"I still smell smoke. I still see fire." In the premiere episode of our 3-part special series, host Anthony Smith takes you back to May 1921. Before it was a crime scene, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was "Black Wall Street"—a beacon of economic independence and Black excellence.
Through the eyes of a seven-year-old girl named Viola Ford Fletcher, we explore the vibrant life of Greenwood and the horrific 24 hours that turned a Promised Land into an inferno. How did a community this strong fall so fast, and what did young Viola see from the back of that fleeing buggy?
In this episode:
The "Economics of Excellence": Why Greenwood thrived.
The Elevator Incident: Separating fact from the 1921 friction.
The Invasion: Private planes, firebombs, and the 111-year trauma

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In this episode of Forever Black History, host Anthony Smith tells the powerful story of the founders of Nicodemus, Kansas — the first successful Black settlement on the Great Plains.

In 1877, a group of determined Black leaders and pioneers set out to build a town where formerly enslaved families could finally own land, govern themselves, and create opportunities for future generations.

Through courage, faith, and relentless determination, these men helped transform an empty stretch of prairie into a thriving community that became a powerful symbol of Black independence in the American West.

This episode explores the lives and leadership of Reverend W. H. Smith, Reverend Simon Roundtree, Benjamin Carr, Jerry Allsap, Jeff Lenze, William Edmonds, and W. R. Hill — the visionaries who helped make Nicodemus possible.

Their story reminds us that freedom was not simply given — it was built.

And their legacy continues to stand today as proof that Black history is American history.

Next Episode: The powerful story of Tulsa Race Massacre Viola Floyd Fletcher

In this episode of Forever Black History, host Anthony Smith tells the remarkable story of Walter Francis White, one of the most courageous investigators in American civil rights history.

As a leader of the NAACP, White used his unique ability to pass as white to secretly investigate lynchings across the American South during the early 20th century. Traveling into dangerous territories where racial violence had just occurred, he gathered firsthand accounts and exposed the brutal truth about mob violence and injustice in America.

His fearless work helped bring national attention to the horrors of lynching and strengthened the growing civil rights movement. As executive secretary of the NAACP, White also helped expand the organization’s influence and contributed to the legal strategy that eventually led to the historic Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education.

Join us as we explore the life, courage, and legacy of a man who risked everything to reveal the truth and fight for justice.

Forever Black History reminds us that Black history is not just part of the American story—it is central to it.

Black History is American History is a storytelling podcast hosted by Anthony Smith that explores the people, communities, and untold stories that shaped Black history and American history. Preserving the past. Inspiring the future.

Hello everyone, and welcome to Black History is American History

I’m your host, Anthony Smith.

This podcast was created for one powerful reason: to preserve, explore, and celebrate the stories that have shaped Black history and, in turn, shaped the history of America itself.

But before we dive into the stories, we must ask an important question.

What is Black history?

Black history is more than a collection of names, dates, and events found in textbooks.
Black history is the story of resilience.
It is the story of a people who endured slavery, segregation, discrimination, and injustice… yet still found ways to build, to create, to lead, and to inspire.

Black history is the story of communities like Nicodemus, Kansas, where formerly enslaved families moved west in search of freedom and built towns with their own hands.

It is the story of educators who fought to teach when education was denied.
Entrepreneurs who built businesses when opportunity was limited.
Inventors who changed the world, even when recognition was often withheld.

From the traffic signal improved by Garrett Morgan,
to the refrigerated truck system developed by Frederick McKinley Jones,
to the countless medical, agricultural, and technological innovations created by Black minds—

Black Americans have helped build the very foundation of modern society.

And yet many of these stories are not widely told.

That is why this podcast exists.

Because Black history is not just about the past.
It is about understanding the journey that brought us to where we are today.

And perhaps even more importantly, it is about educating the next generation.

When young people know the stories of pioneers, inventors, leaders, and communities that came before them, it gives them something powerful:

identity, pride, and possibility.

They begin to see that history is not just something they read about.

It is something they are part of.

Here on Forever Black History, we will explore forgotten towns, historic movements, legendary figures, and untold stories that deserve to be remembered.

Because these stories remind us of something important.

Black history is not separate from American history.

Black history is American history.

And when we preserve these stories, we ensure that the legacy of those who came before us will continue to inspire those who come after us.

So thank you for joining me on this journey.

I’m Anthony Smith, and this is Black History is American History