The Florida A&M College (FAMC) Champions Football Team of 1938 embodied the epitome of athletic excellence and teamwork, forging a legacy of triumph that endures to this day. FAMC Coach Alonzo "Jake" Gaither donated it to the Meek-Eaton Black Archives.
The Kings Procession brass sculpture vividly depicts a ceremonial parade, celebrating the rich traditions and cultural heritage of African royalty. Crafted with intricate detail, it showcases figures adorned in regal attire, emphasizing community and leadership.
This rare pot is an original work of Yvonne and Curtis Tucker, a ceramic artist duo who developed a new art form, Afro-Raku. Their collaboration spanned 26 years and focused on honoring the past and the Black diaspora through West African spirituality. This pot, “Sunday Sister,” was meant to identify women as a classical, beautiful vessel.
Donated by former university President Elmira Mangum, Rudy the Rattler was a taxidermy-coiled rattlesnake that served as the Florida A&M mascot. A small sculpture, the taxidermy process involves preserving the animal’s body using various techniques to maintain its lifelike appearance and mounting it for display.
The iron "Whites Only" swimming pool sign from Selma, Alabama, dating back to 1931, starkly illustrates the era's racial segregation and discrimination. This historical artifact symbolizes the oppressive Jim Crow laws that enforced racial barriers in public spaces.
The vintage can of Black Eyed Peas features an illustration of an old Black man, embodying the racial stereotypes of the era. His depiction reflects the nostalgia and simplicity often associated with Southern cuisine. This artifact serves as a lens through which to examine the portrayal of African Americans in marketing.
A "colored only" sign was a segregation-era sign typically found in the United States during the Jim Crow era, which enforced racial segregation in public places. These signs were used to designate areas, facilities, or services that were reserved for people of color and donated by Dr. James Eaton.
The vintage can of Black Mammy Plastic Roof Cement features a depiction of a Black female figure, reflecting the problematic stereotypes prevalent in mid-20th-century advertising. Often portrayed as a caretaker or domestic figure, this imagery reveals the complexities of racial representation and the commodification of Black identity.
George W. Gore’s speeches at Florida A&M College (and later University) emphasized the institution's role in fostering first-class citizenship. In "Are We Ready for the Promised Land," he explored the Negro’s role, voting rights, and history since emancipation in 1863.
