Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Foreman Cotton, Dorothy, American, born 1930

Interviewed by

Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D.

Subject of

Shaw University, American, founded 1865

Virginia State University, American, founded 1882

Dr. Daniel, Robert Prentiss, American, 1902 - 1968

Cotton, George J., American

Gillfield Baptist Church, American, founded 1797

Rev. Dr. Walker, Wyatt Tee, American, 1929 - 2018

Dr. King, Martin Luther Jr., American, 1929 - 1968

Southern Christian Leadership Conference, American, founded 1957

Highlander Folk School, American

Clark, Septima Poinsette, American, 1898 - 1987

Jenkins, Esau, American, 1910 - 1972

Citizenship Education Program, American, founded 1954

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 02:12:39

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

North Carolina, United States, North and Central America

Petersburg, Virginia, United States, North and Central America

Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America

Date

July 25, 2011

Description

The oral history consists of eight digital files: 2011.174.40.1a, 2011.174.40.1b, 2011.174.40.1c, 2011.174.40.1d, 2011.174.40.1e, 2011.174.40.1f, 2011.174.40.1g, and 2011.174.40.1h.

Dorothy Foreman Cotton discusses growing up in rural North Carolina, attending Shaw University and Virginia State College, working as a housekeeper for the president of these colleges, Dr. Robert Prentiss Daniel, and meeting her husband, George Cotton. She discusses attending the Gillfield Baptist Church in Petersburg, Virginia, working with pastor Wyatt Tee Walker on organizing civil rights protests and meetings, and meeting Martin Luther King, Jr. She moved to Atlanta to assist Walker in his work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, where she became Director of Education for the organization. At the Highlander Folk School, she met Septima Clark and Esau Jenkins and led the Citizenship Education Program. She also discusses the impact of King's assassination on the movement and the philosophy of nonviolence.

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0040

Topic

African American

Activism

American South

Associations and institutions

Civil Rights

Education

Labor

Religion

Social reform

United States--History--1961-1969

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.40.1a-h

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Written by

Dr. King, Martin Luther Jr., American, 1929 - 1968

Received by

Tate, Roberta M., American, 1912 - 2011

Signed by

Dr. King, Martin Luther Jr., American, 1929 - 1968

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W: 11 x 8 1/2 in. (27.9 x 21.6 cm)

Type

letters (correspondence)

Place made

Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America

Place used

Passaic, Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

New York, United States, North and Central America

Date

October 23, 1958

Caption

This letter was sent as a thank you for a condolence message sent by Roberta Tate to Dr. King "in connection with the unfortunate incident he experienced in New York." The incident refers to the September 20, 1958 attack on Dr. King in Harlem, New York. While signing copies of his book, Stride Toward Freedom, Izola Curry stabbed Dr. King in the chest with a letter opener. She believed that Dr. King was conspiring against her with communists. Doctors were able to save Dr. King's life after hours of surgery.

Description

Typewritten letter from Martin Luther King Jr. to Roberta Tate. The letter is signed by King in blue ink and is dated October 23, 1958. The letterhead is printed in black at the top center, in a gothic font. The letter begins with "Dear Mrs. Tate: Thank you so much for the kind message / you sent to me in connection with the unfortunate incident I experienced in New York..." The back of the document is blank.

Topic

African American

Civil Rights

Correspondence

Social reform

United States--History--1953-1961

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Jyl C. Woolfolk

Object number

2012.166.1

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Documents and Published Materials

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Brown, Robert J., American, born 1935

Interviewed by

Cline, David P. Ph. D., American, born 1969

Subject of

B&C Associates, Inc., American, founded 1960

President Richard M. Nixon, American, 1913 - 1994

Mandela, Nelson, South African, 1918 - 2013

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 02:10:28

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

High Point, Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

New York, United States, North and Central America

South Africa, Africa

Date

October 1, 2013

Description

The oral history consists of eleven digital files: 2011.174.106.1a, 2011.174.106.1b, 2011.174.106.1c, 2011.174.106.1d, 2011.174.106.1e, 2011.174.106.1f, 2011.174.106.1g, 2011.174.106.1h, 2011.174.106.1i, 2011.174.106.1j, and 2011.174.106.1k.

Robert Brown describes his childhood in High Point, North Carolina, the poverty and segregation that defined his childhood, and how his grandmother influenced him by telling stories about his family's history during slavery. Brown became one of the first black policemen in High Point and later transitioned to a position as a federal agent in New York. He returned to North Carolina in 1960 to start a public relations firm, B&C Associates, Inc., which advised companies about how to change policies on race and segregation. Brown also shares stories about serving as a special assistant to President Richard Nixon and his role in bringing attention to apartheid in South Africa through his relationship with Nelson Mandela and his family.

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0106

Topic

African American

Activism

Africa

American South

Business

Civil Rights

Families

Race relations

Segregation

Slavery

Social reform

United States--History--1953-1961

United States--History--1961-1969

United States--History--1969-2001

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.106.1a-k

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Churchville, John Elliott J.D., American, born 1941

Interviewed by

Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D.

Subject of

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, American, 1960 - 1970s

N.S.M Freedom Library, American

Black People's Unity Movement (BPUM), American, founded 1966

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 02:32:47

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

New York, United States, North and Central America

Americus, Sumter County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America

Mississippi, United States, North and Central America

Date

July 15, 2011

Description

The oral history consists of seven digital files: 2011.174.33.1a, 2011.174.33.1b, 2011.174.33.1c, 2011.174.33.1d, 2011.174.33.1e, 2011.174.33.1f, and 2011.174.33.1g.

John Churchville, J.D. recalls growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his mother's career as a music teacher, moving to New York, and converting to Islam. He remembers joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), registering voters in Americus, Georgia, and in Mississippi. He discusses moving back to Philadelphia, converting to Christianity, and founding the Freedom Library and Black People's Unity Movement. He is senior pastor of the Liberation Fellowship Church of Jesus.

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0033

Topic

African American

Activism

American South

Associations and institutions

Civil Rights

Education

Religion

Social reform

United States--History--1961-1969

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.33.1a-g

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Bassett, Emmett W. Ph. D., American, 1921 - 2013

Tietjen Bassett, Priscilla, American, born 1928

Interviewed by

Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D.

Subject of

Smith College, American, founded 1871

Tuskegee Institute, American, founded 1881

Carver, George Washington, American, 1860s - 1943

Till, Emmett, American, 1941 - 1955

Till-Mobley, Mamie, American, 1921 - 2003

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, American, founded 1963

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 02:10:53

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

Grahamsville, Sullivan County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

Plainfield, Union County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America

Henry County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America

New York, United States, North and Central America

Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America

Date

July 21, 2011

Description

The oral history consists of ten digital files: 2011.174.38.1a, 2011.174.38.1b, 2011.174.38.1c, 2011.174.38.1d, 2011.174.38.1e, 2011.174.38.1f, 2011.174.38.1g, 2011.174.38.1h, 2011.174.38.1i, and 2011.174.38.1j.

Priscilla Tietjen Bassett recalls growing up in Plainfield, New Jersey, and attending Smith College, and Emmett W. Bassett, Ph. D. remembers growing up in Henry County, Virginia, serving in World War II, and attending Tuskegee Institute, where he assisted George Washington Carver with research. They tell how they met at a protest of a segregated restaurant in Massachusetts, raising money for Emmett Till's mother, their involvement in many civil rights groups in New York, and attending the March on Washington. They also discuss Dr. Bassett’s career as a professor of dairy science, Mrs. Bassett's career as a librarian, and their struggles as an interracial married couple.

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0038

Topic

African American

Activism

Agriculture

American South

Civil Rights

Domestic life

Education

Families

Labor

Race relations

Science

Segregation

Social reform

United States--History--1953-1961

World War II

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.38.1a-j

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Seeger, Pete, American, 1919 - 2014

Interviewed by

Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D.

Subject of

Robeson, Paul, American, 1898 - 1976

Highlander Folk School, American

President Barack Obama, American, born 1961

Hayes, Rutherford B., American, 1822 - 1893

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 00:57:22

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

Beacon, Dutchess County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

Peekskill, Westchester County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Selma, Dallas County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America

Montgomery, Alabama, United States, North and Central America

Date

July 22, 2011

Description

The oral history consists of four digital files: 2011.174.39.1a, 2011.174.39.1b, 2011.174.39.1c, and 2011.174.39.1d.

Pete Seeger recalls performing at a concert with Paul Robeson in 1949 in Peekskill, New York, visiting the Highlander Folk School, and the evolution of the song "We Shall Overcome". He remembers performing at many civil rights events, including the Selma to Montgomery March. He also discusses his thoughts on Presidents Barack Obama and Rutherford B. Hayes.

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0039

Topic

African American

Activism

Civil Rights

Musicians

Politics (Practical)

United States--History--1961-1969

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.39.1a-d

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Vickers, Barbara Edna, American, born 1923

Interviewed by

Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D.

Subject of

Hayling, Robert Bagner D.D., American, 1929 - 2015

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 00:58:57

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

Saint Augustine, Saint Johns, Florida, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

New York, United States, North and Central America

Date

September 13, 2011

Description

The oral history consists of four digital files: 2011.174.46.1a, 2011.174.46.1b, 2011.174.46.1c, and 2011.174.46.1d.

Barbara Vickers recalls growing up in St. Augustine, Florida, working in a shipyard in New York during World War II, and returning to St. Augustine with her husband. She remembers working as a beautician, working with her neighbor, Robert Hayling, D.D. to organize civil rights protests and participating in kneel-ins in segregated churches. She also discusses raising money to build a monument to the foot soldiers of the civil rights movement in St. Augustine.

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0046

Topic

African American

Activism

American South

Business

Civil Rights

Labor

Religion

Segregation

Social reform

United States--History--1961-1969

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.46.1a-d

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Simmons, Gwendolyn Zoharah Ph.D., American, born 1944

Interviewed by

Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D.

Subject of

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, American, 1960 - 1970s

Spelman College, American, founded 1881

Mississippi Freedom Schools, American, founded 1964

Mississippi Freedom Summer Project, American, founded 1964

American Friends Service Committee, American, founded 1917

Federal Bureau of Investigation, American, founded 1908

COINTELPRO, American, 1956 - 1971

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 01:37:29

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

Laurel, Jones County, Mississippi, United States, North and Central America

New York, United States, North and Central America

Date

September 14, 2011

Description

The oral history consists of five digital files: 2011.174.49.1a, 2011.174.49.1b, 2011.174.49.1c, 2011.174.49.1d, and 2011.174.49.1e.

Gwendolyn Simmons, Ph.D. recalls joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while a student at Spelman College. She remembers directing SNCC's voter registration and Freedom School, called the Freedom Summer Project in Laurel, Mississippi. She discusses learning about Black Nationalism in New York, the decision in SNCC to expel white members, and her work with the American Friends Service Committee's Program on Government Surveillance and Citizens' Rights to interview members of organizations investigated by the FBI's Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO).

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0049

Topic

African American

Activism

American South

Associations and institutions

Civil Rights

Education

Race relations

Social reform

Suffrage

United States--History--1961-1969

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.49.1a-e

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Jones, Clarence B. Ph.D., American, born 1931

Interviewed by

Cline, David P. Ph. D., American, born 1969

Subject of

Dr. King, Martin Luther Jr., American, 1929 - 1968

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, American, founded 1963

Columbia University, American, founded 1754

Norton, Anne Aston Warder, American

Boston University School of Law, American, founded 1872

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 02:43:08

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America

New York, United States, North and Central America

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America

California, United States, North and Central America

Date

April 15, 2013

Description

The oral history consists of twelve digital files: 2011.174.84.1a, 2011.174.84.1b, 2011.174.84.1c, 2011.174.84.1d, 2011.174.84.1e, 2011.174.84.1f, 2011.174.84.1g, 2011.174.84.1h, 2011.174.84.1i, 2011.174.84.1j, and 2011.174.84.1k, 2011.174.84.1l.

Dr. Clarence B. Jones shares memories from his work as a legal advisor and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In particular, he describes his significant contributions to the "I Have a Dream" speech, which King delivered at the March on Washington in 1963. Jones also describes his early life living in a Philadelphia home for indigent black orphans and foster children, because his parents, who were both domestic workers, could not afford to provide for him. Jones talks about his education at Columbia University, his training as a classical clarinetist, and some of his early encounters with leftist politics while in New York. Jones discusses the death of his mother and the profound effect it had on him. He describes his time spent in the military during the Korean War. Other topics discussed in the interview include Jones's marriage to Anne Norton, his studies at Boston University Law School, and his move to California to become an entertainment lawyer.

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0084

Topic

African American

Children

Civil Rights

Education

Instrumentalists (Musicians)

Korean War, 1950-1953

Law

Military

United States--History--1961-1969

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.84.1a-l

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by

Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009

Interview of

Suyat Marshall, Cecilia, American, born 1928

Interviewed by

Dr. Crosby, Emilye Ph. D., American

Subject of

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909

Brown, Oliver L., American, 1918 - 1961

Board of Education of Topeka, American

Marshall, Thurgood, American, 1908 - 1993

Medium

digital

Dimensions

Duration: 00:30:49

Type

video recordings

oral histories

Place collected

Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

Place depicted

Hawaii, United States, North and Central America

New York, United States, North and Central America

Date

June 30, 2013

Description

The oral history consists of six digital files: 2011.174.97.1a, 2011.174.97.1b, 2011.174.97.1c, 2011.174.97.1d, 2011.174.97.1e, and 2011.174.97.1f.

Cecilia Suyat Marshall recalls moving from Hawaii to New York where she found a job as a secretary with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1948. Marshall notes some of the highlights of her experiences at the NAACP offices, including the organization's victory in the Brown v. Board case, traveling the South with NAACP staff, and attending conferences. There she met the many local people who gave the Civil Rights Movement strength. She left the organization after her marriage to Justice Thurgood Marshall, and with that departure became more of a mother and wife than an activist, but retained her activist spirit with membership on the boards of progressive organizations.

LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0097

Topic

African American

Activism

American South

Associations and institutions

Civil Rights

Domestic life

Families

Justice

Law

Social reform

United States--History--1945-1953

United States--History--1953-1961

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Object number

2011.174.97.1a-f

Restrictions & Rights

© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Civil Rights History Project

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Produced by

National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970

Greaves, William, American, 1926 - 2014

Directed by

Bourne, St. Clair, American, 1943 - 2007

Subject of

Coltrane, Alice, American, 1937 - 2007

Coltrane, John, American, 1926 - 1967

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931

Medium

16mm Film (a): acetate film;

Dimensions

Duration: 17 Minutes

Length (Film): 580 Feet

Type

motion pictures (information artifacts)

Place filmed

Dix Hills, Huntington, Long Island, New York, United States, North and Central America

Date

1970

Caption

This 16mm film is a documentary segment focusing on the life of Alice Coltrane and her children in the wake of the death of her husband, famed jazz magician John Coltrane.

Description

The 16mm color film print is a short documentary made for a segment of National Education Television's Black Journal television program. The segment focuses on the life of Alice Coltrane and her children in the wake of the death of her husband, famed jazz magician John Coltrane. This film was shot sometime during 1970; three years after the death of John Coltrane.

Consists of: 16mm Film (a).

2012.79.1.16.1a: 16mm film. This film opens with a collage of photos of jazz musician John Coltrane with a voice-over of a male narrator communicating the musical genius and personal demeanor of the renowned music artist. The voice-over ends with an open-ended statement on John Coltrane's family; leading into an interview with his wife, Alice Coltrane. Alice Coltrane discusses the influence her late husband has had on her life, both musically and spiritually. She speaks of him being a spiritual person, although not tied to one organized religion, his vegetarian diet, and the how he carved time out of his days to meditate. There is footage of their children playing in the yard and walking with their mother. Alice plays the harp and talks about how her music is a manifestation of her spirituality. She discusses her musical career and how she balances that with being a mother and paying tribute to her late husband, but also not wanting to be defined as an extension of John Coltrane's music. Instead, when she finds herself playing some of the music he wrote, she sees herself as sharing in what he produced throughout his career. Footage of her playing the piano at a small jazz concert with a few other musicians plays for two minutes. In the final minutes of the segment, Alice Coltrane explains her relationship with a higher power and the personal enlightenment she has felt and gained through meditation. The film ends with a dolly-out/zoom-out long shot of Alice Coltrane and her children waving from their home.

Topic

African American

Families

Film

Jazz (Music)

Motherhood

Musicians

Spirituality

Television

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.16.1a

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture