African-American History

Donna Brazile Donates Her Papers to Louisiana State University

Donna Brazile, a key Democratic political strategist, author, and journalist has announced that she has donated her papers to the Special Collections Unit of the Louisiana State University Libraries. Brazile is a 1981 graduate of the university.

University of Cincinnati Acquires the Collections of Louise Shropshire

Louise Shropshire was the composer of the song "If My Jesus Wills," that was adapted to form the anthem of the civil rights movement "We Shall Overcome." She never received credit for being the author of the famous lyrics until after her death.

The Discovery of a Lost Landmark of African American History

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City has announced the discovery of 101-year-old film footage that may include the earliest surviving depictions of African Americans actors on screen.

Emory University Debuts Archive of 12,000 Photos of African Americans

The Robert Langmuir African American Photograph Collection includes nearly 12,000 photographs depicting African American life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Brown University Dedicates Its Slavery Memorial

The memorial includes a 4.5 ton cast-iron sculpture that sits in front of University Hall, Brown's oldest building that was built in part by slave labor. The sculpture depicts a large iron ball and a chain where the third and final link is broken.

Four Universities Selected as Finalists for the Obama Presidential Library

The Barack Obama foundation has narrowed the field of candidates to host the Obama Presidential Library to Columbia University, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Hawaii.

Longwood University Apologizes for Its Actions During the Civil Rights Era

Longwood University is a four-year, state-operated educational institution. Today, it enrolls about 4,500 undergraduate students and more than 400 graduate students. Blacks make up approximately 8 percent of the undergraduate student body.

Kansas State University Acquires the Collection of Blues Legend Jimmy Rogers

The collection of memorabilia from one of the greats of the Chicago blues scene in the post World War II years includes more than 2,500 items relating to Rogers' career from the period 1960 until his death in 1997.

Free Black Woman’s Civil War Diaries Available Online at Villanova University Website

The first entry of Emilie Davis' diaries, written on January 1, 1863, the day in which Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, read, "To day has bin a memorable day and i thank god i have been sperd to see it."

UCLA Finds a Treasure Trove of African American History

Last fall, a collection of 365 audio tapes were found of speeches given at the University of California, Los Angeles between 1962 and 1973. Among the recording are a large number of speeches given by leaders of the civil rights movement.

Traveling Exhibit Showcases African American Academic Surgeons

The National Library of Medicine and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture have developed an exhibit on the history of African American surgeons. The exhibit is appearing on campus across the United States and also online.

Clemson University’s Year-Long Examination of Its History on Race

The series, entitled "Race and the University: A Campus Conversation," is designed to create greater awareness of Clemson's history on the issue of race and to foster dialogue on diversity at the university today.

New Audio Recordings of Ralph Ellison in 1953 Found at Harvard University

Earlier this year staffers at the Woodberry Poetry Room at Harvard University found audio tapes from a 1953 conference on the contemporary novel at Harvard Summer School. One of the participants in the conference was author Ralph Ellison.

University of Kansas Project Will Examine the Impact of Black Poetry on Social Change

The project, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, will fund an institute on the University of Kansas campus next summer entitled "Black Poetry After the Black Arts Movement."

Coastal Carolina University Project Focuses on African American Veterans

The project, by Coastal Carolina University's Athenaeum Press, is the culmination of a decade of research collecting oral histories, documents, photographs, and other mementos of African American veterans.

Alabama State University to Build National Park Service Center on Campus

Alabama State University in Montgomery has signed an agreement with the National Park Service to develop a new $5 million interpretive center on campus that will be part of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.

Oral History Project on the Civil Rights Movement Housed at George Mason University

The Northern Virginia Civil Rights Archive: Personal Histories of Struggle and Achievement in Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 includes more than 50 hours of videotape interviews.

Washington and Lee University Addresses Its Past Ties to Slavery and the Confederacy

Kenneth P. Ruscio, president of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, has issued a response to student demands that the university take actions to address its past.

University of Southern Mississippi to Double Its Digital Archive of Civil Rights Era Oral Histories

The University of Southern Mississippi recently received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities to digitize its collection of oral histories and make them available to the public. At the present time, many of the oral histories are on reel-to-reel or cassette tapes.

University of Georgia Shows the Oldest Known Movie of Blacks Playing Baseball

The 26-second film of African Americans in 1919 at the Pebble Hill Plantation near Thomasville, Georgia, was recently screened at a conference, co-sponsored by the State University of New York College at Oneonta and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

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