Black History Month Blog

Thank you for helping VCU Libraries celebrate Black History Month for a second consecutive year! We appreciate you taking the time to read, comment on, and submit posts to the Black History Month Blog, and we hope you discovered many new resources, events, people and insights pertaining to African-American History. If you would like to delve deeper into any of the issues or topics presented here, please be sure to ask a librarian for research assistance.

Now is your chance to let us know your thoughts about the Black History Month Blog project. What aspects of the Blog did you like most? What would you like to see presented next year? If you have any comments or suggestions, we would like to hear from you! Please leave a comment on this post with your thoughts, or e-mail Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian. This post will remain open for comments through Friday.

Again, thank you for your readership and your contributions to the Black History Month Blog!

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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An intern at the Birmingham News in Birmingham, AL discovered a box of never before released photographs from the Civil Rights Era that had been kept in a box since the 1950's and 1960's. The photos were stored in a box marked "Keep. Do Not Sell," but never published over concerns journalists of the time had over drawing attention to racial discord. The Birmingham News has published the photos on its Web site in a report called "Unseen. Unforgotten." See the full article for more details.

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research & Reference Services

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Click on Image for larger view

This image, from Special Collections and Archives at Tompkins-McCaw Library, shows registered nurses who enrolled in the public health nursing program at St. Philip School of Nursing in the fall of 1945. From 1920 until 1962, the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) operated a separate school of nursing for African-American women known as the St. Philip School of Nursing. With funding provided from the Social Security Act MCV initiated a public health nursing program at the St. Philip School of Nursing in 1936. A year later the program was accredited by the National Organization for Public Health Nursing and it attracted students from all across the southeastern United States. Standing left to right outside the Egyptian Building are: (first row) Rachael Henry, Cornie Mahome, Dorothy Woodson, Susie Peters, Inez Boldew, and Virginia Arnold; (second row) Willie MacGree, Katie Stinson, and Credella Finney.

--Jodi Koste, Archivist - MCV Campus

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One often overlooked aspect of Martin Luther King Jr.'s career is his opposition to the war in Vietnam. In April 1967, Dr King delivered what would be known as his 'Beyond Vietnam' speech. You can listen to his speech and view the transcript here: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm.

To learn more about the King's life and views, consult one of the many books held by VCU Libraries.

--Jason Morris, Library Specialist - Research and Reference Services

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The Library of Congress American Memory Project has 16 digitized collections of African American History available at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html. Among the collections are pamphlets from the Daniel A. P. Murray Collection [1818-1907], African-American Pamphlet Collection [1824-1909], Papers of Frederick Douglass, sheet music [1850-1920], slave narratives, and the plays of Zora Neale Hurston.

The American Memory Project is a model of national cooperation and learning technology. It brings together many different institutions and private interests to create, preserve, and make available primary source materials presented in multimedia formats for education and lifelong learning.

--Patricia Selinger, Head - Preservation Department

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VCU Libraries' Special Collections and Archives is displaying 20 photographs of the African Kingdom of Oyotunji, a village in Sheldon, South Carolina. The images were taken by Dr. Babatunde Lawal of VCU’s School of the Arts during a visit on the occasion of the coronation of a new leader, or Oba.

Oyotunji was founded in 1970 by Oba Oseijeman Adefunmi, formerly Walter Serge King, and embraces the Yoruba way of life. Yoruba communities derive their practices from African religious traditions and trace their roots to Nigeria and the diaspora. The religion can be found in many major cities in the United States, but this small South Carolina village has become a central focus of the movement. Practitioners travel from across the nation to celebrate Yoruba-related observances throughout the year.

To learn more about the Yoruba community, visit http://www.yorubanation.org/.

--Curtis Lyons, Interim Associate University Librarian for Public Services

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VCU Libraries & School of Mass Communications Lecture
Tony Brown
"Empower the People"
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
7:30 p.m.
VCU Student Commons Richmond Salons, 2nd Floor, 907 Floyd Ave.

The VCU Libraries, the Friends of the Library, and the School of Mass Communications invite you to attend Tony Brown's lecture in celebration of Black History Month. This event is free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street Parking Deck and the West Cary Street Parking Deck. If special accommodations are needed, contact Kimberly Separ or Antonia FD Vassar at (804) 828-1105 prior to Feb. 24, 2006.

--Kimberly Separ, Director of Development and Community Relations - Library Administration

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VCU Libraries' African American Biographical Database (AABD) abounds with valuable information including biographies and narratives pertaining to African Americans from 1790 to 1950. Here you will find accounts of both prominent figures as well as everyday persons including business leaders, former slaves, artists, athletes, writers, church leaders, homemakers, scientists, and many more.

To find a specific profile, you can search using the person's name, state/country, city/county, occupation, religion, birth and death dates, or gender. You can also search full text narratives for instances a person's name or a keyword in full-text resources, some of which include photographs and other images. In addition, the AABD allows you to browse the sources in the database, which consist of biographical sketches and narratives from fascinating primary sources!

Not only is the AABD a useful resource for finding biographies and conducting genealogical research, but you can also trace the histories of movements such as the Abolitionist movement and organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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Ninety-one year old Harold Slappy remembers Saturday nights in New York dancing to Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and other legendary jazz artists. He says, "To me, this is the garden of Eden." http://www.storycorps.net/audio/slappy.mp3 [MP3, 1:18 minutes]

This oral history is made available from StoryCorps, a national project that records individuals' personal histories and stories. The Library of Congress archives each interview, and National Public Radio broadcasts an excerpt each Friday on Morning Edition. For more information, visit http://www.storycorps.net/.

Mary Ellen Spencer, Head - Research and Reference Services

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As part of the Black History Month Blog, VCU Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives will post weekly images of African American life and history in Virginia from its collections. This week’s image is a postcard image of Richmond native Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949) taken from the Hunter Stagg Papers housed in Special Collections and Archives.

This image of Robinson was taken February 6, 1932 in Harlem. The print was made by writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964). The image was made into a postcard and sent to Hunter Stagg (1895-1960), a Richmond writer, book reviewer and a friend of both James Branch Cabell (1879-1958) and Carl Van Vechten.

To view additional images of African Americans taken by Van Vechten, visit an online exhibit of his work at this site sponsored by Brandeis University.

--Ray Bonis, Archival Assistant - Special Collections and Archives

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The Gullah are a people group most heavily concentrated in the Sea Islands (also called Rice Islands), which extend 160 miles along the South Carolina and Georgia coastline. They are descendents of slaves from the West African and Gold Coasts. During the antebellum (Pre-Civil War) era, the Gullah worked on rice, cotton, and indigo plantations in the low country, and were able to preserve much of their African heritage due to their relative isolation and ethnic majority in the region. Following the Civil War, many whites left the area, and the Gullah became yet more isolated as they took over the land formerly occupied by the whites. Many of the bridges connecting the islands to the mainland were destroyed during the war and remained unrepaired, reinforcing the insular nature of these communities.

The Gullah language continues to thrive today, and is the only Creole English still extant in the United States. Derived from African languages brought to Southern plantations as long ago as the 1700s, Gullah, or Geechee, maintains a surprising similarity to Caribbean languages such as Trinidadian, Jamaican, and others. The insularity of the Gullah community has thus far prevented widespread "decreolization," through which speech changes in response to the dominant language. Similarly, the community is also a striking anomaly in its preservation of African cultural, food, and religious customs. Their sweetgrass baskets and beautiful wood carvings can be seen in the Charleston market and in other low country communities still today.

For more information, see entries for Gullah in Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History (Cabell Reference E185 .E54 1996) and Encyclopedia of Southern Culture (Cabell Reference F209 .E53 1989).

--Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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Once again, VH1 is celebrating Black History Month with special programming and Web features. You can watch shows like "VH1 Goes Inside: Yo! MTV Raps," which airs today at 10pm, and "DMC: My Adoption Journey." VH1 also profiles prominent African-American artists such as Isaac Hayes and Mary J. Blige as well as new talent. See the VH1 Black History Month Web site for these features and more.

If you would like to explore library resources on the topics of Hip Hop, Rap and R&B, see VCU Libraries' new research guide at http://www.library.vcu.edu/guides/hiphop.html to find relevant books, articles and Web sites!

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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The Martin Luther King Newspaper Archive: The fee-based service NewspaperArchive.com
now offers a free archive on the history of Martin Luther King, Jr. for the viewing thousands of original newspaper articles. The archive includes stories from days of the Montgomery bus boycott, the "I Have A Dream" speech, King's
assassination on April 4, 1968, and thousands of other full-text news stories on the civil rights leader. A timeline
is provided to view newspaper stories in chronological order or you can search for articles with your own key words.

--Dan Ream, Head - Education and Outreach Services

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Last April, VCU Libraries launched its Archives of the New Dominion project to locate, secure and make accessible the paper history and archives of Central Virginia's under-documented communities, including the African-American community. African-American organizations and individuals have made and continue to make huge contributions to this region's 20th- and 21st-century history. Yet, their history has not been adequately documented. This initiative takes a proactive approach to their history and archives by working directly with the communities to identify organizations and individuals who are agents of change on behalf of their communities.

One such organization, the Richmond Crusade for Voters, has their records housed at VCU Libraries. The Crusade for Voters is just one of more than fifty collections created by, and pertaining to, African-Americans that are currently housed in the Special Collections and Archives Department. Founded in 1956, the Richmond Crusade for Voters have sought to increase the influence of African-Americans in the political process in Richmond, Virginia. Its goals have included increased voter registration among blacks, endorsement of candidates, and efforts to increase voter turnout. The collection was donated in 1995 by William Armstead Thornton, historian for the Crusade. The records span from 1953-1995 and include minutes, correspondence, reports, newsletters, newspaper clippings, campaign flyers, financial reports and other materials.

--Alex Lorch, Community Outreach Archivist - Special Collections and Archives

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• VCU Libraries Lecture
• Julian Houston
• Readings and a discussion of his novel, New Boy
• Sunday, February 19, 2006
• 7:30 pm
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• W. E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
• 922 Park Avenue

The VCU Friends of the Library and the VCU Libraries invite you to attend their 4th annual Black History Month lecture. Julian Houston will be reading from and discussing his novel, New Boy, on Sunday, February 19, 2006, beginning at 7:30 pm in the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Avenue. This event is free and open to the public. A book signing and reception will follow the lecture. Parking is available for a fee at the West Main and West Cary Street parking decks. If special accommodations are needed, please contact Kimberly Separ or Antonia FD Vassar at (804) 828-1105 prior to Thursday, February 16, 2006.

Julian Houston was born in Richmond, Virginia, and educated in the public schools of that city before attending the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. He attended Boston University and was a community organizer in Harlem during the civil rights movement. He is now an associate justice of the Superior Court of Massachusetts. Judge Houston has initiated a number of programs that build and strengthen relationships between communities, including Roxbury Youthworks, a development program for inner-city youth, and Long Road to Justice: The African American Experience in the Massachusetts Courts, a multimedia exhibit.

--Kimberly Separ, Director of Development and Community Relations - Library Administration

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The VMFA presents the following events in celebration of Black History Month:

Wednesday, February 15 at 7pm in the VMFA Marble Hall
"Darkroom: A Study of South African Photography and New Media 1950-Present."
Lecture by Tosha Grantham, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary art;
co-sponsored by the Friends of African & African-American Art.
Tickets are $5
$3 for VMFA members and students
Free for FOAAA members

Wednesday, February 22 at 11:30am and at 3:30pm
Black History Month Gallery Getaway
Featuring a3 blackface #5 by Iona Rozeal Brown
The event is free and open to the public

February 22, at 6pm at the VMFA Pauley Center
Poetic Principles series features Natasha Trethewey, winner of the 1999 Cave Canem Poetry Prize.
This award is granted annually for the best first collections of poems by an African-American poet. Trethewey is also a recipient of a 2003 Guggenheim Fellowship and many other awards.
Co-sponsored by the New Virginia Review.
Tickets are $6
$3 for VMFA members and students

Contact 804-340-1405 to purchase tickets in advance.
More information is available by calling 804-340-1400 or
by visiting http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/black_history2006.html

--Yuki Dixon, Collection Librarian for the Arts - Collection Management

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Edna Lewis, known as the Grande Dame of southern cooking, passed away yesterday at the age of 89. Lewis, the granddaughter of slaves, was a notable chef and cookbook author whose area of expertise was in Southern cuisine. A native of Freetown, Virginia, she was one of the first African Americans to author a cookbook, The Taste of Country Cooking, that would reach a wide audience and generate interest in authentic Southern cooking. While Lewis is now gone, her cooking was an inspiration to many chefs who carry on her tradition. Lewis was profiled on the Black History Month Blog last year (http://blog.vcu.edu/blackhistory/2005/02/edna_lewis.html) and you can also learn more about her life and influence at Epicurious.com (http://www.epicurious.com/cooking/holiday/black_history/lewis).

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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Juneteenth is an African American holiday celebrating June 19, 1865, the day when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to proclaim the news that all slaves were emancipated. There are various tales about why Texans didn't receive news of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, over a year and a half previously. Since the end of the Civil War, Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans throughout the country. It is often a homecoming event marked by picnics, baseball games, parades, and dances. Although often celebrated on June 19, many cities and states observe Juneteenth on January 1, August 4, August 8, and other times of the year. It is the oldest African American holiday.

For more information, see Holiday Symbols and Customs, 3rd Ed. Cabell Library Reference GT3930 .T48 2003 and Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, 3rd Ed. Cabell Library Reference GT3925 .H64 2005.

--Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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As part of the Black History Month Blog, VCU Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives will post weekly images of African American life and history in Virginia from its collections. This week’s image is from the University’s photograph collection and shows Jim Elam Addressing Students in VCU’s Shafer Court, 1970. Richmond native Jim Elam (1945- ) mounted his successful “The Art of the Possible� campaign to become the first African American Student Government President in 1970. His platform included a call for equitable treatment of all students, improved University relations with residents of Oregon Hill, student input on curriculum, more minority professors, and the establishment of an Afro-American Studies program. Elam graduated in 1973 with a degree in Social Work.

Visit this site for more information about African American history at VCU.

--Ray Bonis, Archival Assistant - Special Collections and Archives

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World War II heroes and civil rights pioneers from the famed Tuskegee Airmen will speak at Virginia Commonwealth University on Wednesday, February 15, 2006, 5:30PM at the VCU Student Commons Richmond Salon.

At a time when many people thought that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and patriotism, these dedicated young men overcame tremendous obstacles of racism and discrimination to serve their country and become America's first black military airmen.

From 1942 through 1946, 994 pilots graduated at Tuskegee Army Air Field. Many others were trained in operations, meteorology, intelligence, engineering, medicine, ground support, or any one of the other skills necessary to fully function as an Army Air Corps flying squadron or ground support unit.

The black airmen proudly displayed skill and determination while suppressing internal rage from humiliation and indignation caused by frequent experiences of racism and bigotry, at home and overseas. These airmen fought two wars - one against a military force overseas and the other against racism at home and abroad.

Their superior performance led President Harry Truman to enact an executive order directing equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces. This order, in time, led to the end of racial segregation in the military forces, and was the first step toward racial integration in the United States. The positive experience, the outstanding record of accomplishment and the superb behavior of black airmen during World War II, and after, were important factors in the initiation of the historic social change to achieve racial equality in America.

This event is hosted by the African American Graduate Association (AAGA) at VCU in recognition of Black History month. The AAGA was established in 2002 to promote fellowship, scholarship, and professional development for African-American graduate students attending Virginia Commonwealth University. The organization strives to enhance the pursuit of academic excellence throughout the VCU community. The AAGA’s purpose is to provide a support network for African-American undergraduate and graduate students and to promote cultural enrichment at VCU and the community at large. Additional information about this event and the AAGA can be found at www.studentorg.vcu.edu/aagavcu.

For more information contact:
Gary D. Futrell
AAGA President
African American Graduate Association
907 Floyd Avenue
P.O. Box 842032
Richmond, VA 23284
PHONE: 804-647-5860
EMAIL: aagapresident@yahoo.com

--Submitted by the African American Graduate Association

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While headwraps are a popular accessory among both blacks and whites, they have historic beginnings and are among the oldest clothing items still in use in America today. Prior to the Civil War, several Southern states enforced a law which required blacks to cover their heads in public but prevented them from wearing hats as did white women. Black women wore headwraps to meet this requirement, as well as to absorb sweat and keep their hair clean. Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion explains this, and notes that although women ceased wearing headwraps in public after the Civil War, they continued to wear them at home. African Americans involved in the civil rights movement reinvigorated the style when, in the 1960's and 70's they began to wear headwraps in public to acknowledge both their slave ancestors and their African roots.

Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion Cabell Library Reference GT507 .E53 2005

--Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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The McIntosh County Shouters are a group of men and women from the coast of Georgia who perform the African American tradition of congregational Ring Shout. Ring Shout is the oldest musical tradition of African Americans dating back to the antebellum South. According to their web site, http://hometown.aol.com/Shoutforfreedom/Shout.html, "The McIntosh County Shouters perform ring shouts and sing songs that Negro slaves were singing when they arrived by ship in Virginia in 1722. The songs are sung to many different melodies, their themes ranging from Biblical vignettes to Biblical themes translated to speak of worldly conditions such as those of slavery, to contemporary topics such as the scourge of drugs and the death of a fellow shouter."

The Ring Shout is characterized by the traditional call-and-response singing as members walk and dance counter-clockwise while one member taps the floor with a long wood pole. To hear songs from the McIntosh County Shouters, go to Media and Reserves on the third floor of Cabell Library and ask for these two CD’s:

Call # M1670 W3 1994 V2
African American Congregational Singing. Tracks 1 and 2.

Call # M1629 F656 1993
Folk Masters. Track 15.

For more information about the McIntosh Counter Shouters and the Ring Shout tradition, read the book, Shout Because You’re Free by Art Rosenbaum. It is located on the third floor of Cabell Library with the Call #, F292 M15 R67 1998.

--Kevin Murray, Evening and Weekend Services Coordinator - Research and Reference Services

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The following is a reminder that the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences and The School of Mass Communications are presenting "The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Role of the Press in the Civil Rights Movement� by Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker today at 11:00 a.m. in the Student Commons, Second Floor, Commonwealth Ballrooms (free and open to the public). For more details, please see our previous post.

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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Listen to Sam Harmon, a Navy veteran, recall a painful memory for his grandson Ezra Awimey. Mr. Harmon recounts a visit to Washington, DC that he calls "without any exception...the most painful recollection...that I have." http://www.storycorps.net/audio/harmon.mp3 [MP3, 1:31 minutes]

This oral history is made available from StoryCorps, a national project that records individuals' personal histories and stories. The Library of Congress archives each interview, and National Public Radio broadcasts an excerpt each Friday on Morning Edition. For more information, visit http://www.storycorps.net/.

--Mary Ellen Spencer, Head - Research and Reference Services

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The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs is offering a broad array of events in honor of Black History Month. Their Black History Month 2006 Calendar is full of events such as discussion groups, lectures, film viewings, book clubs, and more. You can also download your own copy of the calendar to keep up with all the activities!

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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The term African American Vernacular English (AAVE) refers to a variety of English spoken in some African American communities. Like other dialects of English, AAVE contains unique rules, patterns, and vocabulary. It is referred to as a "vernacular," as its use is almost exclusively limited to spoken English, and it is not often seen in written form.

One oft-cited example of its distinction from other varieties of North American English is the use of the verb "to be." The forms of this infinitive are omitted from phrases containing a gerund; "they are dancing" may become "they dancing." Yet the insertion of "be" into a phrase such as "they be dancing" is indicative of a habitual action.

However, AAVE is much more than just different syntax and vocabulary, and it is an important topic in sociolinguistic research. Though it is often connected to Ebonics and the highly politicized uproar in 1996 over the Oakland, California School Board resolution, most linguists maintain that Ebonics and AAVE are not completely synonymous.

Information for this entry came from the Concise Encyclopedia of Sociolinguistics (Cabell Reference P40 .C564 2001) and the truly fascinating Companion to Southern Literature (Cabell Reference PS261 .C55 2002).

Other works of interest include:

Campbell, Kermit Ernest. Gettin' our groove on : rhetoric, language, and literacy for the hip hop generation. Cabell Library PE3102.N42 C36 2005

Lanehart, Sonja L., ed. Sociocultural and historical contexts of African American English. Cabell Library PE3102.N44 S63 2001

Brown, Fahamisha Patricia. Performing the word : African American poetry as vernacular culture. Cabell Library PS310.N4 B76 1999

Rickford, John R. African American vernacular English : features, evolution, educational implications. Cabell Library PE3102.N42 R53 1999

--Renée Bosman, Government Information Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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African Americans have a rich culinary heritage which is connected strongly with family and community ties. In many ways, Southern food and African American food is indistinguishable because prior to the Civil War, slaves were responsible for growing, harvesting, butchering, and preparing foods for both whites and blacks. Since the 1960's, soul food has been part of a larger revitalization of African American identity and culture.

Although some African American foods originated in Africa (namely okra, black-eyed peas, and collard greens), the American South and outside influences were the primary sources of soul food. Over generations, African slaves in the South added dietary staples from Europeans (pork, chicken, sugar, peppers, potatoes) and Native Americans (maize, beans, catfish, shrimp, fowl). Because of the abundance of flavorings available in the South, soul food is characteristically high in fat, salt, and sugar and is spiced with various peppers and seasonings to make it among the spiciest (and tastiest!) food in the country. It still remains a staple in many families and has now spread beyond the South, often enjoyed at soul food restaurants as well as special community and family events throughout the nation.

Information for this entry came from an excellent resource available in Cabell Library Reference (GT2850 .E53 2003). Encyclopedia of Food and Culture is a tasty three-volume masterpiece with entries about individual foods (including African American food staples such as barbeque, biscuits, tea, chitlins, and fish), food preparation, nutritional information, various food customs, and much more. United States: African American Foodways is an excellent entry spanning several pages, and it provides a thorough overview of this topic.

--Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

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Take a few minutes during Black History Month to watch the slide show display in the lobbies of the James Branch Cabell and Tompkins-McGraw libraries. The slides celebrate the achievements of artists, dancers, directors, musicians, performers, scientists, and writers throughout American and world history. Each slide in the series focuses on a specific contribution in the arts or sciences, with a brief description on its importance and influence. Each slide also contains the location of the item within VCU Libraries, and a handout below the display provides a list of all the items featured in the slides. The slides will run throughout Black History Month, and additional slides will be added to the series. If you have a suggestion for including an item from VCU Libraries in these displays, please add a comment to the Black History Month Blog with your suggestion!

--Kevin Farley, Humanities Librarian - Collection Management

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Click image for larger view.

As part of the Black History Month Blog, VCU Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives will post weekly images of African American life and history in Virginia from its collections.

This week’s image is of First Rock Elementary School, Prince Edward County, Virginia, 1962. It was one of nearly a dozen schools for African Americans in the county. The main building shown on the right was used for grades 1,4-5. It had a pupil capacity of 120 and was built in 1939. The "temporary" building in the foreground on the left was used for grades 2-3. This was a frame building covered with roofing paper built in 1949 and had a pupil capacity of 40. The building had no windows. The school’s out house and another building can be seen in the background.

The image is from VCU Libraries’ Separate But Not Equal: Race, Education, and Prince Edward County, Virginia. It is an online exhibit that explores the history of the Prince Edward County, Virginia school segregation issues of the 1950s and 1960s. It contains documents and hundreds of images taken from the papers of Dr. Edward H. Peeples, Professor Emeritus at VCU, whose interest in the topic spans four decades. Included in this exhibit are images documenting the disparity between black and white county schools, documents written by Dr. Peeples and others analyzing the issues, a selected bibliography of materials, and links to sites on the topic.

--Ray Bonis, Archival Assistant - Special Collections and Archives

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Richmond's Black History Museum and Cultural Center has a new exhibit about baseball's Negro Leagues called, "Barnstormin': the Negro Leagues: 1920-1960." The museum showcases a collection of artifacts and memorabilia such as books, action figures, a Life magazine featuring Jackie Robinson and Wheaties cereal boxes to name just some of the items that will be on display. A Hall of Fame Room will feature the careers of Hank Aaron and others. See this Richmond Times Dispatch article for full details or call the museum at 780-9093.

Posted by at 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

During February, the History Channel will air a variety of programs in celebration of Black History Month. Program listings include Modern Marvels: George Washington Carver Tech [February 6] and First in Battle: The Black Panthers [Februrary 25]. The site also includes video clips featuring: Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Maya Angelou and Dick Gregory. For more details, see http://www.historychannel.com/blackhistory/.

--Mary Ellen Spencer, Head - Research and Reference Services

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The recent films "Get Rich or Die Trying" and "Fade to Black" will be shown tonight in the Commons Theater at the University Student Commons starting at 7 p.m. Both films star influential hip-hop musicians: "Get Rich" features Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, who portrays a former member of the drug scene who fulfills his dream to become a rap artist; the concert film "Fade to Black" features rapper Jay-Z and chronicles his influential recording, "The Black Album."

Kevin Farley, Humanities Librarian - Collection Management

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During February, the Biography Channel will feature biographical portraits of African Americans including Colin Powell, Denzel Washington, Rosa Parks, Jimi Hendrix, Nelson Mandela, Lesra Martin, Bernie Mac, Arthur Ashe, Malcolm X, Condoleeza Rice and Chris Rock. The Biography Channel Web site also includes biographical sketches and photographs of African American artists, heroes, groundbreakers and newsmakers.

Mary Ellen Spencer, Head - Research and Reference Services

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Two important films -- one based on the life of a groundbreaking film actress, and the other an influential adaptation of a classic opera that featured her -- will be shown tonight in the Commons Theater at the University Student Commons starting at 7 pm. Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) stars Halle Berry as the tragic Dandridge, whose talent and glamour was evident throughout her work and especially in the groundbreaking Carmen Jones (1954), one of the first all-black mainstream films to gain critical acclaim. Dandrige's career was beset by the racisim of her day and ultimately defeated by a studio system that could not find acceptable vehicles for black artists.

Kevin Farley, Humanities Librarian - Collection Management

Posted by at 5:24 PM | Permalink

At 7:00 pm this evening, Richmond's PBS station WCVW will present noted television journalist Tavis Smiley's rebroadcast of his interview with the late Coretta Scott King, wife of fallen Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Smiley spoke with Mrs. King in January, 2005 at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was ordained as a minister in February, 1948.

For more information about this special program to commemorate Coretta Scott King's passing, please see http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/tonight/.

Kevin Farley, Humanities Librarian - Collection Management

Posted by at 5:15 PM | Permalink

The Encyclopedia Britannica assembled an impressive array of articles, images, video clips, and multimedia presentations in its Guide to Black History at http://search.eb.com/Blackhistory/home.do. The timeline traces two millennia of black history, and the browse features enable you to pinpoint the central people, places, topics, and events covered in black history. The image and multimedia galleries provide snapshots of black culture throughout the ages.

Take a moment to explore this terrific resource!

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

Posted by at 3:32 PM | Permalink

In April of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now legendary "I've been to the mountaintop..." speech in Memphis, TN. Dr. King had traveled to Memphis to support striking sanitation workers and addressed a gathering at the Mason Temple. Taylor and Bessie Rogers were in the audience that night and heard Dr. King speak. Listen to their recollection of the address, given the evening before King was shot: http://www.storycorps.net/audio/rogers.mp3 [MP3, 1:35 minutes]

This oral history is made available from StoryCorps, a national project that records individuals' personal histories and stories. The Library of Congress archives each interview, and National Public Radio broadcasts an excerpt each Friday on Morning Edition. For more information, visit http://www.storycorps.net/.

Mary Ellen Spencer, Head - Research and Reference Services.

Posted by at 3:31 PM | Permalink

Today is the 104th anniversary of the birth of Harlem Renaissance poet, music critic, playwright and commentator on social issues, Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967). Hughes' work has influenced countless artists and writers, and his most memorable poems include "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "Night Funeral in Harlem," and the clarion call, "A Dream Deferred."

For more information about Hughes and his contributions to American poetry, visit The Academy of American Poets webpage at http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83.

Kevin Farley, Humanities Librarian - Collection Management

Posted by at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Department of African American Studies announces a lecture and book signing tonight, Feb. 1, from 6 - 8 pm in the James River Terrace on the second floor of the University Student Commons.

Authors Faye Z. Belgrave and Kevin W. Allison will speak about their new book, African American Psychology: From Africa to America. For more information about this event, please call 828.1384 or see this poster with event details (PDF).

--Kevin Farley, Humanities Librarian - Collection Management

Posted by at 5:50 PM | Permalink

All this month, PBS will air a variety of new and encore presentations that celebrate African-American history. The centerpiece of these programs will be a four-hour series by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. of Harvard University called African American Lives, which traces a group of African-American citizens through American history to Africa using DNA science. The series begins tonight! See the PBS Press Release for a description of all the programs as well as the dates and times they air.

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

Posted by at 5:39 PM | Permalink

BOOK reMARKS, the VCU Libraries book recommendation site, is highlighting books by and about African Americans throughout February. Read staff picks in fiction, nonfiction, and drama for great leisure reading in celebration of Black History Month.

--Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian, Cabell Library

Posted by at 5:15 PM | Permalink

Coretta Scott King passed away Monday night at the age of 78, but she will always be remembered for her work as a prominent civil rights leader and strong proponent of social change through nonviolent means.

Mrs. King was born on April 27, 1927 in Marion, Alabama. She graduated from Antioch College with a B.A. in Music and Elementary Education and, in 1951, she enrolled in Boston's New England Conservatory of Music where she earned a Mus.B. in Voice. It was here that she met her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was pursuing his doctorate at Boston University's School of Theology. The Kings were married in June of 1953 and had four children.

Mrs. King, a tireless civil rights advocate, worked closely with her husband in organizing and participating in sit-ins, marches, speaking events and various international trips. Coretta also took part in "freedom concerts" and often contributed her singing talents to civil rights efforts. Mrs. King was a long-standing advocate for peace and in 1962 she served as a Women's Strike for Peace delegate to the Disarmament Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

After the assassination of her husband, Mrs. King devoted her life to the continuation of Dr. King's work and philosophy of nonviolence. Among her many accomplishments, she established the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in 1968, and wrote her autobiography, My Life with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1969. Notably, she successfully worked to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday, which began in 1986.

To learn more about Coretta Scott King and her contributions to civil rights, women's rights and world peace, stop by Cabell Library for the Black Women in America series in the Reference area (Call Number E185.96 .F2 1997). Also, see Mrs. King's obituary on CNN.com, which includes photos and video clips.

[Source consulted: Facts on File Encyclopedia of Black Women in America: Social Activism]

--Jill Stover, Undergraduate Services Librarian - Research and Reference Services

Posted by at 4:18 PM | Permalink

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs announces a seminar to be held this Thursday, February 2, 2006 at 7:00pm in the VCU Student Commons: Whispers from the Dust: The Freedmen Records and African American Family History

After 140 years of languishing in the archives of the National Archives & Records Administration, the historically significant Freedmen records are finally becoming available for African American family history research. A special seminar will be offered to the community detailing developments about the Freedmen records and their application to African American Family.

--Kevin Farley, Humanities Librarian - Collection Management

Posted by at 3:59 PM | Permalink

VCU College of Humanities and Sciences and The School of Mass Communications present "The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Role of the Press in the Civil Rights Movement� by Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker. Thursday February 9, 2006, 11:00 a.m., Student Commons, Second Floor, Commonwealth Ballrooms (free and open to the public).

Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker's work in civil and human rights brought him to the attention of a seminary friend, Martin Luther King, Jr. King installed Walker in Atlanta as the first full-time Executive Director of the fledgling SCLC in 1960. Under Walker's administration, SCLC grew into a national power in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

Dr. Walker enjoys a well established record as pastor/theologian, civil rights leader, and cultural historian. He is a double graduate of Virginia Union University (VUU Undergraduate Studies class of '50 and The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, '53), and holds a doctorate from Rochester Theological Center. His graduate studies and research have taken him to the University of Ife in Nigeria and the University of Ghana. An exhibiting artist as well as a composer of sacred music, Jesse Jackson has called him "Harlem's Renaissance Man" because of his multiple gifts and varied careers.

Dr. Walker is regarded internationally as a human rights activist, recognized as the first African-American to meet with Chairman Yasir Arafat since the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and Jericho, and known as a church historian and prolific author, having preached on every continent with the exception of Australia. He is considered the nation's leading authority on the music of the African-American Church. His experience in government includes ten years as Urban Affairs Specialist to Governor Nelson Rockefeller, serving as a troubleshooter, quieting racial tensions that accompanied school desegregation and labor disputes.

Dr. Walker’s visit is one of several events celebrating Black History Month at VCU and is offered in conjunction with the course MASC/AFAM 474-"Minorities and the Mass Media" and the Association of Black Communicators.

For additional information, please contact Dr. Clarence W. Thomas at (804) 827-3772.

Posted by at 3:18 PM | Permalink