The HCAC public history focused digital archive cataloging is an ongoing process, and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. We welcome your comments and feedback if you have more information to share about an item featured on the site, please contact us at: HCAC-DigiTeam@si.edu
Two photographs of brochures for the Smith Robertson Neighborhood Folklife Festival, April 9-11, 1983. The festival was a one-time grant sponsored event held on the grounds of the Smith Robertson Museum to celebrate the rich history and culture of the Farish Street Historic District.
Case Data and Exhibits for Brown III, a relitigation of Brown v. Topeka Board of Education (1954) that corrected resegregation issues caused by open enrollment school choice in 1992. This brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals argues that Former Kansas Governor John Carlin did not have the power to affect desegregation and should not be a defendant.
A list of companies doing business in South Africa. The memo suggests that people boycott these companies because of apartheid, South Africa’s institutionalized system of racial segregation that lasted from 1948 until the early 1990s. The memo also suggests for people to write to the companies and speak to store managers about the boycott.
A flier listing the different companies that fall under the ownership of business conglomerate Beatrice. The memo suggests that people boycott these companies because of South Africa’s institutionalized system of racial segregation that lasted from 1948 until the early 1990s, known as apartheid.
The letter is a book proposal that Gil Gardner (from the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury) is looking for Frankye Adam Johnson's participation with. The research focuses on women who carry out political violence.
A button with a black and white photo of Bobby Seale. The Black Panther Party for Self Defense was founded in 1966 by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California. Rooted in Black Power and Marxist-Leninist ideologies, the Black Panther Party would soon spread with branches all over the United States.
Bob Bullard was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1905. Mr. Bullard discusses his earliest recollections of Jackson, Mississippi, forms of entertainment, church life, and school life. He recalls the “Good Old Days” as the days he attended Poindexter Junior High School and worked in his father’s brickyard.
Case Data and Exhibits for Brown III, a relitigation of Brown v. Topeka Board of Education (1954) that corrected resegregation issues caused by open enrollment school choice in 1992. A 1946 newspaper article from the Topeka Daily Capital about the Topeka School Board's discussion of the ten year plan for the school district.
A newspaper article from The Home News about the testimony of State Police Detective James Challender describing what he saw at the emergency room where Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) and wounded state trooper Werner Foerster were taken after he was fatally shot. Shakur was on trial for the 1973 murder of Foerster.
A newspaper article from The Home News about evidence in the trial of Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) for the 1973 killing of a state trooper. Prosecution witnesses showed that blood found on the clothes of Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) matched the rare AB blood type of the slain state trooper.
A newspaper article from The Black Panther. This is a transcript of the address Roberta Alexander gave at the Black Panthers’ United Front Against Fascism (UFAF) conference in August of 1969 in Oakland, California. Alexander, a Black Panther Party member, talks about the role of women in the party and in the larger struggle against oppression.
A three page handout given to members of the Black Panther Party. The sections are: Three Main Rules of Discipline; The Eight Points of Attention; Ten Point Program and Platform; and Rules of the Black Panther Party.
A press release from the Black Panther Party Central Headquarters in New York City about recent acts of police brutality and the response of the Black Liberation Army (BLA). The author writes that the recent assassinations of New York police officers is a direct response to the amount of police brutality that goes unnoticed and unpunished.
Volume 1 of The Black Panther Party Jamaica Bulletin from Jamaica Queens, NY, February 28, 1969. Included in the bulletin are a political cartoon titled "The Pig Must Go"; an article titled "Panthers Harassed by F.B.I."; and an abridged version of Black Panther Party Ten Point Program.
A white button with a picture of the Black Panther Party logo. The text says "Black Panther Newspaper Committee." The Black Panther newspaper began as a 4 page newsletter in 1967 by Black Panther Party founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The paper went on to express the party’s core ideologies to a large national and international readership.
A proposed budget and income statement prepared for the Black Panther Newspaper Committee. The budget totals $221,750 and covers everything needed to operate the paper for a year: salaries, equipment and supplies, communication, printing, travel expenses, attorney and accountant fees, and office rental.
A blue button with the Black Panther logo and text that says “Black Panther.” The Black Panther Party for Self Defense was founded in 1966 by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California. Rooted in Black Power and Marxist-Leninist ideologies, the Black Panther Party would soon spread with branches all over the United States.
Handwritten notes of minutes from a March 17, 1987 meeting of the Black Panther Foundation. The meeting covered such topics as sponsors for the foundation, archives, burial, prisoners of war, speakers bureau, leadership, and criticisms.
Minutes from a meeting of the Black Panther Foundation on April 19, 1987. Low attendance at the last meeting was briefly mentioned before a meeting regarding Howard University's Black Panther archive was discussed. Members discussed the burial committee, money, reaching out to new members, and the foundation’s responsibility.
An agenda for a meeting of the Black Panther Foundation in 1987. The Black Panther Foundation discussed their leadership and a defined mission of the foundation. There is also a note about a meeting with Howard University about establishing a Black Panther Party archive.
A memo from the Black Liberation Army (BLA) to the Guardians Association. The memo explains the BLA's stance on killing police and pleads with Black police officers to no longer side with their white counterparts. The Guardian’s Association is a fraternal organization primarily composed of Black law enforcement officers.
A memo from the Black Liberation Army (BLA) eulogizing Kakoonya Olugbala (Twymon Myers) who gave his life to the struggle against oppression. He was killed in a shootout with New York Police and FBI agents on November 14, 1973, after a long manhunt (he was on the FBI’s most wanted list) because of his involvement with previous police shootings.
A directive from the Black Liberation Army (BLA) calling Black people in the United States to organize against the white power complex. The author writes that the end of the American empire is near and that the BLA will aid any programs that are for Black people, by Black people, including forcing corporations to contribute goods to the cause.
A newspaper article from the Jackson Advocate about the history of the Farish Street Historic District. Some research for the article comes from Jackson State's Farish Street Oral History Collection.
A birthday card from Nuh Abdul Qaiyum, who is imprisoned, to Sule for his 5th birthday. A photo of Malcolm X is on the cover. Nuh Abdul Qaiyum quotes Malcolm X and explains the importance of letting go of fear, ignorance, and oppression. He expresses disappointment that he is not free to wish Sule, “young Black warrior,” a happy birthday in person.
A birthday card from Ashanti Alston, a Black Liberation Army (BLA) member who was imprisoned for 11 years for a robbery to raise money for the BLA, to Frankye Adams-Johnson (Malika). Ashanti Alston wishes her a happy birthday and gives her an update on her birthday gift.
White square button for the Birmingham, Alabama, 1963 Foot Soldiers Reunion. There is also text on the button that says: "Inspired by what we did for ourselves-and the world." The 1963 Foot Soldiers were children marchers in Birmingham who encountered police resistance in the form of water hoses, attack dogs, and arrests.
A photograph of a billboard advertising the Smith Robertson Neighborhood Folklife Festival, April 9-11, 1983. The festival was a one-time grant sponsored event held on the grounds of the Smith Robertson Museum to celebrate the rich history and culture of the Farish Street Historic District.
Betty Gray was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1903. She remembers the "Good Old Days" as a child growing up in Jackson when school days, games, and family all made for pleasant times. She also talks about her memories of the Farish Street District as well as Emmett Till and Martin Luther King, Jr. The transcript is edited with handwritten notes.
