The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Adams (Victoria Gray) papers

Repository: University of Southern Mississippi. McCain Library and Archives

Collection Description (Extant): The Victoria Gray Adams Papers contain a broad array of materials that document her life and work.

The collection is divided into four series:

Series I consists primarily of materials relating to Mrs. Adams work in the area of civil rights, particularly the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, the National Conference for New Politics, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Southern Conference Educational Fund. Also in this series are numerous articles, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings, plus a small section of materials pertaining to "Black Power."

Series II contains items of a more personal nature, including items from Mrs. Adams' school days, certificates, correspondence, and materials from a scrapbook compiled by Mrs. Adams in the 1940s. Of particular interest are a handwritten autobiography (1945), Mrs. Adams' high school diploma, and several photographs.

Series III is comprised of various awards presented to Mrs. Adams, including the Freedom's Light Medal, Bridge Builder of the Year Award, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award.

Series IV consists of tapes of two events at The University of Southern Mississippi in which Mrs. Adams was involved. The first set of tapes are audio cassettes of a class taught by Mrs. Adams and her son, Dr. Cecil Gray, at The University of Southern Mississippi during the Spring 2000 semester. The course was History 478/578 (Studies in Civil Rights), and the title of the class was "Local People, Students, Women and Men in the Mississippi Movement (Mississippi History: A Close Look, A new perspective). The second set of tapes record a University Forum Lecture by Mrs. Adams on February 29, 2000, and is comprised of one compact disk and one video cassette.

This collection should be of interest to researchers of civil rights activities both in Mississippi and elsewhere in the South.

Date(s): 1938 - 2000

Digital Status: Partial

Existing IDs: M 345

Extent: 12 audio cassettes; 1 compact disk; 1 video cassette; 5 cu.ft.

Finding Aid URL: http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/archives/m345.htm

Language: English

Interviewees: Victoria Gray Adams

Rights (CRHP): Contact the repository which holds the collection for information on rights

Subjects:

African American women civil rights workers--Mississippi
African Americans--Civil rights--Mississippi
Civil rights movements--Mississippi
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party

Genres:

Lectures
Sound recordings
Videorecordings