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Bryan Greene

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Alice Rhinelander surrounded by well-dressed family members awaiting the jury verdict in Rhinelander v. Rhinelander.

How an Interracial Marriage Sparked One of the Most Scandalous Trials of the Roaring Twenties

Under pressure from his wealthy family, Leonard “Kip” Rhinelander claimed that his new wife, Alice Beatrice Jones, had tricked him into believing she was white.
by Bryan Greene via Smithsonian on November 20, 2024

The Black Record Label That Introduced the Beatles to America

Over its 13-year run, Vee Jay built a roster that left a lasting impact on every genre of music.
by Bryan Greene via Smithsonian on February 23, 2022
Isaac Woodard, an African American army veteran, with his mother after being blinded by a South Carolina police chief in 1946.

After Victory in World War II, Black Veterans Continued the Fight for Freedom at Home

These men, who had sacrificed so much for the country, faced racist attacks in 1946 as they laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement to come.
by Bryan Greene via Smithsonian on August 30, 2021
Illustration of James McCune Smith, the African Free School #2, and the University of Glasgow

America's First Black Physician Sought to Heal a Nation's Persistent Illness

An activist, writer, doctor and intellectual, James McCune Smith, born enslaved, directed his talents to the eradication of slavery.
by Bryan Greene via Smithsonian on February 26, 2021

Born Enslaved, Patrick Francis Healy 'Passed' His Way to Lead Georgetown University

Because the 19th-century college president appeared white, he was able to climb the ladder of the Jesuit community.
by Bryan Greene via Smithsonian on September 8, 2020
Big Bird on the set of 'Sesame Street'

The Unmistakable Black Roots of 'Sesame Street'

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the beloved children’s television show was shaped by the African-American communities in Harlem and beyond.
by Bryan Greene via Smithsonian on November 7, 2019

The History of How School Buses Became Yellow

Rural educator Frank Cyr had the vision and pull to force the nation to standardize the color of the ubiquitous vehicle.
by Bryan Greene via Smithsonian on September 4, 2019

While NASA Was Landing on the Moon, Many African-Americans Sought Economic Justice Instead

The billions spent on the Apollo program, no matter how inspiring the mission, laid bare the nation's priorities.
by Bryan Greene via Smithsonian on July 11, 2019
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