Aaron G. Fountain, Jr., PhD

Cleveland Historic Black Churches

Role: Historian/Curator.

Served as research scholar for the Cleveland Historic Black Churches Project, authoring a 10,000-word interpretive essay, conducting twelve oral history interviews, gathered images, producing a twenty-minute documentary video, and hosting a public webinar.

Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture stories

Role: Web Content Editor.

Although I served as the Web Content Editor, my supervisor often described me as the web team’s historian (unofficial digital curator). The links below feature blog stories I researched and wrote during my tenure at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (Updated stories and web pages are not included). All content is credited to NMAAHC.

Jack Johnson: A Heavyweight Boxer Who Defied America

This story explores Johnson’s defiant legacy in the face of white supremacy. Read Article

James Meredith

A profile of James Meredith’s historic 1962 integration of the University of Mississippi and his often-overlooked activism afterward. Read Article

Anna Julia Cooper: Educator, Writer, and Intellectual

This piece highlights the remarkable life and intellect of Anna Julia Cooper, a trailblazer in Black feminist thought and educational leadership. Read Article

A History of Black Beaches and Amusement Parks

This article uncovers the forgotten history of Black leisure spaces, and how African Americans built their own cultural havens during segregation. Read Article

Black Women in the Race for the White House

Explores the political influence of Black women from the early 20th century to the present. Read Article

Six Black Women Who Shaped Education in America

Profiles of pioneering Black women educators who transformed classrooms, schools, and education policy. Read Article

The Historical Legacy of the Divine Nine

A concise history of the Divine Nine, their founding principles, and their impact on Black civic and cultural life. Read Article

Whitney M. Young Jr.

Traces the life and strategy of civil rights leader Whitney Young Jr., emphasizing his unique role navigating corporate and political corridors of power. Read Article

The Women Who Shaped the Man

This piece explores the overlooked impact of Black women on Malcolm X’s political and spiritual evolution. Read Article