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.
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.
For FAMU’s 1965-66 academic year, President Gore gathered over 10 notes and clippings to shape proposals on budgets, National Science Foundation funding, and manpower training, guiding his faculty and administration team’s strategic efforts.
A collection of over 14 clippings featuring personal poems written by President Gore, alongside works by other poets, including some unnamed. While many of the poems have holiday themes, the overall message emphasizes bravery, hope, and faith, capturing a spirit of resilience and inspiration.
A heartfelt letter to President Gore from his father, written after the holidays, reflects on personal experiences and expresses gratitude. He highlighted the influence of his son’s guidance on his ongoing leadership and dedication to FAMC.
This photograph shows a glimpse into Florida A&M campus life in its early days. Graduating students in a double file line march through campus in graduation memorabilia while others look on. It is unclear when this photograph was taken as no significant identifying information exists.
In this page from the 1978 Rattler Yearbook, Acel Moore, a Black Pulitzer Prize Winner and reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, visited Florida A&M’s Journalism department and news-reporting class to give a seminar and lecture on the increased need for Black journalists in print media.
In this rare photograph, Althea Gibson is wearing a Florida A&M cardigan and shaking Alice Marble’s hand as they stand over the net conversing. Marble was a heavily decorated tennis player, and her American Tennis Magazine editorial on segregation in tennis paved the way for Gibson’s entry in the 1950 U.S. National Championship (which she won).
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University alumna and Black tennis star Althea Gibson graces the cover of this rare, original 1957 TIME magazine. Just the year prior, in 1956, Gibson became the first African American to win a Grand Slam event. She also was the first to play in the U.S. and French Opens and Wimbledon.
President B. L. Perry gathered records of celebrated alumni and contributors, including Joseph Kershaw, LaSalle D. LeFall Jr., Robert Hayes, Althea Gibson, and Julian and Nat Adderley, reflecting their legacies, notable achievements, and the enduring imprint they left on FAMU’s history.
As a part of a Woman’s History Month event in the early 1990s, Angela Davis lectured at Florida A&M’s campus. In rare photographs of Davis in dreadlocks, the international civil rights activist and writer spoke for the event sponsored by the Tallahassee National Organization of Women and the FAMU Center for Equity and Cultural Diversity.
John Howard was an artist from Alcorn, MS. "Arkansas Landscape" shows a red house with a wooden gate, five posted signs, and six mailboxes in the foreground. The house is surrounded by dark green grass, leading to a mountaintop in the background. A sign pinned to a tree reads “For Sale” along with other titled signs throughout the landscape.
This abstract presents a detailed analysis of the logistics needed to successfully achieve the collaboration between Michigan State University, the University of Nigeria, and other higher education institutions. It details the securement of proper documentation, professional contacts, and the extent of the curricula of this unique venture.
Florida A&M University President Dr. Benjamin L. Perry made bold statements during the Governor’s conference on education opportunities for the disadvantaged. He claimed that the only way to bring more fruitful educational opportunities is to address the problem at its root: white attitudes toward minority education.
Black Entertainment Television (BET) was the first cable network dedicated to African Americans. In February 1994, BET and the Young Sisters and Brothers Magazine hosted their first annual Campus Tour at Florida A&M University, with events on professional media opportunities and a special taping of “Rap City Live,” where OutKast performed.
This two-page spread comes from the 1981 Rattler Yearbook and features images from Black History Month events at both Florida A&M University and Florida State University. Prominent figures like Dr. Larry Rivers, Joseph “Joe” Lang Kershaw, and Dick Gregory were highlighted for significant events or visited the campuses’ to speak to students.
In this photograph, beaming Black soldiers smile and wave out the windows of a bus with the Southern Pacific Lines insignia on the side. Others stand around bags of luggage waiting to enter the transport. While Southern Pacific Lines was known as a locomotive company, this vehicle appeared to be a bus rather than a train car.
Robert "Bob" Hayes' bronzed track shoes commemorate his exceptional athletic achievements, particularly as a sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. Known as "Bullet," Hayes revolutionized sprinting, winning gold in the 100 meters and helping secure a victory in the 4x100 meter relay at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
This Bongo mask, intricately carved and vibrantly painted, reflects just how important art was to the Bongo peoples' heritage. A Central African piece known for its expressive features and elaborate designs, it serves a ceremonial purpose and is often used in rituals to connect with ancestral spirits.
This Bongo mask, intricately carved and vibrantly painted, represents the artistic traditions of the Bongo people of Central Africa. Known for its expressive features and elaborate designs, it serves a ceremonial purpose, often used in rituals to connect with ancestral spirits.
These images are from the spring of 1979 when Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, visited Florida A&M University to speak to students. Ture was a field organizer with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and coined the “Black Power” slogan, making him a key figure during the Civil Rights Movement.
This large ceramic plate created by Carroll Harris Simms features multiple textures, including a bubbling glaze covering most of the top of the piece. Simms worked alongside Dr. John T. Biggers to build Texas Southern's art department from the ground up. Simms' decorative artworks remain in high demand by collectors.
This large, brown ceramic plate created by Carroll Harris Simms features multiple textures, including a bubbling glaze covering most of the top of the piece. Simms worked alongside Dr. John T. Biggers to build Texas Southern's art department from the ground up. Simms' decorative artworks remain in high demand by collectors.
Within the documents Carrie P. Meek held were racist letters sent to her, like this one. This letter made inflammatory, discriminating, and disparaging comments about Black men, calling them “brutes” and comparing them to “thugs.” It also depicted a hand-drawn racist caricature of a tribal African holding a bloody, severed white person’s head.
The Tuskegee Airman Cockpit USA jacket, crafted in 1987, honors the legendary African American pilots who served during World War II. This leather bomber jacket features insignias and patches reflecting the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. Donated by former Tuskegee airman and FAMU alumnus Major Roy Spencer.
The Commodores were a popular band that peaked during the late 1970s and early 1980s due to co-lead singer Lionel Richie, who later became a solo artist. The group visited the illustrious Florida A&M University for a performance in 1975.
This painting, created by an unknown TSU art student, depicts the base of a tree or wooden telephone pole, with various smaller plants and vines creeping up its structure. Dr. John T. Biggers encouraged students to study the natural world and seek inspiration from it. He instructed students to sit outside for an extended period of time and observe.
James Reuben Reed was a painter born in Kansas City, MO. "Depressed" is an oil painting of a seated man wearing a tattered gray suit, a hat, and black shoes. He is leaning forward, whiting a piece of wood and looking toward the viewer.
Biggers’ drawing shows a woman and her reflection. The woman, positioned on the left side of the composition, looks slightly back over her left shoulder, while the sun creeps out from around her midsection. The woman is cradling a baby in her arms. Her reflection is drawn loosely with minimal details, and the two are separated by a line of plant and fish shapes.
