Ellison’s pair of murals speaks to political and social issues of the 1960s and 1970s. The murals express hope through resistance, in spite of the challenges facing Black America. In the middle, a bald eagle holds a broken lynch rope in its beak and “the law” in its talons.
Calvin Burnett was a graphic artist, illustrator, painter, designer, and art teacher from Cambridge, MA. Horseplay is a watercolor depiction of an interracial group of young adults socializing. Two pairs are in a romantic embrace, one pair is dancing, and a trio shares a cigarette.
House bills introduced during the Rosewood investigation specifying sections for various committees to review and address. These bills focused on documenting the events of the 1923 Rosewood Massacre and included provisions for compensation and the establishment of processes to support ongoing research and investigation into the tragedy.
This print by Roy Williams depicts a modest Christian worship house. The door is open, and the seats are arranged as if a service is about to begin or has just ended. A fireplace warms the church, and a path out the door snakes through a field. Dr. John T. Biggers taught students the craft of printmaking while he was a professor at Texas Southern University.
Noah is a Cameroonian artist who had a residency at TSU in Spring 2023. The work was inspired by Bamiléké masquerades and the Demeure 5 costume by Étienne-Martin, and is made of materials from second-hand shops in Houston. Noah wore the costume during an interactive procession down the Tiger Walk, TSU’s central campus walkway. The costume became part of the exhibition, Memory Palaces: Creations of Franck Kemkeng Noah.
Carter’s drawing is of Lee Otis Johnson, a former TSU student, organizer, and leader of the Houston Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Houston police repeatedly targeted Johnson, and in 1968 they arrested him for passing marijuana to an undercover officer, and a judge sentenced him to 30 years in prison. This injustice gained widespread notoriety, and “Free Lee Otis” became a rallying cry.
A button with a black and white photo of Huey Newton holding a shotgun. Huey Newton, alongside Bobby Seale, founded the Black Party for Self Defense in Oakland, California, in 1966. The Black Panther Party held an ideology of armed self-defense against the oppressive and racist forces of the United States government and police.
Hall's print depicts a seated woman with a dark aura around her. A candle sits near her feet, perhaps just having been blown out. Light from the moon reflects on her face, knee, and shoe. The sketched lines extending out from the figure may suggest her imagination expanding past her physical form. Hall later became a longtime art teacher in Houston Independent School District.
Idella Foot moved to the Farish Street District in 1931 and lived her entire life on multiple different streets in the district. Ms. Foote discusses her children and her church affiliation. She also talks about the changes the district has undergone over the decades, saying that the district underwent big changes after the older generation died.
This rare sculpture unearthed in Nigeria belongs to the Yoruba people of that region. It is believed that a single individual or workshop created this copper alloy sculpture between the 12th and 15th centuries to represent a king or highly respected warrior figure.
Lois Mailou Jones was an artist and art educator known for her costumes, textile designs, watercolors, paintings, and collages from Washington, D.C. Impasse De L'Oratoire Grasse depicts a dead-end market street in Grasse, France. There are several people in the piece: two smoking cigarettes, two in their windows, two shopping, and one person exiting their home.
A newspaper article from Daily News about the testimony of defense witness Dr. Arthur Davidson during the trial of Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) for the 1973 killing of a state trooper. He testified that the wound in her right shoulder showed that she was holding her right arm pointed straight when she was wounded in the shootout.
Hayward Oubre was a multimedia artist and educator from New Orleans, LA. In a Pensive Mood is a sculpture of a woman sitting in a worried position. Her hands cover her mouth and right eye as she sits with her left leg tucked under her right.
Jenelsie Walden Holloway was an artist and art educator from Atlanta, GA. In a World Alone is a sketch of a nude woman. The sketch depicts the nude woman in a reflective pose, sitting on a porch with a cityscape in the distance.
A newspaper article from The Black Panther telling the story of Patrice Lumumba, who became the first prime minister of the Republic of the Congo in June of 1960, shortly after Congo gained independence from Belgium. He was assassinated in January of 1961 and is an icon in the anti-colonial movement that was embraced by the Black Panther Party.
The artist boldly tackles the often stereotypical image of the watermelon while depicting the hypocrisy of organized religion in the Black community and the constant threat of the Klan. The large, reaching hands pull at a recent graduate, whose face is obscured by the watermelon they are holding.
Curnell's painting shows a field of crops stretching into a cloudy horizon, with four people working the field. Two men are actively picking, while a man and woman stand to the side, resting next to a water pail. The figures’ dress and posture seem to suggest that this may be a family farm, rather than a plantation scene depicting slavery.
The 1964 Vol. 1 and 1965 Vol. 2 editions of this newsletter promoted Florida's higher education, showcasing institutions like Bethune-Cookman, Stetson, and Florida Memorial. These editions highlighted the historical contributions and values of public and private colleges across the state.
Initial letters between President Gore and Negro District Agents regarding the 4-H Club, the Annual Agricultural & Home Demonstration Agents Conference, and efforts to enhance educational standards in Florida. These exchanges include invitations, detailed program statistics, and agents' personal information.
Mills’s mural depicts a nation in turmoil, with scenes of racial violence, and pushback by Black protestors. A figure lifts the American flag to reveal white supremacy. On the right side, Stokely Carmichael’s face bursts through the flag, alluding to the 1967 TSU Invasion. During the invasion, 488 TSU students were arrested and Houston Police fired almost 5000 bullets into the men's dormitory.
Calvin Burnett was a graphic artist, illustrator, painter, designer, and art teacher from Cambridge, MA. Insect is a painting of a dragonfly in a close-up perspective. The dragonfly is primarily bright green with long, thin legs, two white wings, and a dark blue head. A naturalistic setting of bright yellows, browns, and greens surrounds it.
A news blurb from The News Tribune about the failure of defense attorneys to have Judge Theodore Appleby disqualify Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) from her murder trial for the 1973 killing of a state trooper. Shakur was convicted in 1977 of the killing and escaped prison in 1979.
A colored image of the interior of the new Tuskegee Institute Chapel designed by Paul Rudolph, John A. Welch and Louis Fry. Welch and Fry were former Tuskegee students.
A newspaper article from The Daily News about Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) being in New Jersey to stand trial for the May 1973 killing of a state trooper and the federal suit her attorneys filed for alleged horrible living conditions and violation of civil rights. Shakur was convicted in 1977 of the killing and escaped prison in 1979.
A newspaper article from The Black Panther. Connie Matthews interviews Black Panther Party Member and assistant professor Angela Davis following her dismissal from the University of California in September 1969 after she had been fired by the Philosophy Department on the basis of her membership in the Communist Party.
A specialized team formed to investigate the 1923 Rosewood Massacre, collaborating closely with the Civil Rights Office. Through extensive research, interviews with survivors, and cross-referencing historical records, they sought to uncover the truth, hold the state accountable, and document the community’s painful history.
