Leah Brown
@leahrbrown.bsky.social
Public Historian. Fiber Artist? General Explorer. Educator. Made for coffee shops, bookstores, and field trips.
Saw a hummingbird today!!!
August 12, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Saw a hummingbird today!!!
Reposted by Leah Brown
On July 16, 1863 Black soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry saw their first action at Grimball’s Landing on James Island, SC. Sergeant Robert J. Simmons remembered “bullets fairly rained around us…poor fellows were falling down around me with pitiful groans.” 🧵
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July 17, 2025 at 2:35 AM
On July 16, 1863 Black soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry saw their first action at Grimball’s Landing on James Island, SC. Sergeant Robert J. Simmons remembered “bullets fairly rained around us…poor fellows were falling down around me with pitiful groans.” 🧵
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Stopped at Wawa for coffee. I can literally feel it turning me back into a person. Makes the morning manageable
July 14, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Stopped at Wawa for coffee. I can literally feel it turning me back into a person. Makes the morning manageable
Day one of teacher institute in the books!!! History focused and dinner with the Hamlins. Perfect day
June 26, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Day one of teacher institute in the books!!! History focused and dinner with the Hamlins. Perfect day
Reposted by Leah Brown
A suggestion about your relatives.
Ask your parents, your grandparents, to talk about their past.
Not only what they did, but WHY they did it.
Record it.
Down the road, it will mean more than you know.
Ask your parents, your grandparents, to talk about their past.
Not only what they did, but WHY they did it.
Record it.
Down the road, it will mean more than you know.
June 22, 2025 at 1:25 AM
A suggestion about your relatives.
Ask your parents, your grandparents, to talk about their past.
Not only what they did, but WHY they did it.
Record it.
Down the road, it will mean more than you know.
Ask your parents, your grandparents, to talk about their past.
Not only what they did, but WHY they did it.
Record it.
Down the road, it will mean more than you know.
@richcondon.bsky.social thought you would like this
Another of Mom’s “We Didn’t Wait for Freedom” #quilts for #Juneteenth: “Robert Smalls American Hero” #art #quilting
June 20, 2025 at 12:22 AM
@richcondon.bsky.social thought you would like this
Reposted by Leah Brown
Good morning to those commemorating the struggle for freedom, fervently defending freedom's possibilities for our descendants, and having a good time doing it. #HappyJuneteenth
June 19, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Good morning to those commemorating the struggle for freedom, fervently defending freedom's possibilities for our descendants, and having a good time doing it. #HappyJuneteenth
Reposted by Leah Brown
‘Routed West’ at BAMPFA reframes the story of Black quilt making in America www.berkeleyside.org/2025/06/07/b... #Blackcrafts #blackquilters "We have a duty to tell our stories." Ora Clay, member of African American Quilt Guild of Oakland
'Routed West' at BAMPFA reframes the story of Black quilt making in America
The ambitious exhibition, which the community can see for free Sunday, is both a display of profound artistic expression and an act of defiance after federal funds to preserve and show the quilts were...
www.berkeleyside.org
June 14, 2025 at 1:16 PM
‘Routed West’ at BAMPFA reframes the story of Black quilt making in America www.berkeleyside.org/2025/06/07/b... #Blackcrafts #blackquilters "We have a duty to tell our stories." Ora Clay, member of African American Quilt Guild of Oakland
Reposted by Leah Brown
Every right in America was bought in blood. Every regulation was written in blood. Everything about American history is what? Bloody.
June 9, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Every right in America was bought in blood. Every regulation was written in blood. Everything about American history is what? Bloody.
Reposted by Leah Brown
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE 🥹 Presenting the book cover of “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy,” written by myself and illustrated by my friend Lorraine Nam. Published by Random House Children’s Books 🐧💚
Preorder at bit.ly/ISHYH-Reveal 📖✨
Preorder at bit.ly/ISHYH-Reveal 📖✨
June 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE 🥹 Presenting the book cover of “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy,” written by myself and illustrated by my friend Lorraine Nam. Published by Random House Children’s Books 🐧💚
Preorder at bit.ly/ISHYH-Reveal 📖✨
Preorder at bit.ly/ISHYH-Reveal 📖✨
Reposted by Leah Brown
Since I'm traveling tomorrow, I post the image used for the cover of Unforgettable Sacrifice. Black communities always remembered the Civil War with parades and other Intergenerational traditions. “Negro G.A.R. veterans parading, New York City, May 30, 1912,” Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-132913.
May 25, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Since I'm traveling tomorrow, I post the image used for the cover of Unforgettable Sacrifice. Black communities always remembered the Civil War with parades and other Intergenerational traditions. “Negro G.A.R. veterans parading, New York City, May 30, 1912,” Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-132913.
Reposted by Leah Brown
"This is not just biography, but a historical tour de force."— @profmsinha.bsky.social
BECOMING LUNSFORD LANE by Craig Thompson Friend publishes later this month but is available for pre-order now 🙌
uncpress.org/book/9781469...
BECOMING LUNSFORD LANE by Craig Thompson Friend publishes later this month but is available for pre-order now 🙌
uncpress.org/book/9781469...
May 13, 2025 at 9:00 PM
"This is not just biography, but a historical tour de force."— @profmsinha.bsky.social
BECOMING LUNSFORD LANE by Craig Thompson Friend publishes later this month but is available for pre-order now 🙌
uncpress.org/book/9781469...
BECOMING LUNSFORD LANE by Craig Thompson Friend publishes later this month but is available for pre-order now 🙌
uncpress.org/book/9781469...
Celebrating @tillerylives.bsky.social today and always. I am forever proud of you!!!
May 10, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Celebrating @tillerylives.bsky.social today and always. I am forever proud of you!!!
Reposted by Leah Brown
To save runaways from slavery who were trying to make lives in the North “illegally,” local Vigilance Committees formed. They kept watch for slave catchers, secreted away those in danger, and posted placards that outed slave catchers, sometimes hounding them till they left town.
A group in San Diego is patrolling neighborhoods to identify potential ICE presence. They keep watch for vehicles that may belong to federal agencies, and use livestreams, radios, and social media to keep communities informed.
Learn more: boltsmag.org/how-vol...
Learn more: boltsmag.org/how-vol...
May 5, 2025 at 11:31 AM
To save runaways from slavery who were trying to make lives in the North “illegally,” local Vigilance Committees formed. They kept watch for slave catchers, secreted away those in danger, and posted placards that outed slave catchers, sometimes hounding them till they left town.
Reposted by Leah Brown
In #AHAPerspectives, our Long Overdue obituaries honor historians of color whose passing the AHA did not mark. If you know of someone who deserves such recognition, we welcome your suggestions. (Just check the database first: www.historians.org/news-publica...)
In #AHAPerspectives, read a Long Overdue tribute to Lulu Merle Johnson, a historian and the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in Iowa, who died in 1995. 🗃️
Lulu Merle Johnson (1907–95) – AHA
Lulu Merle Johnson, historian and higher education administrator, died in 1995.
www.historians.org
April 2, 2025 at 5:59 PM
In #AHAPerspectives, our Long Overdue obituaries honor historians of color whose passing the AHA did not mark. If you know of someone who deserves such recognition, we welcome your suggestions. (Just check the database first: www.historians.org/news-publica...)
THE BEES ARE BACK! Finally something delightful
March 24, 2025 at 10:19 PM
THE BEES ARE BACK! Finally something delightful
Reposted by Leah Brown
VA well represented @historyed.bsky.social including keynote “Witness to History” w/Cheryl Brown Henderson on Brown v Board including story of Moton HS - more here @newamericanhistory.bsky.social: resources.newamericanhistory.org/school-inter...
March 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM
VA well represented @historyed.bsky.social including keynote “Witness to History” w/Cheryl Brown Henderson on Brown v Board including story of Moton HS - more here @newamericanhistory.bsky.social: resources.newamericanhistory.org/school-inter...
Heading back from the VA Association of Museums conference. It was so good to gather and chat about how we do what we do and plan for the chaotic future. Now counting the cows along the way home.
March 18, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Heading back from the VA Association of Museums conference. It was so good to gather and chat about how we do what we do and plan for the chaotic future. Now counting the cows along the way home.
Reposted by Leah Brown
Black history I never knew: My father’s World War II newspaper column rediscovered: A researcher uncovers a lost trove of family history — and American history as well. www.wpr.org/news/robin-w...
Black history I never knew: My father’s World War II newspaper column rediscovered
Robin Washington shares the story of how he learned about his father's contributions to The Slip Stream - a newspaper for the Casper Army Air Base.
www.wpr.org
March 16, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Black history I never knew: My father’s World War II newspaper column rediscovered: A researcher uncovers a lost trove of family history — and American history as well. www.wpr.org/news/robin-w...
Reposted by Leah Brown
Celebrating Black Press Day: The enduring legacy and significance of the Black Press theatlantavoice.com/black-owned-... “The Black Press has always played an important role in documenting the unfiltered truth, often standing as a powerful counter to mainstream narratives."
Celebrating Black Press Day: The enduring legacy and significance of the Black press
Celebrate Black Press Day on March 16, recognizing the history and significance of Black-owned newspapers in the United States.
theatlantavoice.com
March 15, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Celebrating Black Press Day: The enduring legacy and significance of the Black Press theatlantavoice.com/black-owned-... “The Black Press has always played an important role in documenting the unfiltered truth, often standing as a powerful counter to mainstream narratives."
Reposted by Leah Brown
I think about this 2 minute speech a lot. Ella Baker with no time for applause and agreement, only time to remind everyone about what organizing and solidarity require
Ella Baker speaking in Puerto Rico at a Solidarity Rally (1974)
YouTube video by Heber Brown, III
youtu.be
March 7, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I think about this 2 minute speech a lot. Ella Baker with no time for applause and agreement, only time to remind everyone about what organizing and solidarity require
Roy Ayers Tiny Desk for this morning's music. 💔
March 6, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Roy Ayers Tiny Desk for this morning's music. 💔
Reposted by Leah Brown
Such a moving piece. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-...
How a Leading Black Historian Uncovered Her Own Family's Painful Past—and Why Her Ancestors' Stories Give Her Hope
Martha S. Jones' new memoir draws on genealogical research and memories shared by relatives
www.smithsonianmag.com
March 6, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Such a moving piece. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-...
Reposted by Leah Brown
March 11, 2025, 07:00 p.m. ET
#CivicLearningWeek Panel: Sarah Weicksel @historians.bky.social moderating a convo w/ @iCivics.bsky.social Emma Humphries, historians Edward Ayers @newamericanhistory.bsky.social @urichmond.bsky.social & David Blight @oah.org Katharina Matro (Walter Johnson High School)
#CivicLearningWeek Panel: Sarah Weicksel @historians.bky.social moderating a convo w/ @iCivics.bsky.social Emma Humphries, historians Edward Ayers @newamericanhistory.bsky.social @urichmond.bsky.social & David Blight @oah.org Katharina Matro (Walter Johnson High School)
March 4, 2025 at 3:17 AM
March 11, 2025, 07:00 p.m. ET
#CivicLearningWeek Panel: Sarah Weicksel @historians.bky.social moderating a convo w/ @iCivics.bsky.social Emma Humphries, historians Edward Ayers @newamericanhistory.bsky.social @urichmond.bsky.social & David Blight @oah.org Katharina Matro (Walter Johnson High School)
#CivicLearningWeek Panel: Sarah Weicksel @historians.bky.social moderating a convo w/ @iCivics.bsky.social Emma Humphries, historians Edward Ayers @newamericanhistory.bsky.social @urichmond.bsky.social & David Blight @oah.org Katharina Matro (Walter Johnson High School)