A house becomes a home when it’s filled with love and security—a place where you can let your guard down, unwind, and connect with your loved ones. Homes are not just the buildings we occupy; a home can be a space or a person that feels safest to us.
The theme of Black History month in 2023 is Black Resistance. Throughout American history, Black Americans have had to actively fight for the freedom, liberty, and justice they deserve as much as any American. They’ve had to fight for the feeling of home in a hostile place—and despite oppression, have consistently organized to create change.
As a company that connects neighbors to make life at home easier, this Black History Month, we’re reflecting on powerful stories of Black Resistance to create safe spaces and how we can all honor Black History Month in our own homes.
Fighting for Home
This year, ASLAH (The Association for the Study of African American Life and History) gave us all a call to action to “study the history of Black Americans’ responses to establish safe spaces, where Black life can be sustained, fortified, and respected.”
Here are three powerful stories of Black Americans fighting to create a home in a turbulent time in United States history following the Civil War.
People’s Grocery Store in Memphis, TN
In 1892, Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell, and William “Henry” Stewart opened the People’s Grocery Store across the street from a white-owned grocery store that previously monopolized their local Black community. This new black-owned business threatened the racial order of the day and took profits away from their competitor’s store.
A series of conflicts between black and white residents soon became full-fledged threats of violence. White men accused People’s Grocery of being a place where Black men were preparing to attack white residents, inciting an attack.
When a white mob attacked the grocery store one night, its owners, Mr. Moss, Mr. McDowell, and Mr. Stewart, held their ground. Three white men were wounded, and the three Black men were arrested.
Then on March 9, 1892, another white mob stormed the jail where they were held and brutally lynched the men without trial. Their story would inspire many other Black Americans to resist mistreatment.
Ida B. Wells: The Black Female Journalist Crusading Against Lynching in the U.S.
Ida B. Wells was a schoolteacher in Memphis when the People’s Grocery Store owners were brutally lynched in her city. She had already devoted her life to activism years before when she, after being forcefully removed from a segregated streetcar. She began writing about her experiences and was published in a Black-owned newspaper.
Then in 1892, she was rocked when these three peers were lynched, and she decided to take her journalism even more seriously. She became the co-owner of a small African American newspaper in Memphis called The Free Speech.
She campaigned to end the horrendous practice of lynching by committing to document it. She also heavily campaigned for Black citizens of Memphis to move west. Her continual resistance made her a target; her office was attacked and burned, but she didn’t stop her campaigns and became one of the most influential Black journalists of her time.
Benjamin “Pap” Singleton: Leading the Exodus West
Ida B. Wells wasn’t the only Black leader in Tennesee campaigning for her community to head west.
Nashville-born Benjamin “Pap” Singleton escaped to Canada after 37 years of bondage and three previous failed attempts, but he didn’t last there long. A year later, he returned to the United States to help enslaved people by running a secret boardinghouse in Detroit during the Civil War.
Then, immediately after the Civil War ended, he returned to Tennessee to encourage and personally lead freed blacks to the midwest. He brought thousands to Kansas, many to a Topeka section known as Tennessee Town. From 1879 to 1880, hundreds of black emigrants arrived in Kansas every day. To help provide for them, Singleton aided the Kansas Freedman’s Relief Association by raising money for their support.
Honoring Black History Month at Home
At the time of writing, seven states have banned the teaching of history like this—making it more critical than ever to keep Black stories alive.
Committing to learning the Black history of the United States is a simple but powerful way to honor this month. Build a reading list, listen to the 1619 podcast, and learn about influential Black figures from the past.
You can also support black-owned businesses and charities in your community. Hire Black Taskers, donate to charities that support anti-racism and equality, like The Black Youth Project, and participate in virtual Black History Month online events.
