A product made from muscadine grapes grown at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's very own vineyard. Muscadine grapes are a unique variety native to the southeastern United States, known for their thick skins and sweet, musky flavor.
A timeless piece from the Tallahassee Democrat on a woman who essentially grew up with Florida A&M University. Born a year after the institution’s founding, 1888, Charlotte V. A. Gavin offers historical insight into both the early days of FAMU and the growth of Tallahassee’s community through integration.
The FAMU Alumni News reported on the Summer 1971 Commencement, which some high-profile figures attended. Names include Senior Ebony Editor Lerone Bennett (commencement speaker, not pictured), Florida House Rep. Gwendolyn Cherry, Secretary of the Florida State Department of Community Affairs M. Athalie Range, and Ray Charles (absent from the event).
A 1969 newspaper clipping from the St. Petersburg Times describes an interaction between Florida A&M President Dr. Benjamin L. Perry and the State Board of Regents. Perry complained that “FAMU is ‘bursting at the seams’ because of a student housing storage,” a problem the institution has recurringly faced in recent years.
Texas Southern University students commissioned Biggers to paint this mural in the cafeteria of the student center. Composed of several distinct but interrelated images, Family Unity features several Afrocentric motifs that Biggers developed, including sacred geometry (checkerboards and spirals), shotgun houses, and husband-and-wife pairs. At the center is what Biggers called the “morning star,” which shows a couple embracing with their form suggesting a womb.
This document features seven detailed family trees of families deeply connected to the 1923 Rosewood massacre in an attempt to trace lineage, preserve historical value, and validate claims for compensation. They provide vital links to history to ensure descendants are recognized and connected to their heritage and the events of Rosewood.
Sifuentes shows multiple generations of a family, painted in a geometric style. Sifuentes borrows visual symbols from his teacher, Dr. Biggers, including the tortoise (longevity) and the serpent (danger and rebirth). Guardian ancestors are represented by figures with angel wings.
Genealogies based on the Transmit Confirmation Report and related correspondence, designed to track the descendants of the 1923 Rosewood massacre victims. It outlines the process of verifying familial connections to ensure the accurate identification of descendants for historical recognition and potential compensation.
A letter from the third President of Tuskegee University, Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, confirming that Charles G. Gomillion will receive an increase in salary and continue his work at Tuskegee University.
An outline of the report by the FAMU Faculty Administration Committee addresses the crisis following MLK’s assassination and the resulting student revolts. The committee highlights President Gore's efforts to seek constructive change while maintaining university operations and preserving FAMU's reputation amidst the closure.
10th Architectual section drawing of the White Hall at Tuskegee Institute 1st and 2nd Floor plans. Drawing also shows work schedule for the renovations.
The graphic strength of Oliver's portraits is clearly evident in these two panels. By limiting his palette to black and white, the artist underscores the powerful gazes of the figures. Because of his enthusiasm and talent, Oliver was allowed to create additional murals when empty spaces were available.
Case Data and Exhibits for Brown III, a relitigation of Brown v. Topeka Board of Education (1954) that corrected resegregation issues caused by open enrollment school choice in 1992. This was produced by defense team expert witness R. Harrison Hickman. He concludes that people didn’t equate a school being “mainly white” with it being better.
Foster’s painting is inspired by Charles White’s Sound of Silence. Third Ward is the historically Black neighborhood of Houston that Texas Southern calls home. Where White’s original features a seashell, Foster substitutes a rowhouse, the style of homes that are the heart of Third Ward. Dr. John T. Biggers, founder of Texas Southern's art department, studied under White at Hampton University.
Bilal’s senior notebook includes her written philosophy of art, photographs of the artist’s works, and a copy of her senior exhibition brochure. As a part of the Texas Southern art curriculum under Dr. John T. Biggers and Professor Carroll Harris Simms, students would create these notebooks to explain their artistry and showcase the works they created as students.
Eunice Hicks began work at Head Start in 1965 as a social worker because of her degree in Sociology. She goes through her career and the different positions she held in the organization and the different centers she worked in. The interview is incomplete because Side A was recorded over.
Ethel George McCallister recalls many memories from her childhood, the plantation she lived and worked on, family, school, and her experiences in the church. She talks about her social life when she was young, and the relationships between the farmers, her marriage, and starting a family. She ends by talking about her family history.
Romeyn van Vleck Lippman was a 19th-century painter and educator. Eternal depicts a family portrait of three generations. Lippman illustrates the immortality of humanity through familial legacies.
Esther Solomon Howard was born in the Farish Street District in 1915. Ms. Howard talks about her childhood in the Farish Street District, including attending Smith Robertson School, Central Church, and the Young Women’s Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.). She also talks extensively about her husband. The transcript is edited with handwritten notes.
The Gadsden County court administered the estate of Titus Farr. The administration detailed Farr's assets, reflecting the economic reliance on enslaved labor in the region. This process underscored the legal framework of property management, where enslaved people were treated as assets and sold to settle debts.
This rare 1850 slave document from Robert Larkin's estate discusses the manner of the estate's distribution. The ledgers include descriptions and price breakdowns.
The rare 1863 will and testament from Richard Call Keith provide documentation of his wishes to pass down his property. This document includes not only a written statement but also a list of all of the slaves he had ownership of. The list includes each of their names, ages, health conditions, and prices.
These rare 1862 slave documents from the Richard Call estate provide a detailed account of enslaved individuals at the Lake Jackson Plantation in Florida. These records include names, ages, and roles of enslaved people, offering critical insight into the operations of the estate and the broader system of slavery during the Civil War era.
These rare 1853 slavery documents from the estate of Nathan Holt in Leon County detail the inventory, valuation, and transfer of enslaved individuals. These records offer crucial insights into the management and distribution of enslaved labor within an estate, reflecting the economic and social structures of slavery in mid-19th century Florida.
The 1854 petition by John Winer outlines the division of his deceased mother’s property, including employment of enslaved persons, with his sister. This document reveals the complexities of familial inheritance, the management of enslaved labor, and the economic implications of slavery within family dynamics.
This document offers an inventory of the personal property belonging to the estate of John P. Duval. It contains a list of names of enslaved people and their prices.
Estate papers of John Miller include his will and testament, detailing the distribution of property, including enslaved individuals. These documents provide significant insight into the legal processes surrounding inheritance and the treatment of enslaved people as assets, showcasing the economic reliance on slavery in the antebellum South.
This document is an account of the enslaved African persons belonging to John Breto, Jr. It contains a list of their names and prices, calculated on December 30, 1848, for the year 1849.
