Individual Donor Recognition

Clifton H. Johnson Club

$5,000+

Thomas Wirth

Cinque Club

$1,000+

Edgar John Bullard III

Charles C. Teamer, Sr.

Harriet Tubman Club

$500+

PamelaJune Banks-Anderson*

Benjamin A. Dent

Lee Hampton

Paul J. Leaman, Jr.

Ronald L. Wilson

Carter G. Woodson Club

$250+

Irene N. Ellens

Sybil Haydel Morial

National Association of Bench and Bar Spouses Foundation

Occidental College

Frederick Douglass Club

$100+

Kitt H. Alexander

Donald and Jacqueline B. Blackwell

Central Congregational UCC

Central St. Matthew UCC

Rebecca T. Cureau

Lori Dowden

Marvin Ellis

James D. Guidry

Willie Lee Hart

Christopher Harter

Andrea G. Jefferson

David Johnson

Josie Y. Lewis

Joseph E. Madison

Rev.  Dr. Calvin Morris

Doris Newton

Cynthia Prather

Lance Query

Rev. Paul Sittason Stark, M. Div

Margaret N. Stevens

Dr. Janice L. Sumler-Edmund

Williar St. Vil

Shirley Porter Washington

Cleota Wilbekin

Hugh Wilson

Sojourner Truth Club

$50+

Constance Black

Pamela Fleetwood

Edmond Gueringer

Dorothy Hall

Laura Holland

Marie Judge

Brendolyn M. McKenna

Maury and Florence Midlo

Rev. Robert Sandman

Ora Myles Sheares

Maggie Taylor

Phillis Wheatley Club

$49 and under

Della Baptist

Kathleen Bethel

Floretta Bufford

Sheila Randle

Andrew Salinas

Eleanor Strickland

Sharon Williams

Corporate Partner Recognition

Lewis Tappan

$50,000 +

Tulane University

National Historical Publications and Records Commission

UCC Local Church Ministries

John Quincy Adams

$1,000+

Chicago Friends of the Amistad Research Center

Louisiana Weekly Publishing Company

National Endowment for the Humanities

UCC Justice and Witness Ministries

Memorial and Honor Gifts

PamelaJune Banks-Anderson in memory of Ernest and Esther Banks-Anderson

Central Congregational UCC in memory of Dr. Clifton Johnson

Irene N. Ellens in memory of William and Haley F. Newton

Doris Newton in memory of William and Haley F. Newton

Thomas Wirth in memory of Dr. Clifton Johnson

*Active Pledge

Archives and Manuscripts Donors

Clarence Christian Papers, .2 linear ft.

donated by Clarence Christian

Jeremy Cooker Collection, 1 linear ft.

donated by Jeremy Cooker

William J. and Bernice McSweeny Papers, .6 linear ft.

donated by Lee Meitzen Grue

Burnell Robertson Papers, 1 folder

donated by Jocelyn LaFrance

John A. Bolin, Jr. Papers, .2 linear ft.

donated by Hazel S. Moore

Heritage United Church of Christ Collection, .4 linear ft.

donated by Hazel S. Moore

Mildred Katherine Ellis Papers, 7 linear ft.

donated by Cynthia Prather

James Herman Robinson Collection, 4 items

donated by Keith Royster

Suane-Duplantier Family Papers, .2 linear ft.

donated by Elizabeth Simmons

Llewelyn Soniat Papers, 2.4 linear ft.

donated by Llewelyn Soniat

Albert F. Sperath Collection, 2 linear ft. 

donated by Albert F. Sperath

Tom Thurman Collection, 2 linear ft.

donated by Tom Thurman

This undated carte de visite of Frances Lavinia Allen taken in Mobile, Alabama, can be viewed in Amistad's online database.

In 2009, Amistad Research Center announced plans for a new era in servicing scholars, researchers, and other constituents with the unveiling of a new online finding aid database. Funding was received from the Council for Library and Information Resources (CLIR) to implement plans for an archive and manuscript collection management system. The staff adopted use of Archon, an award-winning software program that allows for full-text searching of online finding aids and automatically publishes archival descriptive information and digital archival objects in a user-friendly website.  This dynamic software has opened up a significant portion of Amistad's historical papers and records online through an easy-to-use web-based public interface.

Assisted by interns, graduate assistants, and other volunteers, Amistad team members have populated the database with finding aids that were previously available only in hard copy and accessible only at the Center.  There are now over 100 guides to collections online.  These online guides include some of Amistad's core collections: the American Missionary Association and the American Home Missionary Society; the papers of artist Richmond Barthe and poet/playwright Countee Cullen; the papers of historian Gwendolyn Midlo Hall and civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer; ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­and others.

Amistad continues to receive positive feedback from researchers and donors who are pleased and impressed with the expanded access to collections and the user friendliness of the software.  The link to Amistad's online database can be accessed at our website (www.amistadresearchcenter.org) or directly at www.amistadresearchcenter.org/archon.

Image credit: From the Lucile Hutton Papers. May not be reproduced without permission.

Visitors from the Harmony House Senior Citizens Center.

The staff of the Amistad Research Center prides itself on providing knowledgeable and efficient service to constituents, ranging from donors to researchers to tour groups that visit the Center. The 2010 year was a banner year in terms of outreach to individuals with the Center hosting or co-hosting a number of exhibitions and public events that showcased the historically significant materials within the Center's collections. The Center's efforts were not without success as evidenced by last year's annual statistics reported by the Reference Department.  

All registered researchers who visit the Center and request material from its collections are asked to complete a short registration form that provides information as to patron category, purpose of research, and subject interests.  This information provides staff with statistics regarding collection use, subject areas of researcher interest, and the intended outcome of research visits to the Center, ranging from undergraduate research papers to scholarly publications and news articles. Statistics are also kept on queries by researchers who are unable to visit the Center, as well as the number of tours and non-research visitors who come to Amistad.

The number of visitors to the Center during 2010 was 37% higher than any of the previous five years, and registered researchers rose by 26% over 2009's totals. In addition, requests for reproductions of the Center's holdings (ranging from research photocopies to hi-resolution digital images for publications) rose by almost 60% over the previous year. During 2010, the Center processed close to 400 linear feet of archival collections, added over 1500 books to its library, and its online finding aid database now includes inventories for over 100 collections.

Materials on civil rights and desegregation collected by civic activist Natalie Midlo were processed thanks to a grant from the Keller Family Foundation, which, in turn, led to a donation by the Midlo Family in appreciation of Amistad's efforts.

These numbers reflect the efforts of the Amistad staff to increase access to the Center's wide range of manuscript, printed, and art holdings, which have, in turn, led to the increase in visitors and researchers. Increasing access also contributed to financial donations, whether from scholars who received outstanding service while conducting research or from individuals pleased that information regarding personal or family papers is now online and available to a global audience.

Amistad's mission to collect, preserve, and provide open access to materials related to ethnic history and race relations is based on partnerships with our many constituents. Last year's statistics reveal the success of many of those partnerships and the promise of an exciting future.

Intern Beryl Hunter

One of the ways in which the Amistad Research Center partners with institutions of higher education is to facilitate internship experiences for graduate students.  Typically a student agrees to serve and is contractually assigned as Amistad intern for a minimum of one semester, after which formal evaluation occurs. Exposure to the basic operations of the Center are provided during the internship.  Activities usually include supervision by the Amistad managers of acquisitions, processing, or library and reference services. Depending on individual curricula, interns also specialize in specific areas of interest, in which they are mentored and receive practical experience.

The following information was journaled and reported by a current intern.  The report is presented to emphasize to our readers the important role that these students play and to acknowledge Amistad's gratitude for intern contributions.  We are pleased to assist in the preparation and education of the next generation of archival workers.    

My name is Beryl, and I'm a graduate student in Museum Studies at Southern University at New Orleans.  For the past few months, I have interned in the processing department at the Amistad Research Center.  The initial reactions when entering the reading room are of respect as historical facts surround you. Every role in the Center from the director to the permanent employees, interns, and volunteers play a vital part at the Center. Working in an environment focused on cultural preservation, I am currently processing the Jason Berry papers (1966-1987), which are an important contribution to researchers of the Civil Rights Movement. The Berry papers document the development of a writing career during a period when the landscape of American society was rapidly changing.

Berry, a New Orleans native, is an acclaimed author, prolific journalist, and film director who has written extensively on Southern politics, culture and religion.  The documentation of Berry's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement provides interesting insight from the perspective of a young career-minded college graduate who landed a job as press secretary for Charles Evers, brother of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, during his bid for governor of Mississippi in 1971.

The Berry papers focus primarily on race relations, politics, and voting practices in Mississippi during the 1970s.  Articles, audio-taped speeches, correspondence, and video productions related to Evers' gubernatorial campaign make up the bulk of this collection.  Also included is correspondence from Berry's mentors: David Chandler, of Life Magazine; Hodding Carter III, of the Delta Democratic Times; and Berry Morgan and Walker Percy, both southern writers that Berry consulted for advice.

Berry's perseverance is impressive and inspiring, and processing the Jason Berry papers has been a very rewarding and informative experience for me

...Beryl