| Amistad Partners with History Class |
 For historians and scholars, accessing primary source material is fundamental to conducting research. During the Spring 2009 semester, Amistad made that task easier for researchers interested in the independence movements of various African countries, while at the same time providing valuable experience for the next generation of historians. Between January and May, the Center partnered with Tulane University history professor Dr. Elisabeth McMahon as part of her "Archiving Africa" course. The course included a service learning component in which Tulane faculty and students work with a community organization to incorporate service to the organization as part of the theme of the class. Students from Dr. McMahon's class assisted Amistad staff with the indexing of correspondence and inventorying of ephemera from over twenty boxes from the records of the American Committee on Africa (ACOA). The organization, founded in 1953, was based in New York and provided decades-long support for African struggles against colonialism and apartheid.
The students' work will provide Amistad staff and researchers with the ability to locate letters from various African political leaders and heads of state, including Kwame Nkrumah, George Padmore, Julius Nyerere, Tom Mboya, and others, as well as identify the various rare and unique publications collected by ACOA from various governmental agencies, nationalist organizations, and trade unions throughout the continent and housed in the collection. The increased access to the collection has already been appreciated by scholars interested in ACOA's history and activities.
"In over ten years of teaching, I have never seen a class embrace and take ownership in a research project as this class did with the ACOA materials," reports Dr. McMahon. The staff of the Amistad Research Center sends a hearty "thank you" to Dr. McMahon and her students for their assistance and excellent work.
Photo: Colonial Office. Report on the Gold Coast for the Year 1952. London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1953. From the American Committee on Africa Archives. |
| ARC-NOMA Partnership Announces New Dates |
Last year the nation's cultural arts communities and friends of Amistad were served notice to anticipate the fall 2009 exhibition of selected works from the Amistad Research Center's Fine Arts Collection. Presented in collaboration with the New Orleans Museum of Art, famous examples from Amistad's Aaron Douglas Collection, including representative works of Henry Ossawa Tanner, David Driskell, and Ellis Wilson, were promised as features of the exhibition.
The response was electric! Arts aficionados, scholars, researchers, and persons of general interest who have long envisioned an exhibition of the Amistad collection at a major venue were immediately positive in their response. Plans for the exhibition and the ancillary events began to take form, so much so that it is difficult to imagine a postponement and change of dates as being anything but disappointing.
Not so...since the change of dates beneficially accommodates a crowded museum schedule and offers more exclusive billing to the Amistad exhibition, giving the show dates through New Orleans' 2010 French Quarter Festival, Jazz Fest, and Essence Fest. We now announce Beyond the Blues: Reflections on African America from the Fine Arts Collection of the Amistad Research Center with one hundred paintings, works on paper, and sculptures by artists who worked from the late 19th century through 2008. The exhibition will occupy approximately 3500 square feet of the main gallery at the New Orleans Museum of Art. It will premiere April 11 and run through July 11, 2010, with plans to travel to selected venues during 2011 and thereafter.
Amistad's collections are an extraordinarily rich resource that includes artists' sketchbooks, letters, and oral histories that complement the fine arts collection. Beyond the Blues will fully integrate these complementary resources: in the exhibition by placing the documents/sketchbooks adjacent to the relevant works of art; in digital format on an accompanying website and audio tour; and printed selections in the educational materials and exhibition catalog. In conjunction with the exhibition, a full complement of public programs, including an educators' guide and free teacher workshops, a public reading initiative, music and film series, and docent-guided tours are being considered. The unique and appealing collaboration between NOMA and the Amistad Research Center promises viewers and participants numerous avenues of access into the complex history and experience of African American artists over the course of the past 125 years. |
| Amistad Remembers John Hope Franklin |
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The Amistad Research Center joined the nation in mourning the death of Dr. John Hope Franklin, educator, trailblazer, social activist, and James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History at Duke University. Dr. Franklin, one of America's preeminent historians and a chief chronicler of African American history and the history of the American south, passed on March 25, 2009.
Born in Rentiesville, Oklahoma, in 1915, Franklin endured and overcame the volatile racial climate of his youth, earning a B.A. degree from Fisk University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Franklin devoted tremendous energy and passion to expanding research and the full documentation of the Black experience in America. As a social activist, he protested lynching during President Franklin Roosevelt's administration, and served on the NAACP's research team for the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision. In 1997, he chaired President Bill Clinton's Initiative on Race.
Dr. Franklin was appointed the first African American to head a history program at a non-historically Black institution of higher education, when he became chair of the all-white, 52-member history department at Brooklyn College in 1956. A prolific author of over 20 books, he published From Slavery to Freedom: A History of American Negroes in 1947, which has gone through eight editions and is a cornerstone work in the teaching of African American history. His Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin (2005) chronicles his life and the transformation of America. The recipient of over one hundred honorary degrees, John Hope Franklin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995. His tremendous legacy includes his service as past president of the American Historical Association, the American Studies Association, the Southern Historical Association, and the Organization of American Historians.
Dr. Franklin, a long time Amistad friend and supporter, contributed significantly to the success of the Amistad Research Center and its mission to collect, preserve, and make available original sources of history for scholarly research. Amistad is honored to preserve Dr. Franklin's published works and original letters and speeches, which are sprinkled throughout the library and personal papers of scholars and civil rights records preserved in the archives of the Center. |
| Center Receives Grant to Catalog Newspaper Collection |
 The Amistad Research Center is pleased to report that The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation has awarded the Center $10,000 for support in cataloging the African American School Newspapers Collection, a recent "discovery" described in our December 2008 edition of e-Amistad Reports. The grant was made in the memory and honor of historian John Hope Franklin.
This rich and extensive collection consists of 167 titles from 121 African American elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, community colleges, universities, and professional schools - almost exclusively from Southern institutions. The bulk of this collection is from the 1930s and 1940s, and together the collection chronicles African American campus life, educational developments, and more widely, American social history at this crossroads in American history - through the Great Depression and into WWII. Nearly 60% of the titles are not reflected in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) national catalog, and it can be assumed that for many of these titles the only extant copies are represented in this collection.
It is fitting that among the institutions represented in this collection is Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, John Hope Franklin's alma mater. The school's publication, The Washington News-Flash, is not yet reflected in OCLC. In his autobiography, Mirror to America, Franklin reflected upon his years at Booker T. Washington High School, and offered tribute to his principal, Ellis W. Woods: "Presiding over this educational enterprise was one of the most remarkable men I have ever known. Quiet but efficient, friendly but demanding, Ellis W. Woods did not possess the talent to intimidate. And living in a segregated society with inferior facilities at the school and a curriculum that was inadequate by any standard, the last thing we needed was intimidation from within. Knowing better than we did the degree to which we suffered from inequalities that made a mockery of the doctrine of separate but equal...Principal Woods instilled enough self-confidence in us almost to compensate for them."
"An objective with the cataloging is to provide more subject headings than is typical for serials cataloging, to facilitate researcher access all the more," says Andrew Salinas, who authored the proposal. "Due to the ephemeral nature of newspapers and the fact that the collecting of African Americana was not widely emphasized at the time of the newspapers' publication, we cannot ignore our role as stewards of these important surviving American heritage resources."
Photo: This January 27, 1949, issue of The Washington News-Flash notes the passing of Franklin's beloved principal, who assumed that position for over thirty years at Booker T. Washington High School. Also of note, the article "Our Assemblies" at the bottom of page one notes a visit to the school by Franklin and reflects his continued relationship with his alma mater. |
| Oral History Project Chronicles Hurricane Survivors |
 Between September 2005 and August 2008, oral historian D'Ann R. Penner conducted over 275 interviews with individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. An outgrowth of those interviews, Overcoming Katrina: African American Voices from the Crescent City and Beyond, edited by Dr. Penner and Keith C. Ferdinand, includes narrations by 27 individuals who survived the hurricane and its aftermath. The book has been published by Palgrave Macmillan. According to the publisher's website, Penner and Ferdinand's book "approaches the question of why New Orleans matters, from perspectives of the individuals who lived, loved, worked, and celebrated life and death there prior to being scattered across the country."
During her research Dr. Penner was affiliated with the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis, the Amistad Research Center, and most recently with the Center for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University. Dr. Ferdinand is the founder of Heartbeats Life Center, a cardiovascular clinic in the Ninth Ward, which was destroyed during Katrina. He is the Chief Science Officer for the Association of Black Cardiologists, director of cardiovascular health at St. Thomas Community Health Center in New Orleans, and a clinical professor of medicine at Emory University.
Many of the interviews by Dr. Penner and others involved with the project were conducted in seven southern states, and took place in shelters, homes, hotels, churches, and restaurants. All of the interviews have been transcribed in full. Interviewees included individuals who had lived throughout the Greater New Orleans area, as well as Port Sulphur, Louisiana, and Pascagoula, Mississippi. During her work, Dr. Penner deposited copies of over 100 of her interviews and transcripts at Amistad, which will be available as the Saddest Days Oral History Collection. The collection will be open to researchers in the future. |
| An Intern's Experience |
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This semester Amistad was fortunate to host Xavier University student Chianta Dorsey, who recently completed an internship at the Center. Ms. Dorsey relates her experience learning about archival arrangement and preservation below.
When I first signed up for the history internship class at Xavier University, I had no idea where I would be placed nor was I even aware of the choices that were available to me. I am a history major so I wanted to take full advantage of an opportunity that allowed me to put my knowledge of history to use. My initial thoughts centered on not wanting to be stuck in a place where I would be given busy work and little real world experience. When my professor suggested the Amistad Research Center, I was pretty excited because I heard about the Center and its reputation for having an extensive archives for scholarly research. There were numerous occasions in which my professors suggested the Center because of the extensive documents and sources it preserves.
Upon my first meeting with the staff and after each discussed their respective departments, I already had a good idea that I wanted to work with the processing of the Center's archival collections. The reason why I chose to do processing is because I felt it would be both a hands-on experience and a challenge. I was also eager to familiarize myself with the preservation of papers within an archives. During my first day, I was informed about what was expected of me and given instruction on methods of preservation. I am very grateful that the staff trusted me and had enough faith in my abilities to allow me to work independently on the collection I was assigned. Laura Thomson, Director of Processing, gave me a lot of guidance, and I am thankful that she was patient throughout all of my constant questioning.
I arranged the papers of Homer C. McEwen, a pastor of First Congregational Church in Atlanta. There were many newspaper clippings in McEwen's papers that focused on the civil rights era in Atlanta and the political atmosphere of the 1960s. This aspect of the collection appealed to my love of history and special interest in African American history. Processing the collection involved a lot of work, organization, and attention to detail. I learned that arranging a collection is similar to giving order to someone's life, and this is why it should be treated with serious attention. I enjoyed my experience at the Center and I am thankful that the staff was very helpful and embraced me as one of their own. I would definitely suggest students do an internship at the Center if they are interested in history or archival preservation. |
| Working at Amistad: A Volunteer's Perspective |
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Amistad also benefitted recently from volunteer efforts by a wonderful group of visitors from New Jersey. Margaret Stevens shares her group's impressions of their visit:
We came to New Orleans as part of a group of about 35 volunteers who are members or friends of the Unitarian Church in Summit (a suburban community in New Jersey west of Newark). Most of our group worked on projects to repair homes, recreation centers, and a food pantry. A few of us, with physical limitations, were fortunate enough to be assigned to work on projects at the Amistad Research Center. Over the course of the week, we sorted through collections of letters and documents that had been donated to the center, protected photographs that chronicled civil rights history by placing them in Mylar envelopes, indexed collections of newspapers, jazz recordings and church documents, and created labels for the Center's collection of journals and magazines.
Each evening when we returned to our dorm, our various teams reviewed what we had worked on each day and what we had learned about the effects of Katrina on New Orleans. The other groups talked about the poor conditions at the places where they were working and how much work was needed to make them useable and livable. Initially, our group felt a bit guilty about working in a beautiful, air-conditioned library surrounded by art and nearby student cafeterias on the Tulane and Loyola campuses. However, as the week progressed, we realized the value of what we were doing for New Orleans and for the African American and other ethnic communities in the city and around the country.
We learned that more than homes and lives were lost due to Katrina. Many collections of papers and documents that had been kept in people's homes were lost due to the flooding. This documentation of African American history cannot be replaced although the Center is collecting oral histories to document the material that had been lost. Fortunately, the Center was not affected by the flooding, nor was its storage facility. One of the collections that we helped work on was received on the Saturday before Katrina and thus survived the storm.
The time we spent at the Center gave us a unique opportunity to look at the history of the Civil Rights Movement and African American history in the United States that many people do not have. The photographs we saw included a picture of Martin Luther King's coffin during his funeral procession and a picture of civil rights leaders on the steps of the Supreme Court. We knew these were personal photographs taken by a participant in these historic events. We read letters and newspaper articles from these times as we were sorting and indexing them. We found time to read articles from some of the journals that we were helping to organize.
After our week at Amistad, we realized that there are many ways in which volunteers can help rebuild New Orleans. We learned how Katrina affected the lives of the staff at the Center and how they have focused on rebuilding and maintaining this important archival treasure. We hope to continue to help with this effort in the future. |
| Plessy v. Ferguson Historical Marker Unveiled |
 The corner of Press and Royal Streets in New Orleans was the sight of a major event in civil rights history, but until recently, visitors to the corner found no information regarding what transpired there in 1892, nor its significance. However, the dedicated work of community activists and scholars came to fruition on February 12, 2009, when a plaque was unveiled to mark the site where Homer Plessy was arrested for purchasing a ticket for the commuter train from New Orleans to Covington, Louisiana, and sitting in a car reserved for whites. Plessy's actions were part of a planned act of civil disobedience orchestrated by the Comité des Citoyens (Citizens' Committee) against Louisiana's Separate Car Act, which eventually resulted in the Supreme Court case, Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896.
Speakers at the ceremony included historian and Plessy scholar Keith Weldon Medley, historians Lawrence N. Powell and Raphael Cassimere, and Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernadette J. Johnson, all of whom spoke about the significance of the actions undertaken by Homer Plessy and the Citizens' Committee. The event also marked the founding of the Plessy and Ferguson Foundation for Education, Preservation, and Outreach, an organization developed by Phoebe Ferguson and Keith Plessy, descendents of the principals of the legal case, to promote the teaching and understanding of the events of 1892-1896, as well as Louisiana history and the Civil Rights Movement in general.
Collected material related to the Plessy v. Ferguson case and the Comité des Citoyens can be found at the Amistad Research Center within the papers of Nils R. Douglas, Charles B. Rousseve, and A.P. Tureaud. |
| Amistad Participates in Conservation Assessment Program |
The Amistad Research Center was chosen to participate in the 2009 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP), and joined the 2,500 museums and other institutions that have participated in CAP since the program began in 1990. Heritage Preservation's CAP is supported through a cooperative agreement with the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, and provides funds for professional conservation and preservation specialists to identify the conservation needs of collections and historic buildings and recommend ways to correctly improve collections and building conditions. Heritage Preservation's President, Lawrence L. Reger, praised the Amistad Research Center for "making the vital work of caring for collections and sites a priority at their institution and helping ensure that they are available to present and future generations."
Professional conservators spent two days surveying the site and three days writing comprehensive reports that identified conservation priorities. The on-site consultation will enable the Amistad Research Center to evaluate its current collections care policies, procedures, and environmental conditions and make appropriate improvements for immediate and long-range care of collections and the buildings that house them. Amistad expects to plan and implement preservation programs to preserve original documents and provide resources for research on America's ethnic history, the African Diaspora, human relations, and civil rights.
Heritage Preservation is the national organization dedicated to preserving our nation's heritage. Its members include museums, libraries, archives, historic preservation organizations, historical societies, conservation organizations, individual professionals, and other groups concerned with saving the past for the future. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 15,000 museums. Its mission is to grow and sustain a "Nation of Learners" because life-long learning is essential to a democratic society and individual success. |
| Requiem |
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Emile LaBranche Jr. (1919-2009)
On April 19, 2009, pharmacist and educator Mr. Emile LaBranche Jr. passed, leaving a legacy of New Orleans education and community activity. Mr. LaBranche was born in 1919, one of three children of Dr. Emile J. LaBranche Sr. and Gertrude LaBranche, who started the family business, LaBranche's Drug Store in 1907. It was a fully owned and operated African American business, which boasted a diverse clientele.
Emile LaBranche Jr. graduated from the School of Pharmacy of Xavier University in 1939 and attained a master's degree in 1941 in business administration from Atlanta University. He was decorated with the Bronze Star for his World War II service. After the War, he continued as a member of the Army Reserve where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, retiring in 1971. Mr. LaBranche became a full-time member of Xavier University's pharmacy faculty in 1946, and also worked in the family store in the evenings from 1948 to 1971. He served as the president of the National Pharmaceutical Association and chairman of the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum Commission.
Mr. LaBranche donated a small collection of family papers to the Amistad Research Center in 2002. The collection not only documents the history of the LaBranche family in New Orleans, but the establishment of Flint-Goodridge Hospital as part of Dillard University. The collection also contains materials from Straight College, photographs of LaBranche's Drug Store, and lovely family photographs dating from 1900 to the 1950s. The Center regards LaBranche's papers as a significant piece of New Orleans family and business history.
Photo: LaBranche's Quick Delivery truck, undated. From the Emile LaBranche Sr. Papers.
Jeffrey Cook (1961-2009)
 The New Orleans art community gathered at Ashe Cultural Center in a Memorial Tribute to mixed media visual artist, sculptor, and dancer Jeffery Cook. Widely known for his community inspired works, Cook graduated from McDonogh #35 High School and studied painting, drawing, and sculpture at Xavier University with John Scott and Martin Payton. He transferred to the San Francisco Art Institute in California and later earned the position of "principle dancer" with the Los Angeles Repertory Company. As a member of this troupe, he visited Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy, Hong Kong, and performed in major cities across the United States. After returning to New Orleans, Cook began focusing his attention on creating art. He often gathered materials that others perceived as trash, and garnered a sincere interest in creating box-like constructions. In 1996, he presented his Dogon Box # 1 to the Amistad Research Center. Cook's works were featured in exhibitions in "The African Voice Through Art Tour" in Ghana, Togo, and Côte d'Ivoire with the Nana Kwadwo Adu II Foundation for Ghana, Inc. Group Exhibition. Popular in the New Orleans art community, Cook's works were shown in exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Center, Xavier University, Barrister's Gallery, the Stella Jones Gallery, the New Orleans Museum of African American Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Amistad Research Center. Other venues included the Wall Street Building (New York), the Delfina Studio Trust (London), and the W.E.B. Du Bois Center (Accra, Ghana). His experiences during Hurricane Katrina were the basis of a 2008 opera by Jay Weigel and Harold Sylvester called 7 Days in Paradise, in which Cook shared his gifts of dance and art dressed as a character called "Debris Man".
Photo: Artist Jeffrey Cook with Dogon Box #1. Photo by Mark & Kim Ford Photographers. | |
Amistad will host a double reading by authors Orissa Arend and Robert Hillary King on Tuesday, May 19, from 4:00-6:00 pm.
