No Mail, Low Morale: The 6888th Central Postal Battalion

“No mail, low morale,” or so the motto goes. Even before the founding of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion, the mail was piling up for the soldiers serving during World War II. The ever changing locations, duty stations, and movements caused a logistical challenge for getting the mail delivered on time. The Women’s Army Corps … Continue reading No Mail, Low Morale: The 6888th Central Postal Battalion

Celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science with NASA Trailblazers

February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a day set aside to recognize the role women and girls play in science and technology and promote full and equal access to participation in science. What better way to recognize the day than by highlighting a few NASA trailblazers? The NASA film Where … Continue reading Celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science with NASA Trailblazers

Summer Road Trip 2019: Memphis and New Orleans

On to…. Memphis! After much fun visiting “Pinckney Castle” in Charleston, South Carolina, it’s time we hit the road again! Along with everyone else, apparently. But really, what road trip is complete without some sort of traffic fiasco? It’s all part of the cross country touring experience, as you can see in the image 30-N-5523! … Continue reading Summer Road Trip 2019: Memphis and New Orleans

60 Years On: The Little Rock Nine

September 2017 marks 60 years since the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, a key event of the American Civil Rights Movement. NARA Holdings Relating to the Desegregation of Central High School The Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch at the National Archives has in its holdings several reels of unedited footage … Continue reading 60 Years On: The Little Rock Nine

SPOTLIGHT: THE BLUE RIDGE MUSIC CENTER

One thing that does not come immediately to mind when I think of the National Park Service (NPS) is the performing arts.  I have been attending concerts at the Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts for decades.  It is my favorite outdoor concert venue in the Washington, DC area.  However, I am always a … Continue reading SPOTLIGHT: THE BLUE RIDGE MUSIC CENTER

A Brief Look at African American Soldiers in the Great War

By Matthew Margis When the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson undertook a massive propaganda campaign to expand support for the war.  He declared that, America would help make the world “safe for democracy.”  Democracy though, eluded an entire segment of American society who struggled with the realities of … Continue reading A Brief Look at African American Soldiers in the Great War

When a Workprint is the Only Print

This post was written by Criss Kovac. Criss Kovac is the supervisor of the Motion Picture Preservation Lab at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It’s not uncommon for NARA to receive less-than-perfect material for films created by federal agencies. One of the types of elements we sometimes receive is called a workprint. Workprints … Continue reading When a Workprint is the Only Print

Topic Magazine: Spreading Information to Africa

In 1990, editors at the Harvard Law Review elected their first black president in the journal’s 102-year history.  The newly elected 28-year-old president was a law student and community activist.  By that time, the lawyer-to-be had gained the respect of his peers and professors, all of who praised the student’s modesty, integrity, and drive to … Continue reading Topic Magazine: Spreading Information to Africa

This Week in Universal News: Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall is Sworn In, 1967

On October 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. Marshall had a long history of fighting for civil rights in the legal system, most famously when he argued against school segregation in the Brown v. Board of Education case. Marshall served on the Supreme Court until 1991. He died in … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall is Sworn In, 1967

This Week in Universal News: President Truman Addresses the NAACP, 1947

This week, we’re featuring a speech President Harry S. Truman made June 28, 1947, at the closing of the annual conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Truman called for the government to protect not just civil liberties, but civil rights. The “recent events” … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: President Truman Addresses the NAACP, 1947