Dear Colleagues and Friends, It is with endless sorrow that we share the news that Pellom McDaniels III, Curator of African American Collections, passed away suddenly, at home, on Sunday April 19, 2020. The depth of our grief at Pellom’s passing is matched only by our appreciation and admiration for the tremendous gifts and…
Posts Tagged: African American Collections
Words are Power: Remembering the Storyteller Julius Lester
Among the thousands of authors found in the Stuart A. Rose Library, Julius Lester (1939-2018) is a giant. An essayist, writer, folklorist, civil rights activist, and teacher, Lester’s work has been an integral part of helping African Americans maintain the oral tradition of storytelling. Through his creative explorations into the past, we are more aware…
The J. Herman Blake Black Panther Party Collection: A Deep Reflection and Focus on Freedom
2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party (BPP) for Self-Defense. Organized on October 15, 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, the BPP became a symbol of militant resistance towards “establishment politics” and the ongoing abuse of black people in America. What began as a…
“Sweet Daddy” Grace Collection
Charles Manual Grace (also Marcelino Manuel da Graca) was born in the Cape Verde Islands in 1884. His family, like many Cape Verdeans, moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, around the turn of the century. Though most of the family was Roman Catholic, both he and his brother were influenced by the burgeoning holiness and pentecostal…