- Published by
- Freedomways Associates, Inc., American, 1961 - 1985
- Edited by
- Clarke, John Henrik, American, 1915 - 1998
- Kaiser, Ernest D., American, born 1916
- O'Dell, Jack, American, 1923 - 2019
- Jackson, Esther Cooper, American, born 1917
- Devine, John
- Written by
- Rev. Jackson, Jesse, American, born 1941
- Moore, Nancy L.
- Banks, Rae
- Young, Pauline Alice
- Illustrated by
- Joseph, Cliff, American, 1922 - 2020
- Brandon, Brumsic Jr., American, 1927 - 2014
- Fax, Elton Clay, American, 1909 - 1993
- Subject of
- Dunbar, Paul Laurence, American, 1872 - 1906
- Brown, John, American, 1800 - 1859
- Date
- 1972
- Medium
- ink on paper with metal
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 9 1/16 × 6 1/8 × 5/16 in. (23 × 15.5 × 0.8 cm)
- Caption
- Freedomways magazine ran for twenty-five years from 1961 to 1985. Released quarterly during that time, Freedomways was a leading African American theoretical, cultural, and political journal tackling major social and political issues, especially the Civil Rights Movement. The journal’s founders, led by editor Esther Jackson, included Louis Burnham, Edward Strong, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Shirley Graham Du Bois. Under Jackson’s direction, Freedomways became the leading radical Black left publication that gave a platform to veteran and newer writers, thinkers, activists, artists, and educators. The periodical ran their works and tackled issues of progressive politics, civil rights, colonialism, Pan-Africanism, prison and justice reform, education activism, art, literature, poetry, and urban decay.
- Description
- An issue of Freedomways magazine, Volume 12, Number 4, for Fourth Quarter 1972.
- The front cover has a bright orange background with white type at the top that reads: [Freedomways / A QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT]. The cover features a black-and-white illustration by Cliff Joseph, depicting three people. A woman wearing earrings and a floral dress holds a plant in her proper right hand and looks into a microscope on her proper left. On the right side of the artwork, a man wearing a beaded animal tooth necklace and striped shirt reads a large book. African motifs of animals and face masks surround the reader. A baby is depicted in the left corner of the cover, playing with letter blocks which are artistically arranged to spell [BLACK STUDIES]. In the orange right sidebar of the cover, a list of articles featured in this issue reads: [Annual / Cartoons / by / Brumsic / Brandon, Jr. / Special / Section / on Paul / Laurence / Dunbar / Centennial / Book / Reviews / Poetry]. The bottom of the cover continues in listing the featured articles in black type that reads: [THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: A VICTORY FOR RACISM – The Editors / THE DILEMMA OF AFRO-AMERICAN EDUCATION – Nancy L. Moore / THREE CHALLENGES TO ORGANIZED LABOR – Jesse Jackson].
- The interior pages, numbered 268 to 359, are white paper with black ink. The pages consist of articles, poetry, cartoons, book reviews, and advertisements.
- The back of the magazine has an off-white background and features an advertisement for an illustrated poster by Oraston Brooks-El.
- Place printed
- New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Weeksville, Brooklyn, New York City, Kings County, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Books and Published Materials
- Movement
- American Indian Movements
- Topic
- Activism
- Black Press
- Caricature and cartoons
- Civil rights
- Education
- Labor
- Literature
- Poetry
- Politics
- Race discrimination
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Maurice Jackson
- Object number
- 2021.20.12
- Restrictions & Rights
- Unknown – Restrictions Possible
- Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




