Fame Induction, 1972-2022
A plaque in the National Baseball Hall of Fame credits the greatest slugger in Negro Leagues history, Josh Gibson, with “almost 800 home runs.” August 7, 2022, marks the 50th…
Remembering Billy Strayhorn
Billy Strayhorn, Westinghouse High School yearbook, 1934. Pittsburgh’s Jazz legacy includes some of the greatest musicians, composers, arrangers, and singers in the history of the music. One of the greatest…
Mildred Martin Allen and the Hill District’s Satellites Softball Team
Daughter Beatrice (Allen) Harper donated her mother’s collection of softball and volleyball artifacts, including a striking 1970 “Satelities” uniform displayed in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. Photo by Liz Simpson.…