Amistad is committed to collecting, preserving and providing open access to original materials that reference the social and cultural importance of America's ethnic and racial history, the African Diaspora, human relations and civil rights. |
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Hancock Whitney Partnership Highlights Digital Exhibition for Black History Month |
The Amistad Research Center is pleased to partner with Hancock Whitney Bank to celebrate “The Things We Do For Ourselves: African American Civic Leadership in New Orleans.” This digital exhibition highlights leaders and organizations in education, business and philanthropy from the 19th century through the mid-20th century. You can read more about this partnership here.
Amistad and Hancock Whitney are also partnering with Dillard University for an online viewing of the exhibition and panel discussion on Wednesday, February 24 at 6:00 p.m. CST. Registration is available here.
Click here to view the digital exhibition.
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Recurring Donors Support Amistad Research Center |
Financial support of nonprofit organizations is always an important aspect of ensuring the vibrancy of our shared educational, cultural and social infrastructure. While the current pandemic has greatly affected the financial stability of many nonprofits in the United States, the Amistad Research Center has been pleased to see an increase in one particular area of giving to the Center – support through regular, recurring donations through our Network for Good page.
Some of Amistad’s current recurring donors, like Dr. Halima Leak Francis (right), recently shared their thoughts on support for the Center and the ease of the recurring donations through Network for Good.
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Amistad’s Collections Depend on Your Support |
Amistad’s mission to collect, preserve and provide access to historical documents is made possible by generous donations from individuals, families and organizations.
Do you have materials to donate? Please visit our collection development policy available here to learn more about how you may donate, or contact us at 504.862.3222 or info@amistadresearchcenter.org.
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Save the Date: GiveNOLA Day 2021 |
Mark your calendars for GiveNOLA Day 2021. The 24-hour giving celebration will take place on May 4th and is an excellent way to support nonprofits in the New Orleans region, including the Amistad Research Center. Look for more information on Amistad’s 2021 giving campaign as the GiveNOLA Day website is updated, but it is never too soon to plan your support this year. |
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Amistad Launches Digital Exhibition on New Orleans School Integration |
Will public schools be open or will they be shut down?
Will students be able to learn together in the classroom or will alternate teaching methods need to be employed? Will teachers be paid?
What is the role of local and state government in public school education during a crisis?
These are questions that have been on the minds of political leaders, school administrators, teachers, parents and school children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these were also the fundamental questions faced 60 years ago when the first public schools in New Orleans were integrated. In recognition of the 60th anniversary of the November 1960 integration of William Frantz Elementary School and McDonogh No. 19 Elementary School by four brave young girls – Ruby Bridges, Gail Etienne, Tessie Prevost and Leona Tate – the Amistad Research Center has launched a new digital exhibition examining the events leading up to and following what became known as the “New Orleans School Crisis.”
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Conversations in Color: SEEING BLACK with Kalamu ya Salaam and Eric Waters |
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Thursday, February 25th l 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm |
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In New Orleans photographers participated as both commercial and creative artisans. SEEING BLACK will present their work, ranging from pre-Civil War beginnings to the latest 21st-century examples. The architecture, people and culture of New Orleans is captured by Crescent City residents. No other city has such a wealth of historic and contemporary photography produced by Black photographers.
Our presenters: Kalamu ya Salaam (right, top) is an American poet, author, filmmaker and teacher from the 9th Ward of New Orleans. Salaam is the co-founder of the NOMMO Literary Society, a weekly workshop for Black writers. Eric Waters (right, bottom) has been a professional photographer for more than 35 years. He studied under the tutelage of the late Marion Porter, a very well-known and respected black New Orleans photographer and owner of Porter’s Photo News.
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Click here to register for this Conversations in Color event.
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Conversations in Color is sponsored by |
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Rural Training and Research Center Provided Important Aid to Black Farmers |
Formed out of the civil rights movement, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives was established in 1967 to create community-based economic development opportunities throughout the rural South for black farmers and rural communities. As the organization grew from a tiny office in Atlanta so did their vision for the future. Member cooperatives voiced a great need for practical vocational training; the FSC decided to build a training center to meet those demands.
The Rural Training and Research Center was established when the Federation’s leadership partnered with the Panola Land Buying Association to acquire 1,200 acres of land in Epes, in Sumter County, Alabama. The Panola Land Buying
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Association began as a group of tenant farmers who had been evicted from their farmland and had joined together to regain land for their members. An agreement was established between the Federation and the Panola Land Buying Association to work together to purchase the acres of land and, upon their success, a portion of the land would be distributed to the Federation to establish their headquarters.
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Cincinnati’s Reber Simpkins Cann Highlighted as Part of IMLS Grant |
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Reber Simpkins (third row, right) in the July 1920 Brownies Book.
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Published by the National Urban League in cooperation with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Negro Heroes was a comic book that featured illustrated histories of contemporary figures and lesser-known activists who fought for liberation and social justice. The comic book served as an innovative form of outreach dedicated to highlighting the diverse contributions and transformative legacies of Black excellence to young, African-American communities across the country. Honoring the transnational struggle for liberation, the second issue of 1948 included Toussaint L’Ouverture and the story of the Haitian Revolution. Blending popular culture with historical figures, Jackie Robinson donned the cover and Sugar Chile Robinson, child piano prodigy, was featured.
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The issue also highlighted educational advocate and leader Booker T. Washington; scholar, lawyer and first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Sadie T. M. Alexander; and Mabel K. Staupers, a nurse and lead organizer who fought for three decades to ensure Black nurses were employed in hospitals, the Army and the Navy.
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Kara Tucina Olidge, Executive Director, was appointed to the Arts Council New Orleans by Mayor Latoya Cantrell. Now in its fourth decade, the Arts Council New Orleans is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting arts and culture in the city. Its mission is to improve quality of life in New Orleans by supporting, activating and investing in our city’s greatest natural resource: our artists, cultural producers and creative community. Olidge's board service is for a three-year period beginning January 1, 2021.
Phillip Cunningham, Head of Research Services, was invited to speak with a panel of information professionals called "The Financially Savvy Librarian." He discussed financial issues that face the profession and how to plan for them. The event was hosted virtually on January 28 by the Special Libraries Association, New York and Encore chapters.
Brenda Flora, Curator of Moving Images and Recorded Sound, attended the Association of Moving Image Archivists virtual 2020 conference where she co-facilitated a roundtable session on "Prioritizing Labor Issues within AV Archiving."
Turry M. Flucker has joined Amistad’s staff as part-time Fine Art Registrar. Turry is also currently writing about fine art and activism at Tougaloo College during the 1960s. Prior to his work with the fine arts collection at Tougaloo, he served as Arts Industry and Visual Arts Director at the Mississippi Arts Commission, Civil Rights Branch Director at the Louisiana State Museum (New Orleans), and curator at Smith Robertson Museum (Jackson, Mississippi.) While at the Mississippi Arts Commission, Turry managed grant applications from single-discipline arts and cultural organizations. During his time with the Louisiana State Museum, he directed the planning and development of several special projects. While at Smith Robertson Museum, he initiated a new exhibition program which included organizing an exhibition of paintings by artist Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence, wife of famed American painter Jacob Lawrence.
Christopher Harter, Deputy Director, has been reappointed to two committees of the Association of College & Research Library/Rare Books and Manuscripts Section. He will serve on the Scholarships Committee and the Exhibition Awards Committee through June 2022.
Jasmaine Talley, Curator of Manuscripts, was elected to the Executive Board of the Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association (LAMA) for a two-year term; she will participate in the management and government of the affairs of the organization.
Dalawne Thomas has joined Amistad as Executive Assistant. She is assisting the Center’s administrative staff in daily operations and outreach efforts.
Laura J. Thomson, Director of the Archives Division at the Amistad Research Center, was pleased to participate in a webinar for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries to highlight ARC's IMLS-funded project, "A Range of Experiences: Documenting African American Women’s History and Achievements" on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. The project and collections highlight the work of ARC to open for research access the personal papers of sixteen African American women leaders active in a variety of fields, including the arts, social justice activism, labor activism, civic leadership, politics and business. Click here to view the webinar.
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