African American History App
Stories of Black Excellence
Free · In-App Purchases · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
Explore 2,000 years of African American history through immersive stories, curated documentaries, and a historical timeline - always in your pocket.
The African American History App is a beautifully crafted, immersive educational experience that puts 2,000 years of Black history in the palm of your hand. From the ancient kingdoms of Africa to the ongoing fight for justice today, explore deeply researched stories, interactive adventures, curated documentaries, podcasts, and a living map of Black history landmarks across the nation.
Built with care, cited with sources, and designed for every learner.
EXPLORE 14 EXHIBITS • 69+ STORIES
Every exhibit is a chapter in the greatest story ever told:
• Roots of Civilization — Mansa Musa, the Kingdom of Kush, Great Zimbabwe, Queen Nzinga, and the manuscripts of Timbuktu
• The Middle Passage — The Door of No Return, Olaudah Equiano, resistance at sea, the Amistad revolt, and the last slave ship Clotilda
• Surviving the New World — The 1619 arrival, Phillis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, the Stono Rebellion, and Crispus Attucks
• The Fight for Freedom — Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Nat Turner, the Haitian Revolution, and Henry "Box" Brown
• A New Birth of Freedom — The 54th Massachusetts, Robert Smalls, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Charlotte Forten Grimké
• False Dawn — Ida B. Wells, the Tulsa Race Massacre, Madam C.J. Walker, Bass Reeves, the Great Migration, and the Scottsboro Boys
• A Cultural Explosion — Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Duke Ellington, Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong, and Aaron Douglas
• Double Victory — The Tuskegee Airmen and the fight for freedom abroad and at home
Every story includes historical quotes, key figures, cited sources, and full-screen zoomable images with artist attribution.
5 INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES
History you don't just read — you live:
• Underground Railroad: A Journey to Freedom — A choose-your-own-adventure with 23 story nodes and 12 possible endings. Make decisions as a freedom seeker in 1849 Maryland. Every choice matters.
• Kingdoms of Africa — An interactive map with 8 ancient kingdoms. Explore Kush, Aksum, Mali, Songhai, Great Zimbabwe, Benin, Ghana, and Kongo.
• Civil Rights History Quiz — 20 questions across 3 difficulty levels with scoring, streaks, explanations, and grade rankings.
• Great Migration Explorer — Visualize 6 real migration routes on an interactive map. Discover what pushed millions north and what awaited them.
• Voices of Freedom — Read and reflect on 6 of the most powerful speeches in American history, from Frederick Douglass to Malcolm X. With key passage analysis and historical context.
GREEN BOOK MAP & LANDMARKS
Find Black history near you:
• 2,281 locations from the historic Negro Motorist Green Book (1947 & 1956 editions) — the travel guide that kept Black Americans safe during segregation
• 40 curated landmarks including the National Museum of African American History, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the Apollo Theater, Whitney Plantation, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and more
• OpenStreetMap-powered interactive map with 5 themes (Dark, Light, Satellite, Vintage, and Streets)
• Filter by category: Museums, Historic Sites, Memorials, Parks, Churches, and Theaters
• Get directions to any landmark via Apple Maps
22 CURATED DOCUMENTARIES & FILMS
Handpicked videos including Eyes on the Prize, 13th, I Am Not Your Negro, Hidden Figures, The Black Panthers, and Bryan Stevenson's landmark TED Talk. Videos are validated in real-time — broken links are automatically hidden.
FEATURES FOR EVERY LEARNER
• Reader Accessibility — Adjustable text size and three reading modes (Full, Dark, Article-Only) for comfortable reading
• Save & Bookmark — Save your favorite stories and videos to a personal collection
• Reading Progress — Track your journey through every exhibit
• "Did You Know?" — Daily historical facts with source citations
• Works offline — All stories and exhibits load without an internet connection
History belongs to everyone. Carry it with you.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app has not received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
The developer, Carlton Payne III, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Provider
- PayneBrain LLC
- Size
- 13.6 MB
- Category
- Education
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.6 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 17.6 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 17.6 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 14.6 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.3 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
9+
- 9+
- Infrequent
Horror/Fear Themes
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- Incredible Tip $49.99
- Legendary Tip $99.99
- Kind Tip $4.99
- Amazing Tip $19.99
- Generous Tip $9.99
- Small Tip $0.99
- Copyright
- © 2026 PayneBrain LLC