This collection showcases the rich legacies of HBCUs through ephemera and material objects, including maps, blueprints, audiovisual materials, newspaper articles, buttons, collectibles, memorabilia, clothing and accessories, scrapbooks, speeches, photographs, brochures, and posters.
Date Modified
2025-09-14
About This Record
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
Alphonso Alexander Barron was born in Mt. Olive, Mississippi, in 1905. He talks about what he considers the "good old days," the years from his childhood through the early years of his marriage. He discusses family, his education, his church life, his marriage, his career as an educator, and his experiences living in Jackson, Mississippi.
Alma Cousins moved to the Farish Street District in 1953 and previously owned a restaurant in the neighborhood. Ms. Cousins recounts what the district was like back then compared to the present. She talks about businesses and restaurants in the district; the effects of White people moving into the area; and several Black lawyers in the district.
A newspaper article from The Black Panther written by party member and wife of Black Panther founder Bobby Seale. The article explains the psychological warfare committed on Black people as a way to divide and conquer the movement. The author states that the Black Panther party will act as a liberation army for the oppressed people.
Alfred Rhodes was part of the original 8-week Head Start program in Quitman County, Mississippi, as a teacher. He talks about his work as a teacher and his later work out of Tougaloo College to supervise Head Start Centers in 4 counties and going into communities to open new centers.
Aerl Cobbs was born in 1900 and lived in Jackson, Mississippi, his whole life. Mr. Cobbs talks about his childhood and the games they played. He remembers some of the great educators in Jackson from his time in various schools in the city. The transcript is handwritten.
This is a brochure from Lawndale Art Center advertising, among other things, the Otabenga Jones & Associates’ exhibition Symmetrical Patterns of Def. Made up of members Dawolu Jabari Anderson, Jamal Cyrus, Kenya Evans and Robert A. Pruitt, the collective was formed to harness the group's creativity and provide them an entry-point into the art world. The four met and became friends in Harvey Johnson’s drawing class at Texas Southern University.
Ada L. Wilson moved to the Farish Street District in 1945 after graduating college and went on to work as a teacher in Jackson Public Schools and Jackson State. She discusses Wilson's Grocery Store, her family’s business in the district. She also talks about her efforts to stop the city from demolishing Smith Robertson School after its closing.
A.N. Jackson moved to Jackson, MS in the 1920s as a teenager. He discusses his grandparents and their lives as slaves; his grandfather fought for the Union Army in the Civil War. He also talks about his teaching career which encompassed the Jackson schools Lanier High School and Smith Robertson School, where he became principal in 1950.
A rough draft of greetings to be given to people attending a Black Liberation Army (BLA) rally, with edits by an unknown person. The greetings outline the history and tenets of the BLA. “Communique #17” and “To All Oppressed Third World People of This Present Day Babylon, Amerikka. Greetings” on the top of page 1 were both crossed out.
A poem written by Denise Oliver to Harold Russell after his death from a shootout with the Harlem police in April 1971. Harold Russell was a Black Liberation Army (BLA) member and one of many members who lost their lives in police killings.
An original poem by Malika Majid (Frankye Adams-Johnson) titled “A Poem for You.” In the poem, she reflects on the idea of resistance. The bottom of the page says “Lest We Forget: Poetry. From The Veterans For Whom Memories Are Precious Sources of Inspiration.”
A poem by Ndugu Al-Jamil titled “Build the Resistance!!!” The cover page features the silhouette of an armed man appearing ready for combat. The poem is a call to arms for revolutionaries that outlines the problems facing the community such as police brutality, taxes, eviction, health care, education, and more.
A cover photograph from the Court News Section of the newspaper The Home News featuring members of the defense team for Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) who was on trial for the 1973 killing of a state trooper. Shakur was convicted in 1977 of killing the state trooper during a shootout, escaped prison in 1979, and is still wanted by the FBI.
A newspaper article from The Star Ledger about the 15 sequestered jurors in the Assata Shakur (JoAnne Chesimard) trial for the 1973 killing of a state trooper being given a media blackout after the seizure of three buildings in Washington, D.C. by the Hanafi Muslim sect to avoid possible prejudice against Shakur, a professed Muslim.
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. The map shows landmarks and points of interest, such as Washburn Municipal University; Central Park; the Topeka Country Club; and the Kansas National Guard base.
A newspaper article from The Star Ledger 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.
