The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was the first Black-led labor union. It was headed by A. Phillip Randolph, who created the organization to protect the African American men who worked for the Pullman railroad company. Photographer Snuffy McGill snapped this photograph at the union’s September 1948 convention in Detroit, Michigan.
After Florida A&M President Benjamin Perry told the State Board of Regents about FAMU’s overflow due to a housing shortage, the Board suggested he consider buying used mobile homes. Though it was a “strictly temporary” solution, this response to Perry bringing up a “negative climate for housing black students” was interesting, to say the least.
“Queen Rabbit,” by Earl Jones, features a mythical female rabbit. The center of the body includes an oval-like opening with identical circular holes on the legs and feet, creating balance. The rabbit’s ears are constructed with a removable crown piece; the same technique is used in several busts created by other Texas Southern artists.
John Farrar was a child prodigy who won the 3rd Atlanta Art Annuals at age 15. His winning piece, Queenie, is a realist depiction of a dog lying on a white sheet in a dark room.
James Conroy Yeargans was a painter from Kansas City, MI. Quest of Blue is an abstract painting with colored layers that create a myriad of forms. The word “quest” can be seen as the letters are connected by gestured strokes and lines.
A questionnaire about the Civil Rights Movement and its impact on Black people. The questionnaire has 14 yes/no/not sure questions and has not been filled out. Questions include: “Are you aware of the Civil Rights Movement?;” “Do you think it accomplished anything?;” and “Do you think Black people are in a good position today?”
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. Document containing questions submitted to the Brown III Plaintiff Attorneys by Defendant John Carlin, Governor of Kansas.
This newspaper article, dispatched from the Associated Press, was featured in the January 1923 issue of the Tallahassee Daily Democrat. It details the background of the massacre, the death toll, and the lack of information from the governor at the time, Cary Hardee, and other local officials.
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. Handwritten charts and spreadsheets by William Lamson analyzing total student enrollment and breakdowns of that enrollment by race in Topeka Public Schools.
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. An April 1985 report by Dr. Gordon Foster that examines racial segregation in Topeka Schools. He concludes that complete desegregation has not taken place.
A newspaper article written by Communications Secretary Kathleen Cleaver in The Black Panther. The article, in response to the Kerner Commission report ordered by President Lyndon B. Johnson to look into the causes of the 1967 uprisings in several U.S. cities, argues that the government hadn’t done enough to combat systemic racism.
A 1994 hate mail letter from Joseph Wilson, Jr. sent to Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Cuban-American U.S. House Rep representing Florida. The letter recommended shipping all of America’s “thugs” to a penal colony as an economic solution to crime; it also featured hand-drawn art – a racist caricature of a Black man with a gun and dollar bills.
This work by Raheem Bellard is a self-portrait of the artist, with his face illuminated by the sun, wearing a green scarf. Cool colors are used throughout the piece, which enhances the tranquility of the composition.
Rahman Saleem was a student at Smith Robertson School starting in 1956 when he was 5 years old. He talks about his experience at the school and tells other stories of his childhood in Jackson. The transcript is heavily edited with handwritten notes.
A letter from Coretta Scott King to Chaplain Johnson stating that she will not be able to speak at this time due to her trying raise money for the upcoming center.
A newspaper article from The News Tribune about Inez Garcia, a woman whose case became a rallying cry for feminists after she was acquitted for killing a man she says helped rape her. Garcia became a symbol for a woman’s right to defend herself. She says that she will go on to help other women who are imprisoned.
This rare cast iron collar, used to enslave individuals, symbolizes the severe oppression and dehumanization during the enslavement period. Designed to restrain and control, it reflects the brutality faced by those who were enslaved.
These rare cast iron shackles, used during the enslavement period, serve as haunting artifacts that symbolize the brutal reality of slavery. Designed to restrain and control, they reflect the dehumanization and suffering endured by enslaved individuals.
This legal document depicts a Decatur County, Georgia, civil lawsuit presided over by the Honorable Judge Carleton B. Cole and dated October 31, 1836. The writ requests Thomas Bishop’s presence at a meeting on the second Monday in December.
This legal document depicts a Decatur County civil lawsuit between complainant Mr. Lott and defendant Martin Hardin with the Honorable Judge Carleton B. Cole presiding. It is dated August 25, 1836.
Ray Bozell Converse was born in Isabel, Oklahoma, in 1912. His job with the Department of Agriculture brought him to Jackson in 1942 and 1955. He discusses opening a produce business and the effect of the Great Depression on his family. He also talks about living in Gulfport, Mississippi, during World War II. The transcript is incomplete.
After the Department of H.E.W. ordered Florida to submit its desegregation plan by early February 1974, Chairmans of the Black Coalition for Education, W. George Allen and Gilbert Porter, gathered B. L. Perry and other HBCU leaders to develop a plan. Perry mentions potentially filing ‘a minority report’ and clarifies ‘opinionated’ misinformation.
This collection contains correspondences sent in response to a Florida Times-Union article stating that the Florida legislative committee was to investigate communistic activities in higher education and a subsequent questionnaire sent out to Florida A&M faculty and leadership.
Reception lists from 1964-67 document the first and last names of guests attending official events at Florida A&M University. These records highlight the diverse attendees, including faculty, students, and distinguished visitors, reflecting the university's commitment to community engagement and institutional representation during this era.
Through correspondence and faculty recommendations, President Gore and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune worked together to strengthen their respective institutions. Their collaboration focused on exchanging ideas and fostering support, driven by a mutual commitment to educational advancement and the empowerment of their communities.
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. A report prepared in January 1967 by Topeka Public School District leaders concerning attendance area changes in the district and priorities for new buildings.
