The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Avery Research Center

125 Bull Street
Charleston, South Carolina 29424

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 843-953-7607

Phone: 843-953-7609

Repository URL: http://avery.cofc.edu/

Repository code: sccc

Repository description (CRHP): The Avery Research Center's oral history collection houses hundreds of oral histories relating to the African American experience in the Lowcountry. One of the collection's particular strengths relates to the civil rights movement.

Of prime importance are the papers of Septima Clark, Bernice Robinson, Cleveland Sellers, Isaiah Bennett, J. Arthur Brown, Millicent Brown, Ruby Cornwell, and Esau Jenkins, among others. Many of these papers, and more, contain individual oral histories that relate to aspects of the civil rights movement.

Separate oral history projects that relate to civil rights are also housed at Avery and include, but are not limited to; South Carolina Voices of the Civil Rights Movement, Orangeburg Massacre Oral History Project, Tobacco Workers Strike Tapes, Hospital Workers Strike Tapes, Highlander Workshop Oral Histories, local Citizens' Council Collection, and individual interviews with: Mary Moultrie (leader in the hospital strike), James Michael Graves, Esau Jenkins (2 tapes), John Cole, Reverend B.J. Whipper, Bernice Robinson, Septima Clark, and Thomas Waring.

Repository description (extant): Avery Research Center is home to more than two hundred manuscript collections, varying in size from a few items to over fifty linear feet; over five thousand printed items, ranging from standard texts, rare books and pamphlets to dissertations and journals; over four thousand photographs; hundreds of reels of microfilm, VHS tapes, clipping files, and digital formats. There are also dozens of collections of artifacts ranging from those that document slavery to material culture from West Africa and a sweet grass basket collection.

Repository Notes (CRHP): Contact Deborah Wright (843-953-7234) for more information on these projects.

Repository type: University Special Collection/Local History Organization

Collections:

South Carolina voices of the civil rights movement
Orangeburg massacre oral history project
Septima Poinsette Clark papers
Septima Poinsette Clark (1898-1987) and Bernice Robinson (1914-1994) papers
Esau Jenkins papers
Albertha Johnston Murray papers
Bernice Robinson papers
Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. papers
Allen Tibbs papers
Oral history interview with Anna D. Kelly
Oral history interview with Dr. Joseph Hoffman
Oral history interview[s] with James Michael Graves
Oral history interview with Mary Moultrie
Oral history interview with Peter Poinsette
Oral history interview[s] with Eugene C. Hunt
Oral history interview with Louise Mouzon