The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Black oral history program

Repository: Fisk University. Special Collections and Archives

Collection Description (CRHP): This collection includes 700 interviews from African Americans of all walks of life. The interviews are on audio cassettes, and some are transcribed but not many. The collection is in the process of being digitized.

Collection Description (Extant): Founded in 1970 and strengthened in 1971-73, [this collection] contains taped interviews with persons who have been eyewitnesses, participants, or contributors to the African-American experience. Included are taped interviews with residents of all-black towns, Vietnam veterans, literary figures, musicians, scientists, educators, and women. Among the subjects represented are Margaret Walker Alexander, Arna Bontemps, Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, Will D. Campbell, Owen Dodson, Aaron Douglas, Jewel LaFontant, Ethel Ray Nance, Era Bell Thompson, and Howard Thurman. The Radcliffe College Black Women Oral History project transcripts are also housed here.

Interviewees that deal with civil rights include other than Will D. Campbell: Julian Bond (civil rights leader, 1973), Richard C. Gregory (comedian, civil rights activist, 1972), Aaron Henry (civil rights activist, labor organizer, 1973), Edwin Mitchell (physician, civil rights leader, 1972), Mansfield Douglas (local councilman, former president of the Nashville chapter NAACP, 1972), Amos Jones (pastor and civil rights leader, 1972), Curlie McGruder (civil rights activist (1973), Fannie Lou Hamer (civil rights activist, 1972), Ada L. Fisher (attorney, civil rights activist, head of Department of History and Social Studies, Langston University), Jimmy Stewart (editorial writer - BLACK DISPATCH, Oklahoma, civil rights activist, 1973) and Clara Luper (educator, civil rights activist, Oklahoma, 1973.

Date(s): 1970-1973

Digital Status: Partial

Extent: approximately 700 interviews

Language: English

Interviewees: Margaret Walker Alexander, Arna Bontemps, Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, Will D. Campbell, Owen Dodson, Aaron Douglas, Jewel LaFontant, Ethel Ray Nance, Era Bell Thompson, Howard Thurman, Julian Bond, Richard C. Gregory, Aaron Henry, Edwin Mitchell, Mansfield Douglas, Amos Jones, Curlie McGruder, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ada L. Fisher, Jimmy Stewart, Clara Luper

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

Subjects:

African American authors
African American civil rights workers
African American clergy
African American educators
African American musicians
African American scientists
African American women
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Participation, African American

Genres:

Interviews
Sound recordings
Transcripts