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. Court order from United States District Judge Richard D. Rogers granting the plaintiff request to increase the scope of the case and alter the trial opening dates.
“Margaret Walker Reads Margaret Walker And Langston Hughes” was released on vinyl in 1975 by Folkway Records. On the record, Margaret Walker reads her poems as well as poems by the renowned American poet Langston Hughes.
The Black likeness featured on vintage Cream of Wheat cans represents a historic portrayal of African American culture in advertising. Often depicting a smiling chef, this imagery reflects the era's complex relationship with race and representation in the food industry.
This drawing by Dr. John T. Biggers depicts a family caught up in a wild storm that is swirling around them. Biggers' artwork frequently highlights family dynamics and the centrality of mothers. Biggers appears to have later repurposed this sketch and added additional floral details to create his 1992 print Metamorphosis III.
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.
This is a brochure for Watson’s senior art exhibition. The culmination of the Texas Southern art curriculum is a senior exhibition where students showcase artwork created over the course of their undergraduate studies. The brochure features a catalog of the artwork featured in the exhibition, a photo of his terracotta sculpture, and a photo of one of his paintings.
Watson’s senior notebook includes his written philosophy of art, photographs of the artist’s works and his process, and a copy of his 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.
“Shrine,” by Curtis Watson Jr., features a duck-like creature surrounded by various embellishments, including spirals, a commonly used visual motif in the student terracottas. Unfortunately, the head of the figure is missing, leaving only the body in view. The full sculpture can be seen in archival photos shot by Dr. John T. Biggers of the artist at work.
Jones’ surrealistic mural depicts bald, cyclops-like men conducting a television broadcast. Jones incorporated architecture into the design by using a window, since painted over, as the camera’s lens. A man beneath the camera carries a torch with a strong, flowing flame.
Jafar’s terracotta depicts a mother figure carrying her child on her back. The exterior of the sculpture is smooth and lacking any of the motifs that are normally featured on Texas Southern students’ terracottas, perhaps suggesting the sculpture was left unfinished. The mother and child relationship is one of the most frequently featured themes in the artwork of students of Dr. Biggers and Professor Simms.
The face mask is from the Dan (Yacouba) ethnic group of Cote D'Ivoire and Liberia and is spiritually meaningful. The mask has simple facial features with small slits for eyes, a broad nose, and protruding lips and may be worn by dancers, athletes, and warriors.
Etienne created her painting, “Dancing Still Life,” as part of a class assignment based on objects within her home. Etienne selected these figures, which her mother collected from the National Museum of African American History & Culture, white orchids in a blue pot, and a glass dish from her grandmother's home. A graduate from Texas Southern University, Etienne emphasizes femininity, movement, and flowers in her art.
This unknown student’s bust was created during their time as an art student at TSU. Under the instruction of Professor Carroll Harris Simms, artists would create self-portraits embellished with decorations like spirals and accentuated crown pieces, like in this sculpture. These busts are inspired by Nok terracotta sculptures and Ife busts, which Simms saw during his travels to Western Africa. This bust is different from others due to its black ceramic and large rectangular base.
This dark wood carved African chair features intricate facial and head carvings at the top, embodying rich cultural artistry and spiritual significance. Traditionally used in ceremonial contexts, it reflects the craftsmanship and storytelling inherent in African art. Donated by Tallahassee locals Calynne and Louis Hill.
A list of questions to establish the procedures for cataloging the Good Old Days Oral History Project into the Library of Congress. Details include description and scope of the project, the size of the collection, research restrictions, and proper citation.
A newspaper article from The News Tribune about testimony in the Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) trial for the 1973 killing of a state trooper. The prosecution objected to Shakur taking a photograph of her daughter to the stand for her testimony, and the judge upheld the objection on the grounds he felt it might sway the jury.
The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War medal (1861-1865) honors female descendants of Union soldiers. This FCL (Fraternity, Charity, Loyalty) medal features symbolic imagery from the Civil War era, representing service and sacrifice.
Henry Wilmer Bannarn was an educator, sculptor, painter, and sketch artist best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance. Daywork is a limestone sculpture of a woman doing domestic labor. The female subject appears to be kneading something with raised shoulders.
Wilmer Jennings was a printmaker, painter, and jeweler from Atlanta, GA. Dead Tree depicts a small landscape of a large leafless tree and a barn with a gate. Wilmer’s hatching technique creates a range of both shadows and light throughout the scenery. The tree sitting in the foreground has a dark tone emphasizing it as the main subject.
Ellison’s painting reflects the brutality and grief experienced by the Black community. In the foreground, a skull is pierced by the American flag. On the right side, a headstone honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. is surrounded by nude mourners. In the background, a shadowy dove spreads its wings, perhaps representing MLK’s dream of peace being obscured by white supremacist violence.
Veterans Village was a housing program created to assist veterans who wished to pursue higher education at Florida A&M College. After First Lieutenant James R. Polkinghorne, Jr., a FAMC student, lost his life in battle in 1948, Veterans Village was dedicated in his honor. These documents detail the process of that feat and the ceremony following.
This is a brochure for Curnell’s senior art exhibition. The culmination of the Texas Southern art curriculum is a senior exhibition where students showcase artwork created over the course of their undergraduate studies. The brochure features a photo of Curnell, a brief biography, a catalog of the artwork featured in the exhibition, and photos of several of her artworks and designs.
Estella W. Johnson was an artist from New York, NY. Delancey Street, N.Y.C., is a watercolor depiction of a multi-use building in New York. There is a red brick apartment above a storefront with a fire escape. There is also a woman watering plants out of her window.
A newspaper article from The Topeka Capital Journal about the cross-examination of expert witness William Lamson by defense attorney Gary Sebelius. Lamson testified about the demographics of Topeka schools and gave analysis on school district boundaries, the placement of portable buildings at schools, and more.
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.
Irabell Cotton was a multidisciplinary artist from Harris, Oklahoma. Despair is a marble sculpture depicting a person in an anguished pose. The figure is balled into itself, with its head in one hand and the other arm wrapped around its shoulder.
James Newton was a painter, printmaker, scholar, and professor from Delaware. Desperate Faith is a print depicting a mystical figure riding a unicycle as another figure watches. The dark, eery background contributes to the surrealism of the piece.
This is a universal scene of the despair and struggle facing a group determined to survive. The lone tree in the moonlight starkly symbolizes the darkness surrounding the scene (center left panel), while the tree rising from a swamp (leftmost panel) suggests hope with the bird, butterfly, and waterlily indicating transformative beauty.
