Barbara Rose Johns (1935–1991) was a sixteen-year-old Black American student whose courage helped ignite one of the most important legal battles of the twentieth century. In 1951, while attending the segregated Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia, Johns organized and led a student strike to protest overcrowded classrooms, crumbling facilities, and the gross inequities of Jim Crow education. Acting without adult direction, she rallied her classmates, locked the doors, and demanded change.

What began as a local protest quickly became a national cause when the NAACP took up the case, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County. That lawsuit was later consolidated into Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the landmark Supreme Court decision that declared school segregation unconstitutional.

Barbara Rose Johns never sought fame. She quietly changed history by insisting that equality was not something to wait for—but something to demand.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

Sarah Rector (1902–1967) was once known as “the richest Black girl in America.” Born in Indian Territory—now Oklahoma—to formerly enslaved Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizens, she and her family were among thousands of Black tribal members who received land allotments under the Dawes Act of 1887, which aimed to divide Native American land.

In 1913, oil was discovered on her 160-acre parcel, and before she was twelve years old, Sarah Rector became a millionaire.

As her wealth grew, Oklahoma officials attempted to place her under white guardianship, a move challenged by national Black leaders including Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, who intervened to protect her rights. Rector’s fortune transformed her family’s life—they relocated to Kansas City, where she supported Black businesses and education.

Her story exposes the contradictions of race, wealth, and power in Jim Crow America. Sarah Rector remains a symbol of Black prosperity—and the measures taken to control it.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 was a landmark moment in the struggle for civil rights and a defining example of collective, nonviolent resistance. Sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks, a Black American seamstress who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger, the boycott began on December 5, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama. For 381 days, Black residents refused to ride city buses. In defiance, they organized carpools and walked miles to work, church, and school. Led by local activists including E.D. Nixon, Jo Ann Robinson, and a young minister named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the movement drew national attention. The boycott culminated in a Supreme Court decision declaring segregated seating on public transportation unconstitutional. More than a protest against unfair policies, the boycott marked a turning point that galvanized the Civil Rights Movement, proving the power of coordinated non-violent action to challenge systemic racism and demand equal rights under the law.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

Bill Pickett (1870–1932) was a pioneering Black cowboy, rodeo performer, and Wild West showman whose innovations left an indelible mark on American ranching culture. Born in Texas to formerly enslaved parents, Pickett developed extraordinary skills in horsemanship and cattle handling. He became famous for inventing “bulldogging,” a daring rodeo technique in which he would leap from his horse, grab a steer by the horns, and subdue it by biting its upper lip—a method inspired by watching ranch dogs control cattle.

Pickett toured the world with the 101 Ranch Wild West Show, performing before audiences that included British royalty. Despite his fame, racial barriers often limited his recognition; he was sometimes billed as Mexican or Native American to bypass segregation laws. In 1971, long after his death, Pickett was posthumously inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His legacy endures as a symbol of Black excellence and innovation in the history of the West.

Learn more about about the legacy of Black Cowboys in this review in Outside Magazine on the film High Horse, from executive producer Jordan Peele. https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/high-horse-black-cowboy/

The Joy Trip Project celebrates American history with the stories remarkable features of our past that are too often forgotten. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of men and women who helped to shape the progress of our nation.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

The Double Victory Campaign was a powerful movement launched by Black Americans during World War II. This national initiative symbolized

the fight for two forms of victory: one over fascism abroad and another over racism at home. Sparked by a 1942 letter to the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation’s leading Black newspapers, the campaign gained national momentum as Black citizens demanded that their contributions to the war effort be recognized with full civil rights.

More than one million Black men and women served in segregated units in the U.S. military, while many others worked in defense industries, shipyards, and munitions plants. Yet they continued to face discrimination, unequal pay, and restricted access to public facilities. The Double V symbol—standing for “Victory at Home and Abroad”—became a unifying emblem of resistance. The campaign foreshadowed the modern Civil Rights Movement, linking patriotism with a demand for racial equality and democratic justice in America.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates American history with the stories remarkable features of our past that are too often forgotten. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of men and women who helped to shape the progress of our nation.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

George Meléndez Wright was a pioneering biologist and one of the earliest advocates for the scientific management of wildlife in the U.S. National Park System. Born in San Francisco Wright earned a zoology degree from UC Berkeley and joined the National Park Service in the 1920s. At a time when wildlife policies focused primarily on controlling “nuisance” animals and enhancing visitor experiences, Wright insisted that parks should preserve ecosystems in their natural state.

In 1930, he founded the Wildlife Division of the NPS, personally funding the first comprehensive wildlife surveys of national parks with colleagues Joseph Dixon and Ben Thompson. Their work culminated in the landmark Fauna of the National Parks of the United States (1933), which became the foundation for modern conservation policy. Wright’s vision of parks as living laboratories transformed the NPS into a scientifically grounded institution. He died tragically in a car accident at age 31 in 1936.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates American history with the stories remarkable features of our past that are too often forgotten. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of men and women who helped to shape the progress of our nation.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

A Chinese American chef named Tie Sing worked for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in California through the early 20th century. As head cook on major mapping expeditions, his role was far more critical than it might seem. His creative meals nourished surveyors while on grueling journeys through the rugged terrain of the American West. Sing became a legend within the USGS for his ingenuity, using minimal supplies and often cooking in extreme conditions at high altitudes. His skill and reliability were so valued that Stephen Mather, a founding figure of the National Park Service, hired him to cook for a 1915 trip to Yosemite intended to win political and financial support for the new parks system. The success of that trip helped lead to the creation of the National Park Service in 1916. Tie Sing’s story is a reminder that even those behind the scenes helped to explore the American landscape and ultimately to protect it.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates American history with the stories remarkable features of our past that are too often forgotten. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of men and women who helped to shape the progress of our nation.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

The Wereth 11 were a group of Black American soldiers who were captured, tortured, and executed by Nazi troops near Wereth, Belgium, on December 17, 1944. Part of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion during the Battle of the Bulge these men had sought refuge in the home of a Belgian farmer after their unit was overrun. Betrayed to the Germans by a local collaborator, they were taken outside the village, brutally beaten, and murdered.

Despite the atrocity, considered a war crime, their story was buried for decades, overshadowed by larger wartime narratives and the systemic racism that minimized the heroism and suffering of Black soldiers. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that researchers and the families of the fallen succeeded in gaining recognition. Today, a memorial in Wereth honors these men, reminding visitors of both their sacrifice and the long fight for justice in American military history. It is one of the few memorials in Europe dedicate to the contributions of Black Soldiers in World War II

The Joy Trip Project celebrates American history with the stories remarkable features of our past that are too often forgotten. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of men and women who helped to shape the progress of our nation.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

William Monroe Trotter was a pioneering Black journalist, activist, and civil rights leader. His uncompromising demand for racial equality helped to shape Black political thought in the early 20th-century. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, and educated at Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude, Trotter became one of the most outspoken critics of racial accommodation and segregation. As founder and editor of The Guardian, a militant weekly newspaper, he used sharp editorials to challenge racism and expose injustice.

Trotter co-founded the Niagara Movement alongside W.E.B. Du Bois, in 1905 the precursor of the NAACP. A controversial figure he directly confronted Booker T. Washington’s promotion of vocational training and gradual social change. In 1913, Trotter personal chastised President Woodrow Wilson over the segregation of federal agencies. During a heated White House meeting, Trotter accused the president of betraying his campaign promises of fairness and equality, a betrayal of the American People.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates American history with the stories remarkable features of our past that are too often forgotten. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of men and women who helped to shape the progress of our nation.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.

Lieutenant Colonel George E. Hardy (1925–2025) was one of the last surviving members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the pioneering group of Black aviators who shattered racial barriers during World War II. Born in Philadelphia, Hardy enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and trained at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama, earning his wings in 1944. As a member of the 332nd Fighter Group, he flew 21 combat missions over Europe in a P-51 Mustang, escorting bombers and engaging enemy aircraft.

After World War II, Hardy continued his service, flying 45 missions in Korea and more than 70 in Vietnam, distinguishing himself as one of the few pilots to serve in three major conflicts. His career exemplified courage and resilience in the face of segregation and systemic racism.

Hardy spent his later years as an educator and public speaker, sharing the Tuskegee legacy to inspire future generations and ensure their contributions were never forgotten.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates American history with the stories remarkable features of our past that are too often forgotten. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of men and women who helped to shape the progress of our nation.

#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute

Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills.