The Anniston Public Library was built in 1918 with a grant of $20,000 from Andrew Carnegie on the corner of Wilmer Avenue and East 10th Street in Anniston, Alabama. The Anniston Public Library was one of 14 Carnegie libraries established in the State of Alabama. Like many libraries during the pre-Civil Rights Era, the Anniston Public Library was segregated. On Thursdays and on the first Sunday of the month, the Anniston Public Library set aside special hours for the city's African American residents to use the library.
In July 1963, a group of African Americans came to the Anniston Public Library to request library cards; however, no cards were issued because the board was waiting to receive word from city officials on whether the group's requests should be honored. In August of the same year, an African American minister by the name of Rev. Jackson came to the library and requested to view The Interpreter's Bible. The staff honored Rev. Jackson's request; however, Jackson was told that he couldn't use the book in the reading room and would have to read it in one of the offices in the library instead. Upon hearing this, Jackson decided to leave the library. These events lead the city and the library board to open the Anniston Public Library to all of Anniston's citizens regardless of race. Sunday, September 15, 1963 was selected as the start date for integration.
On Sunday, September 15, 1963, two African American ministers came to the Anniston Public Library. The ministers, Reverend William B. McClain and Reverend Nimrod Quintus Reynolds, were members of the Anniston Human Relations Council. The council and the library board were working together to desegregate the library. When Rev. McClain and Rev. Reynolds reached the library, a mob of angry whites attacked them (the number of persons in the mob was estimated to be around 100). The mob struck the ministers with sticks, fists, and a chain. McClain and Reynolds tried to escape by car, but were blocked in. They left the car and ran. Fortunately, a motorist saw them and picked up McClain and Reynolds, helping them to escape. The two ministers were taken to Anniston Memorial Hospital (now Regional Medical Center).
On Monday, September 16, 1963, accompanied by members of the library board, Rev. J. Phillips Noble (chair of the Anniston Human Relations Council), and officials of the city of Anniston, Rev. McClain returned to the Anniston Public Library. McClain and another African American minister, George Smitherman were issued library cards (Rev. Reynolds was still recovering from the injuries he received during the attack and was unable to participate; George Smitherman went instead). There was no violence or attempts to keep McClain and Smitherman from visiting the library.
The mayor of Anniston, the Board of the Anniston Public Library, the Rotary Club, the Anniston Star (local newspaper), and the women of Grace Episcopal Church contributed to a reward totaling $2,950 for the capture of the persons responsible for the mob attack at the library. The police arrested four men. One was found guilty; however, the case was dismissed at the request of the victims.
In 1964, the Anniston Public Library's name was changed to Public Library of Anniston-Calhoun County after merging with the Calhoun County Library. A new building, with a construction cost of $359,397.12, was planned as a replacement for the Carnegie building. Completed in 1966, the new building, funded by $59,397.12 from city; $150,00 from the estate of Luther B. Liles (Liles was once an officer in the Manganese Corporation, chairman of the Good Roads Committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Birmingham-Atlanta Division of the Bankhead Highway Association); and $150,000 from federal funds received by the state, opened to the public. The library is still in operation.
*Note: Sunday, September 15, 1963 was also the same day that the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama occurred. Four children were killed: Cynthia Wesley, Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, and Carole Robinson. In 2013, a bill, H.R. 360, was introduced into the United States Congress to have a Congressional Gold Medal issued in honor of the memory of the four girls killed in the bombing. The bill passed both the House and the Senate, and was signed into law (Public Law 113-11) by President Barack Obama on May 24, 2013.
Update 11/03/2014:
See related posts:
The Tougaloo Nine and the Sit-in at the Jackson Mississippi Municipal Library
http://www.littleknownblacklibrarianfacts.blogspot.com/2012/02/tougaloo-nine-and-sit-in-at-jackson.html
The Robert Robinson Branch of the Alexandria Public Library (Alexandria, VA) and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike
http://www.littleknownblacklibrarianfacts.blogspot.com/2011/08/robert-robinson-branch-of-alexandria.html
Update 11/09/2014:
On YouTube, Rev. Nimrod Q. Reynolds, one of the two ministers attacked by the mob, and Charlie Doster, a member of the library board in 1963, recall the attack at the Anniston Public Library (begins at minute 13 and ends at minute 16):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdQuRWk7_C0
Sources: "Hit Clergyman with Chains in Anniston: Negro Ministers Members of Biracial Committee on Social Problems." Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pa.) 16 Sept. 1963: 1. Print. ; "Ministers Integrate Ala. Public Library." The Kane Republican (Kane, Pa.) 17 Sept. 1963: 1. Print. ; "Ministers Enter 'Bama! Library." The Hillsdale Daily News (Hillsdale, Mich.) 17 Sept. 1963: 1. Print. ; Cutter, Jamie Irene. Getting by at the Benjamin Mays Black Branch: Library Access for African Americans in Jim Crow South Carolina, 1940-1971. MLIS thesis. San Jose State University, 2011. 57, 120. Pdf. ; "Racial Highlights." Wellsville Daily Reporter (Wellsville, N.Y.) 16 Sept. 1963: 1. Print. ; "Attacks Charged: Two Indicted in City Cases." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 18 Oct. 1963: 1,3. Print. ; Chisum, James. "Conferences Delay Start of Trials; Williams Confers with Attorneys." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 12 Nov. 1963: 1, 3. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 128-129. Print. ; Graham, Toby Patterson. A Right to Read: Segregation and Civil Rights in Alabama's Public Libraries, 1900-1965. Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P, 2002. 93-96. Print. ; O'Dell, Kimberly. Anniston. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2002. 19, 49-50, 58, 71, 79. Print. ; "Mother Tells of Bombing: I Began to Scream..." The Fresno Bee-The Republican (Fresno, Calif.) 17 Sept. 1963: 4A. Print. ; Loh, Jules. "Bomb Shakes City to Its Core." The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.) 22 Sept. 1963: 1A, 6A. Print. ; Thomas, Rex. "Birmingham Quiet but Still Nervous." The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.) 22 Sept. 1963: 1A. Print. ; An Act to Award Posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Addie Mae Collins, Denise Mcnair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley to Commemorate the Lives They Lost 50 Years Ago in the Bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Where These 4 Little Black Girls' Ultimate Sacrifice Served As a Catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2013. PDF. ; "Luther B. Liles Will Seek Vote on Bond Issue: Graves Will Be Asked to Call Special Session of Legislature." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 8 Sept. 1930: 1, 7. Print. ; "Highway Meet Attracts 100 to Talladega: Luther B. Liles Represents Anniston Chamber of Commerce at Conference." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 20 June 1933: 1. Print. ; McCaa, John. "Commission Adopts Operational Budget of $2,741,220: Library, Road Hike City Budget Near $3 Million Mark." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 27 Oct. 1965: 6. Print. ; Plott, Bill. "Tribute Paid Liles at Library Opening." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 31 Oct. 1966: 1, 7. Print. ; "Sign Tells Hopes." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 2 June 1964: 1. Print. ; "Mayor." The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) 1 Jan. 1964: 20. Print.
Showing posts with label African Americans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label African Americans. Show all posts
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Saturday, August 31, 2013
A Short History of Library Service to African Americans in North Carolina
December 2011 and March 2012, featured blog posts on two libraries in North Carolina that provided services to African Americans during the Pre-Civil Rights Era: The George Moses Horton Branch of the Forsyth County Public Library (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) and the 51st Library of Camp Montford Point (Jacksonville, North Carolina). Below are some additional libraries that provided services to African Americans in North Carolina during the Pre-Civil Rights Era:
The first public library for African Americans in North Carolina was the Brevard Street Library of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was in operation from 1905 until 1961. Allegra Westbrooks (1921- ), the first African American supervisor in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library System, served as the Brevard Street Library's manager from 1947 until 1961.
Sources: Ryckman, Patricia. Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County: A Century of Service. Charlotte: Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, 1989. n. pag. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 30, 55. Print. ; Speller, Benjamin F. and James R. Jarrell. "Profile of Pioneers: Selected North Carolina Black Librarians." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 74, 78. Print. ; Bolling, Christina. "Our Living History." Charlotte Observer 15 Feb. 2005: 1B. Print. ; Ordonez, Franco. "Our Living History." Charlotte Obeserver 16 Feb. 2006: 1B. Print. ; Perlmutt, Davidi. "Allegra Westbrooks: Librarian." Charlotte Observer 4 Feb. 2009: 1B. Print. ; Perlmutt, David. "Black History Month: Crossing the Barrier." Charlotte Observer 1 Feb. 2009: 1A. Print. ; "Allegra Westbrooks: The First African-American Public Library Supervisor in North Carolina." All Things Amy. All Things Amy, 4 Feb. 2009. Web. 9 Jan. 2011. ; Nix, Larry T. "Allegra Westbrooks." Library History Buff Blog. Library History Buff, 4 Feb. 2009. Web. 9 Jan. 2011. ; "BCALA United Stateline News - North Carolina." BCALA Newsletter 37.3 (2009): 14. Print. ; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library. ; Du Mont, Rosemary Ruhig and William Caynon. "Education of Black Librarians." Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Ed. Kent Allen, Harold Lancour, and Jay Daily. Vol. 45, suppl. 10. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1990. 111. Print.
Sources: "Richard B. Harrison Library History." Richard B. Harrison Library, Mollie Huston Lee Collection, 14 Apr. 2005. Wake County Government. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. ; Speller, Benjamin F. and James R. Jarrell. "Profiles of Pioneers: Selected North Carolina Black Librarians." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 78-81. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 74, 76, 88. Print. ; Grant, George, comp. "Richard B. Harrison Community Library." In Honor of: Libraries Named for African Americans. Jonesboro: Grant House Publishers, 2011. 155. Print.
In 1942, the Cumberland County Public Library of North Carolina established the James Walker Hood Library. Built with money from the Work Projects Administration (WPA), the James Walker Hood Library served the African American citizens of Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 1955, the branch was renamed the Gillespie Street Branch Library. The Gillespie Street Branch Library remained in operation until May 10, 1986.
Sources: "Library History & Timeline." Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center. Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center, 2007. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. ; "Selected Milestones in Cumberland County's History." Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center. Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center, 2007. Web. 31 Aug. 2013 ; "Gillespie Street Branch of the Cumberland County Library." Message from Local and State History Room, Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center. 8 Sept. 2013. E-mail.
In 1913, the Durham Colored Library was established in the basement of White Rock Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina. Three years later, the library moved out of the church and into its own separate building. Hattie Wooten was the first librarian (1916-1932). In 1940, the library was renamed the Stanford L. Warren Library. In 1962, Bragtown Branch Library, another library for African Americans, was opened. In 1966, both libraries were merged with the Durham County Public Library. They are still in operation today.
Sources: Jacobs, Jessica Harland. "This History of Public Library Service in Durham, 1897-1997." Durham County Public Library. Durham County Public Library, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. ; Grant, George, comp. "Stanford L. Warren Branch - Durham County Library." In Honor of: Libraries Named for African Americans. Jonesboro: Grant House Publishers, 2011. 147. Print.
The Market Street Branch Library (also known as the Asheville Colored Library) of the Buncombe County Library System served the African American citizens of Asheville, North Carolina from 1929 until 1961. In the fall of 1961, through the efforts of the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (ASCORE), the library system was integrated.
Sources: "Special Events Recognize the 50th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Pack Memorial Library." Urban News 12 Oct. 2011: n.pag. The Urban News Publishing Co. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 61, 127. Print. ; Hendrick, Irene O. "Annual Report of the Colored Public Library, 1946-1947." Transforming the Tar Heel State: The Legacy of Public Libraries in North Carolina. State Library of North Carolina, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. ; "Irene O. Hendrick." United States Census, 1920. FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2013. ; "Irene O. Stewart Hendrick." North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994. FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2013.
The Carnegie Negro Library of Greensboro, North Carolina began service in 1905. In 1964, the library was renamed the Southeast Branch Library, and later in the 1990s was called the Vance H. Chavis Branch. The Chavis Branch is part of the Greensboro Public Library System and is still in operation.
The Granville Street Library in Oxford, North Carolina began service in 1942. This library served the town's African American residents. The library merged with the Richard H. Thornton Library (main branch of the Granville County Library System) in the 1970s.
The first public library for African Americans in North Carolina was the Brevard Street Library of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was in operation from 1905 until 1961. Allegra Westbrooks (1921- ), the first African American supervisor in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library System, served as the Brevard Street Library's manager from 1947 until 1961.
Sources: Ryckman, Patricia. Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County: A Century of Service. Charlotte: Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, 1989. n. pag. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 30, 55. Print. ; Speller, Benjamin F. and James R. Jarrell. "Profile of Pioneers: Selected North Carolina Black Librarians." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 74, 78. Print. ; Bolling, Christina. "Our Living History." Charlotte Observer 15 Feb. 2005: 1B. Print. ; Ordonez, Franco. "Our Living History." Charlotte Obeserver 16 Feb. 2006: 1B. Print. ; Perlmutt, Davidi. "Allegra Westbrooks: Librarian." Charlotte Observer 4 Feb. 2009: 1B. Print. ; Perlmutt, David. "Black History Month: Crossing the Barrier." Charlotte Observer 1 Feb. 2009: 1A. Print. ; "Allegra Westbrooks: The First African-American Public Library Supervisor in North Carolina." All Things Amy. All Things Amy, 4 Feb. 2009. Web. 9 Jan. 2011. ; Nix, Larry T. "Allegra Westbrooks." Library History Buff Blog. Library History Buff, 4 Feb. 2009. Web. 9 Jan. 2011. ; "BCALA United Stateline News - North Carolina." BCALA Newsletter 37.3 (2009): 14. Print. ; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library. ; Du Mont, Rosemary Ruhig and William Caynon. "Education of Black Librarians." Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Ed. Kent Allen, Harold Lancour, and Jay Daily. Vol. 45, suppl. 10. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1990. 111. Print.
Sources: "Richard B. Harrison Library History." Richard B. Harrison Library, Mollie Huston Lee Collection, 14 Apr. 2005. Wake County Government. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. ; Speller, Benjamin F. and James R. Jarrell. "Profiles of Pioneers: Selected North Carolina Black Librarians." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 78-81. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 74, 76, 88. Print. ; Grant, George, comp. "Richard B. Harrison Community Library." In Honor of: Libraries Named for African Americans. Jonesboro: Grant House Publishers, 2011. 155. Print.
Sources: Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 57, 127. Print. ; Grant, George, comp. "Vance H. Chavis Lifelong Learning Branch - Greensboro Public Library." In Honor of: Libraries Named for African Americans. Jonesboro: Grant House Publishers, 2011. 150. Print. ; "Carnegie Negro Library Report, 1946." Transforming the Tar Heel State: The Legacy of Public Libraries in North Carolina. State Library of North Carolina, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.
The Granville Street Library in Oxford, North Carolina began service in 1942. This library served the town's African American residents. The library merged with the Richard H. Thornton Library (main branch of the Granville County Library System) in the 1970s.
Sources: "Granville Street Library." Photo. Transforming the Tar Heel State: The Legacy of Public Libraries in North Carolina. State Library of North Carolina, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. ; "Oxford Public Library Negro Branch (Exterior)." Photo. Transforming the Tar Heel State: The Legacy of Public Libraries in North Carolina. State Library of North Carolina, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi
The Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi opened in 1913. Located on the corner of 13th Street and 28th Avenue, this library was the first library for African Americans in Lauderdale County. Land for the library was provided by St. Paul's United Methodist Church, and $8,000 in Carnegie funds was allotted for the library's construction. In 1974, the library closed, and the building was torn down on May 28, 2008.
Update 10/28/2012:
Additional resources relating to the Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi:
"Improvements." The Christian Educator 27.2 (1916): 12. Print.
Work, Monroe N. "Libraries for Negroes." The Negro Yearbook: An Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro, 1921-1922. Tuskegee, AL: The Negro Yearbook Book Publishing Co., 1922. 268. Print.
Update 2/29/2013:
The Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi is mentioned in the following sources:
McAllister, Dorothy. "Library Service to the Colored Race." Mississippi Library News 17.2 (1953):113-114. Print.
Gleason, Eliza Atkins. The Southern Negro and the Public Library. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1941. 76. Print.
Sources: McMillen, Neil R. Dark Journey: Black Mississippians in the Age of Jim Crow. Urbana: U of Illinois P. 1989. 11. Print. ; Beal, Billie C. "Freedom Summer and Integrating the Meridian, Mississippi Public Library." Newsletter of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association 36.3 (2007): 1. Print. ; McKee, Anne. "I Could Write A Book." Meridian Star 10 Jan. 2008: n. pag. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; Conner, Tametria. "Former Carnegie Library Demolished." WTOK.com. News Center 11 (Meridian, MS), 28 May 2008. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; McKee, Anne. "The Little Museum That Could, and Did, Thrives in the Twenty-First Century." Meridian Star 26 Apr. 2007: n. pag. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 35-36. Print.
Update 10/28/2012:
Additional resources relating to the Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi:
"Improvements." The Christian Educator 27.2 (1916): 12. Print.
Work, Monroe N. "Libraries for Negroes." The Negro Yearbook: An Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro, 1921-1922. Tuskegee, AL: The Negro Yearbook Book Publishing Co., 1922. 268. Print.
Update 2/29/2013:
The Carnegie Negro Library of Meridian, Mississippi is mentioned in the following sources:
McAllister, Dorothy. "Library Service to the Colored Race." Mississippi Library News 17.2 (1953):113-114. Print.
Gleason, Eliza Atkins. The Southern Negro and the Public Library. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1941. 76. Print.
Sources: McMillen, Neil R. Dark Journey: Black Mississippians in the Age of Jim Crow. Urbana: U of Illinois P. 1989. 11. Print. ; Beal, Billie C. "Freedom Summer and Integrating the Meridian, Mississippi Public Library." Newsletter of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association 36.3 (2007): 1. Print. ; McKee, Anne. "I Could Write A Book." Meridian Star 10 Jan. 2008: n. pag. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; Conner, Tametria. "Former Carnegie Library Demolished." WTOK.com. News Center 11 (Meridian, MS), 28 May 2008. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; McKee, Anne. "The Little Museum That Could, and Did, Thrives in the Twenty-First Century." Meridian Star 26 Apr. 2007: n. pag. Web. 7 Aug. 2011. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 35-36. Print.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Bethel Historical and Literary Association
The Bethel Historical and Literary Association, a literary society for African Americans, was founded in 1881 by Daniel A. Payne in Washington, D.C. The society met at Bethal Hall, a building owned by the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church. Members of the Bethel Historical and Literary Association met to discuss literature and issues of interest and importance to African Americans. Meetings often included guest lecturers and speakers. Notable speakers included:
Frederick Douglas
Ida B. Wells Barnett
John Mercer Langston
Archibald H. Grimke
Richard Greener
Charles W. Chesnutt
John W. Cromwell
Mary Church Terrell
Note: Mary Church Terrell, an 1884 graduate of Oberlin College and a professor at Wilberforce College (now Wilberforce University), became the society's first female president in 1892.
See related posts: John Edward Bruce: Ex-Slave, Bibliophile, Historian, and Journalist and Arthur Alfonso-Schomburg, 1874-1938: Noted Bibliophile, Collector, Curator, and Scholar.
Sources: McHenry, Elizabeth. Forgotten Readers: Recovering the Lost History of African American Literary Societies. Durham: Duke U P, 2002. 149-165. Print. ; Albritton, Rosie L. "The Founding & Prevelance of African-American Social Libraries & Historical Societies, 1828-1918." Untold Stories: Civil Rights, Libraries, and Black Librarianship. Ed. John Mark Tucker. Champaign: U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998. 35. Print. ; Sinnette, Elinor D.V. Arthur Alfonso Schomburg, Black Bibliophile & Collector: A Biography. New York: New York Public Library, 1989. 51. Print. ; "Emancipation Meetings." Crisis 5.5 (Mar. 1913): 243-244. Print. ; Des Jardines, Julie. Women and the Historical Enterprise of America: Gender, Race, and the Politics of Memory, 1880-1945. Chapel Hill, NC: U of North Carolina, 2003. 120-121. Print.
Frederick Douglas
Ida B. Wells Barnett
John Mercer Langston
Archibald H. Grimke
Richard Greener
Charles W. Chesnutt
John W. Cromwell
Mary Church Terrell
Note: Mary Church Terrell, an 1884 graduate of Oberlin College and a professor at Wilberforce College (now Wilberforce University), became the society's first female president in 1892.
See related posts: John Edward Bruce: Ex-Slave, Bibliophile, Historian, and Journalist and Arthur Alfonso-Schomburg, 1874-1938: Noted Bibliophile, Collector, Curator, and Scholar.
Sources: McHenry, Elizabeth. Forgotten Readers: Recovering the Lost History of African American Literary Societies. Durham: Duke U P, 2002. 149-165. Print. ; Albritton, Rosie L. "The Founding & Prevelance of African-American Social Libraries & Historical Societies, 1828-1918." Untold Stories: Civil Rights, Libraries, and Black Librarianship. Ed. John Mark Tucker. Champaign: U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998. 35. Print. ; Sinnette, Elinor D.V. Arthur Alfonso Schomburg, Black Bibliophile & Collector: A Biography. New York: New York Public Library, 1989. 51. Print. ; "Emancipation Meetings." Crisis 5.5 (Mar. 1913): 243-244. Print. ; Des Jardines, Julie. Women and the Historical Enterprise of America: Gender, Race, and the Politics of Memory, 1880-1945. Chapel Hill, NC: U of North Carolina, 2003. 120-121. Print.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Dryades Branch of the New Orleans Public Library (New Orleans, Louisiana) : A Colored Carnegie Library
In 1915, the Dryades Branch of the New Orleans Public Library was established at 1924 Philip Street to serve the African American citizens of New Orleans. Businessman and library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) gave $25,000 for the branch's construction at the urging of James Hardy Dillard (1856-1940), a professor at Tulane University and an alumnus of Washington and Lee University (Dillard University was named for him). William R. Burk (1887-1961) served as the library's architect (Burk's firm is still in business today and is now called Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc.). A dedication program for the Dryades Branch was held on Saturday, October 24, 1915. Attendees of the program were Henry Gill (City Librarian), Frank B. Smith, James Madison Vance, Dr. Robert E. Jones, Dr. James T. Newman, Sylvania F. Williams, Walter Cohen, Albert Workman, and Rev. J.L. Burrell.
The Dryades Branch Library was well-received. In 1938, 1,300 children participated in the branch's Book Week Program. Famous visitors to the library included Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950), founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History), and Paul Robeson (1898-1976), singer, athlete, actor, author, and civil rights leader. Librarians that worked at the branch included Delia Louisa Allen, Adelia Trent, and Anita L. Johnson.
The Dryades Branch remained in operation until 1965 (the building suffered damage from Hurricane Betsy). After remaining empty and unused for several years, the building was purchased by the Dryades Street YMCA and repurposed for use for community activities and programs. It has been declared a historic landmark by the Historic District Landmarks Commission of New Orleans, Louisiana (near the bottom of the "Historic Landmarks" section of commission's website is a list of current historic landmarks).
See related post: Marcus Bruce Christian (1900-1976), Louisiana Librarian
Sources: Spooner, Gloria. "Establishment of African American Public Library Service in Louisiana." Louisiana Libraries 63.3 (2001): 23-25. Print. ; "1,300 Race Children Attend Book Week Program at Library." The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 26 Nov. 1938: 18. Print. ; Smith, Norman R. Footprints of Black Louisiana. [Bloomington, IN?]: Xlibris Corp., 2010. 96-97. Print. ; Gunn, Alistair J. Prof. Dr. James Hardy Dillard, 1856-1940: Towards A Postal History Biography. N.p.: www.lulu.com, 2009. Print. ; "J.H. Dillard: End of An Epoch." The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 17 Aug. 1940: 6. Print. ; White, Claytee D. "Robeson, Paul (1898-1976)." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Dagbovie, Pero Gaglo. "Woodson, Carter (1875-1950)." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Martinez, Eligio Jr. "Dillard University." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Historic Landmarks." Historic District Landmarks Commission. City of New Orleans, 2014. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Home." BKI: Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc. Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc., 2012. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Foto's Folly Theatre." The Herald (New Orleans, La.) 1920 Dec. 16: 5. Print. ; "New Orleans Dryades Branch. 1920-1928 Philip Street, New Orleans. 1915. Job no. 227." William R. Burk Office Records, Southeastern Architectural Archive Collection 42, Project Drawings, Specifications, ca. 1915-1977 (Finding Aid). [New Orleans, La.]: Tulane University, n.d. 2. Pdf. ; "Hurricane Betsy - September 6-13, 1965." National Weather Service, Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; CreoleGen. "The Right to Read... The Dryades Street Library (1915-1965)." CreoleGen, 2014 Mar. 22. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Horowitz, Andy. "Hurricane Betsy and the Politics of Disaster in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, 1965-1967." Journal of Southern History 80.4 (Nov. 2014): 893-934. Print.
The Dryades Branch Library was well-received. In 1938, 1,300 children participated in the branch's Book Week Program. Famous visitors to the library included Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950), founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History), and Paul Robeson (1898-1976), singer, athlete, actor, author, and civil rights leader. Librarians that worked at the branch included Delia Louisa Allen, Adelia Trent, and Anita L. Johnson.
The Dryades Branch remained in operation until 1965 (the building suffered damage from Hurricane Betsy). After remaining empty and unused for several years, the building was purchased by the Dryades Street YMCA and repurposed for use for community activities and programs. It has been declared a historic landmark by the Historic District Landmarks Commission of New Orleans, Louisiana (near the bottom of the "Historic Landmarks" section of commission's website is a list of current historic landmarks).
See related post: Marcus Bruce Christian (1900-1976), Louisiana Librarian
Sources: Spooner, Gloria. "Establishment of African American Public Library Service in Louisiana." Louisiana Libraries 63.3 (2001): 23-25. Print. ; "1,300 Race Children Attend Book Week Program at Library." The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 26 Nov. 1938: 18. Print. ; Smith, Norman R. Footprints of Black Louisiana. [Bloomington, IN?]: Xlibris Corp., 2010. 96-97. Print. ; Gunn, Alistair J. Prof. Dr. James Hardy Dillard, 1856-1940: Towards A Postal History Biography. N.p.: www.lulu.com, 2009. Print. ; "J.H. Dillard: End of An Epoch." The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 17 Aug. 1940: 6. Print. ; White, Claytee D. "Robeson, Paul (1898-1976)." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Dagbovie, Pero Gaglo. "Woodson, Carter (1875-1950)." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Martinez, Eligio Jr. "Dillard University." Blackpast.org, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Historic Landmarks." Historic District Landmarks Commission. City of New Orleans, 2014. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Home." BKI: Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc. Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc., 2012. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; "Foto's Folly Theatre." The Herald (New Orleans, La.) 1920 Dec. 16: 5. Print. ; "New Orleans Dryades Branch. 1920-1928 Philip Street, New Orleans. 1915. Job no. 227." William R. Burk Office Records, Southeastern Architectural Archive Collection 42, Project Drawings, Specifications, ca. 1915-1977 (Finding Aid). [New Orleans, La.]: Tulane University, n.d. 2. Pdf. ; "Hurricane Betsy - September 6-13, 1965." National Weather Service, Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, n.d. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; CreoleGen. "The Right to Read... The Dryades Street Library (1915-1965)." CreoleGen, 2014 Mar. 22. Web. 2014 Nov. 9. ; Horowitz, Andy. "Hurricane Betsy and the Politics of Disaster in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, 1965-1967." Journal of Southern History 80.4 (Nov. 2014): 893-934. Print.
Labels:
African Americans,
Andrew Carnegie,
Carnegie Libraries,
Carter G. Woodson,
Dryades Branch,
Hurricane Betsy,
James Hardy Dillard,
Louisiana Libraries,
New Orleans Public Library,
Paul Robeson,
William R. Burk
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Blyden Branch Library (Norfolk, Virginia)
In 1921, the Norfolk Public Library established the Blyden Branch Library to serve the African American citizens of Norfolk, Virginia.
Sources: Campbell, Lucy B. "Black Librarians in Virginia." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 135. Print. ; "History of Blyden Branch Library." Norfolk Public Library, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2011.
Sources: Campbell, Lucy B. "Black Librarians in Virginia." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 135. Print. ; "History of Blyden Branch Library." Norfolk Public Library, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2011.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Amos Fortune and the Jaffrey Social Library
Amos Fortune, a former slave, helped found the Jaffrey Social Library of Jaffrey, New Hampshire in 1795.
Sources: “Yesterday in Negro History.” Jet 27.7 (1964): 15. Print. ; Dedication of the Clay Library Building at East Jaffrey, New Hampshire, Saturday, July 4, 1896. Concord: Republican, 1896. 34-42. Print.; “Amos Fortune (Citizen of Jaffrey).” Freedom Train Theatre Works USA: A Study Guide. Keene: Colonial Theatre, 2008. 8-9. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2008. 10. Print. ; Marshall, A.P. “The Black Librarian’s Stride Toward Equality.” Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Durham: NCCU School of Library Service, 1980. 10. Print. ; Du Mont, Rosemary Ruhig and William Caynon. “Education of Black Librarians.” Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Ed. Kent Allen, Harold Lancour, and Jay Daily. Vol. 45, suppl. 10. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1990. 110. Print. ; Ziyad, Dawud B. and George R. Johnson. “Amos Fortune and the Early American Library Movement.” The Negro History Bulletin 42.3 (July/Aug./Sept. 1979): 77-78. Print.
Update 11/01/2019:
There was a children's book written by Elizabeth Yates (Elizabeth Yates McGreal) about the life of Amos Fortune:
Yates, Elizabeth. Amos Fortune, Free Man. New York: Puffin Books, 1989. Print.
Update 11/01/2019:
There was a children's book written by Elizabeth Yates (Elizabeth Yates McGreal) about the life of Amos Fortune:
Yates, Elizabeth. Amos Fortune, Free Man. New York: Puffin Books, 1989. Print.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Freedom Libraries
The Freedom Libraries were part of the Freedom Summer Project, a project designed to aid in the effort to secure voting rights and other services for African Americans in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Era. Housed in churches, old buildings, and other facilities, the Freedom Libraries provided library services and literacy guidance for many African Americans, some who had never had access to libraries before the Freedom Summer Project.
See related posts: The Faith Cabin Libraries and The Marblehead Libraries.
See related posts: The Faith Cabin Libraries and The Marblehead Libraries.
Sources: Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 133-135. Print. ; Davis, Donald G. and Cheryl Knott Malone. "Reading for Liberation: The Role of Libraries in the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Project." Untold Stories: Civil Rights, Libraries, and Black Librarianship. Ed. John Mark Tucker. Champaign: Board of Trustees of the U of Illinois, 1998. 110-125. Print. ; Sturkey, William. "'I Want to Become A Part of History': Freedom Summer, Freedom Schools, and the Freedom News." Journal of African American History 95.3-4 (2010): 348-368. Print. ; Beal, Billie C. "Freedom Summer and the Integrating of the Meridian, Mississippi Public Library." Newsletter of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association 36.3 (2007): 1. Print. ; Heinze, Frederick W. "The Freedom Libraries: A Wedge in the Closed Society." Library Journal 90 (1965):1991-1993. Print. ; Bobinski, George S. Libraries and Librarianship: Sixty Years of Challenge and Change, 1945-2005. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2007. 98. Print.
UPDATE May 30, 2020:
Mike Selby, a librarian in British Columbia and a newspaper columnist, has written a book about the Freedom Libraries, Freedom Libraries: The Untold Stories of Librarians for African Americans in the South. The book is published by Rowman & Littlefield. To learn more about this well-written and well-researched book, please visit:
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538115541/Freedom-Libraries-The-Untold-Story-of-Libraries-for-African-Americans-in-the-South
UPDATE May 30, 2020:
Mike Selby, a librarian in British Columbia and a newspaper columnist, has written a book about the Freedom Libraries, Freedom Libraries: The Untold Stories of Librarians for African Americans in the South. The book is published by Rowman & Littlefield. To learn more about this well-written and well-researched book, please visit:
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538115541/Freedom-Libraries-The-Untold-Story-of-Libraries-for-African-Americans-in-the-South
Friday, July 1, 2011
The Faith Cabin Libraries
The Faith Cabin Libraries were founded by Willie Lee Buffington, a white mill worker and Methodist minister from Saluda, South Carolina. The libraries were named so, in that they were "built on faith, and housed in cabins". From the 1930s until the 1970s, the Faith Cabin Libraries provided books and library services to African Americans in Georgia and South Carolina.
See related posts: The Freedom Libraries ; The Marblehead Libraries.
Sources: Monk, Jim. "Willie Lee Buffington." The State (Columbia, S.C.) 4 Apr. 2005:n.pag. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. ; Williams, Robert B. and Copp, Robert W.H. Adventures in Faith: Library Services to Blacks in South Carolina. Columbia: Board of Trustees of U of South Carolina, 2002. Web. 16 Jan. 2011. ; Allen, Francis W. "Faith Cabin Libraries." Library Journal 66 (1941): 187-188. Print. ; Lee, Dan R. "From Segregation to Integration: Library Services to Blacks in South Carolina, 1923-1962." Untold Stories Civil Rights, Libraries, and Black Librarianship. Ed. John Mark Tucker. Champaign: Board of Trustees of the U of Illinois, 1998. 100-101. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South, or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 73, 95, 142. Print. ; Lee, Dan R. "Faith Cabin Libraries: A Study of an Alternative Library Service in the Segregated South, 1932-1960." Libraries and Culture 26.1 (1991): 169-182. Print.
See related posts: The Freedom Libraries ; The Marblehead Libraries.
Sources: Monk, Jim. "Willie Lee Buffington." The State (Columbia, S.C.) 4 Apr. 2005:n.pag. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. ; Williams, Robert B. and Copp, Robert W.H. Adventures in Faith: Library Services to Blacks in South Carolina. Columbia: Board of Trustees of U of South Carolina, 2002. Web. 16 Jan. 2011. ; Allen, Francis W. "Faith Cabin Libraries." Library Journal 66 (1941): 187-188. Print. ; Lee, Dan R. "From Segregation to Integration: Library Services to Blacks in South Carolina, 1923-1962." Untold Stories Civil Rights, Libraries, and Black Librarianship. Ed. John Mark Tucker. Champaign: Board of Trustees of the U of Illinois, 1998. 100-101. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South, or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 73, 95, 142. Print. ; Lee, Dan R. "Faith Cabin Libraries: A Study of an Alternative Library Service in the Segregated South, 1932-1960." Libraries and Culture 26.1 (1991): 169-182. Print.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): Harold T. Pinckett and Sara Dunlap Jackson
Harold T. Pinckett was the first African American archivist at the National Archives. Mr. Pinckett worked at the National Archives from 1942 until 1979. He also taught history at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.
Sources: Helms, Douglas. "In Memoriam: Harold T. Pinckett." Perspectives 39.8 (2001): n.pag. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. ; Helms, Douglas. "Obituary [Dr. Harold T. Pinckett]." Agricultural History 75.3 (2001): 349-351. Print. ; "Harold T. Pinckett Minority Student Award." Society of American Archivists. Society of American Archivists, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. ; Shockley, Anne Allen. "Librarians, Archivists, and Writers: A Personal Perspective." The Black Librarian in America Revisited. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1994. 320, 322. Print.
Sara Dunlap Jackson was the earliest known African American archival assistant to work at the National Archives. Ms. Jackson worked at the National Archives from 1944 until 1990.
Sources: Berlin, Ira. "In Memoriam: Sara Dunlap Jackson." Documentary Editing: Journal of the Association of Documentary Editing 13.3 (1991): 69. Print. ; Berlina, Ira. "Dedication: In Memory of Sara Dunlap Jackson, May 28, 1919-April 19, 1991." Prologue 29.2 (1997): 85. Print. ; Berlin, Ira. "Remembering Sara Dunlap Jackson (1919-1991)." BlackPast.org. Black Past, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. ; "Historical News and Notices." The Journal of Southern History 57.3 (1991): 574-587. Print. ; "Sara Dunlap Jackson, Federal Archivist." South Carolina African American History Calendar, 2011. Web. 4 Jan. 2011.
Sources: Helms, Douglas. "In Memoriam: Harold T. Pinckett." Perspectives 39.8 (2001): n.pag. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. ; Helms, Douglas. "Obituary [Dr. Harold T. Pinckett]." Agricultural History 75.3 (2001): 349-351. Print. ; "Harold T. Pinckett Minority Student Award." Society of American Archivists. Society of American Archivists, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. ; Shockley, Anne Allen. "Librarians, Archivists, and Writers: A Personal Perspective." The Black Librarian in America Revisited. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1994. 320, 322. Print.
Sara Dunlap Jackson was the earliest known African American archival assistant to work at the National Archives. Ms. Jackson worked at the National Archives from 1944 until 1990.
Sources: Berlin, Ira. "In Memoriam: Sara Dunlap Jackson." Documentary Editing: Journal of the Association of Documentary Editing 13.3 (1991): 69. Print. ; Berlina, Ira. "Dedication: In Memory of Sara Dunlap Jackson, May 28, 1919-April 19, 1991." Prologue 29.2 (1997): 85. Print. ; Berlin, Ira. "Remembering Sara Dunlap Jackson (1919-1991)." BlackPast.org. Black Past, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. ; "Historical News and Notices." The Journal of Southern History 57.3 (1991): 574-587. Print. ; "Sara Dunlap Jackson, Federal Archivist." South Carolina African American History Calendar, 2011. Web. 4 Jan. 2011.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Judith Carter Horton and the Excelsior Library of Guthrie, Oklahoma
In 1908, Judith Carter Horton established the Excelsior Library, Oklahoma's first public library for African Americans. The Excelsior Library was located in the town of Guthrie, on Second Street, and was headed by Mrs. Horton. Born in 1866 in Wright City, Missouri, Mrs. Horton was an 1891 graduate of Oberlin College, and the wife of D.G. Horton (Mr. Horton was the principal of Favor High School, a high school for African Americans in Guthrie). The refusal of Guthrie's library, the Carnegie Circulating Library, to provide service to her husband was Mrs. Horton's motivation for starting the Excelsior Library. In 1910, the Excelsior Library became a branch of the Carnegie Circulating Library.
In 1904, Mrs. Horton founded Oklahoma's first women's club for African Americans, the Excelsior Club. She also served as president of the Oklahoma State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs for three terms. In addition, Mrs. Horton a was founding member of the Warner Street Congregational Church, and was active in the National Association of Colored Women (later the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs). Prior to her arrival in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Mrs. Horton was an educator in Columbus, Kansas.
After 11 years of service, Mrs. Horton left the Excelsior Library to accept a teaching position at Favor High School. She retired from Favor High School in 1936. Mrs. Horton passed away in 1948 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Mrs. Horton was one of four women profiled in "The First Ladies of Colored America -No. 6", an article featured in the February 1943 issue of the The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races. The Crisis is the journal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was founded by W.E.B. DuBois in 1910. It is still in publication after 103 years.
Note: The Carnegie Circulating Library was originally established as the Guthrie Public Library in July of 1900 by the Federated Women's Clubs of Guthrie. In 1901, the library was renamed the Carnegie Circulating Library, and in 1902 a new building was constructed with a grant of $26,000 from Andrew Carnegie (R.W. Ramsey, a friend of Carnegie helped initiate this effort). The City of Guthrie contributed an additional gift of $10,000. Adele Kesler was the librarian. The library provided services to the residents of Guthrie until its closure in 1972. A new library, the Guthrie Public Library, was built to replace the Carnegie Circulating Library. The Carnegie Circulating Library is now the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest surviving Carnegie Library in Oklahoma.
You can view a picture postcard of the Carnegie Circulating Library on the Library Postcards Blog: http://www.librarypostcards.blogspot.com/2008/12/carnegie-library-guthrie-oklahoma.html
See related post: Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the Muskogee Public Library (Muskogee, Oklahoma)
Update 11/03/2016:
Judith Carter Horton and the Excelsior Library are mentioned in an article in the November 2016 issue of Mistletoe Leaves, a publication of the Oklahoma Historical Society:
"OTM Collecting Artifacts and Stories Relating to the African American Experience." Mistletoe Leaves 47.10 (Nov. 2016): 5. Print.
Note: OTM is the Oklahoma Territorial Museum.
Sources: "Colored Library A Success." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 18 Dec. 1908:9. Print. ; "For A Worthy Purpose." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 5 O'Clock Ed. 15 July 1908:1. Print. ; Lucas-Thompson, Grace. "What Our Women are Doing!" The Freeman (Indianapolis, Ind.) 12 Dec. 1914:3. Print. ; "Men of the Month." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 15.6 (1918): 279-280. Print. ; "The First Ladies of Colored America - No. 6." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 50.2 (Feb. 1943): 48. Print. ; "Judith Carter Horton." Notable Oklahoma Women. Tulsa City-County Library, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. ; Stiefmiller, Helen M. "Horton, Judith Ann Carter Horton (1866-1948)." Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society and Oklahoma State University Libraries Electronic Publishing Center, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010 ; "Social Uplift." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 9.1 (Nov. 1914): 8. Print. ; "Carnegie Libraries: Oklahoma's Treasures." Trustee Talk (Oklahoma Dept. of Libraries, Office of Library Development) 8 (Sept. 2004): 10. Print. ; "Guthrie Public Library." OLA Celebrates the Oklahoma Centennial and the OLA Centennial. Oklahoma Library Association, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Everett, Dianna. "Carnegie Libraries." Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society and Oklahoma State University Libraries Electronic Publishing Center, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; "Carnegie Library." The Oklahoma Territorial Museum & Carnegie Library. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum & Carnegie Library, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Guthrie Public Library. Guthrie Public Library, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Reports of the Oklahoma Library Commission, Sept. 15, 1919-June 30, 1920 and Survey of Public Libraries of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City: Warden Company, 1922. 12-13, 20, 26-27, 43, 69-70, 86, 95-96. Print. ; "Hear This Musical Program and Address." The Oklahoma Guide (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 30.18 (Oct. 14, 1920): 1. Print. ; Rees, Margaret. "Guthrie's New Library: An Appeal to the Public to Assist the New Enterprise." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 11 Nov. 1901:3. Print. ; "Building Site for Carnegie Library: Discussed Pro and Con by Members of Women's Clubs." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 5 Nov. 1901:3. Print. ; "Public Library Notes." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 7 Feb. 1902: 6. Print. ; "Total Gifts to Date of America's Two Wealthiest Money Kings." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 7 Feb. 1902: 3. Print. ; "Carnegie Library Cornerstone Laid: Federation of Women's Club Fitly Celebrate the Event." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 3 July 1902:1, 8. Print. ; "Carnegie Library Was Officially Dedicated Last Night." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 21 May 1903:1, 4. Print. ; "OTM Collecting Artifacts and Stories Relating to the African American Experience." Mistletoe Leaves 47.10 (Nov. 2016): 5. Print.
In 1904, Mrs. Horton founded Oklahoma's first women's club for African Americans, the Excelsior Club. She also served as president of the Oklahoma State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs for three terms. In addition, Mrs. Horton a was founding member of the Warner Street Congregational Church, and was active in the National Association of Colored Women (later the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs). Prior to her arrival in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Mrs. Horton was an educator in Columbus, Kansas.
After 11 years of service, Mrs. Horton left the Excelsior Library to accept a teaching position at Favor High School. She retired from Favor High School in 1936. Mrs. Horton passed away in 1948 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Mrs. Horton was one of four women profiled in "The First Ladies of Colored America -No. 6", an article featured in the February 1943 issue of the The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races. The Crisis is the journal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was founded by W.E.B. DuBois in 1910. It is still in publication after 103 years.
Note: The Carnegie Circulating Library was originally established as the Guthrie Public Library in July of 1900 by the Federated Women's Clubs of Guthrie. In 1901, the library was renamed the Carnegie Circulating Library, and in 1902 a new building was constructed with a grant of $26,000 from Andrew Carnegie (R.W. Ramsey, a friend of Carnegie helped initiate this effort). The City of Guthrie contributed an additional gift of $10,000. Adele Kesler was the librarian. The library provided services to the residents of Guthrie until its closure in 1972. A new library, the Guthrie Public Library, was built to replace the Carnegie Circulating Library. The Carnegie Circulating Library is now the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest surviving Carnegie Library in Oklahoma.
You can view a picture postcard of the Carnegie Circulating Library on the Library Postcards Blog: http://www.librarypostcards.blogspot.com/2008/12/carnegie-library-guthrie-oklahoma.html
See related post: Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the Muskogee Public Library (Muskogee, Oklahoma)
Update 11/03/2016:
Judith Carter Horton and the Excelsior Library are mentioned in an article in the November 2016 issue of Mistletoe Leaves, a publication of the Oklahoma Historical Society:
"OTM Collecting Artifacts and Stories Relating to the African American Experience." Mistletoe Leaves 47.10 (Nov. 2016): 5. Print.
Note: OTM is the Oklahoma Territorial Museum.
Sources: "Colored Library A Success." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 18 Dec. 1908:9. Print. ; "For A Worthy Purpose." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 5 O'Clock Ed. 15 July 1908:1. Print. ; Lucas-Thompson, Grace. "What Our Women are Doing!" The Freeman (Indianapolis, Ind.) 12 Dec. 1914:3. Print. ; "Men of the Month." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 15.6 (1918): 279-280. Print. ; "The First Ladies of Colored America - No. 6." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 50.2 (Feb. 1943): 48. Print. ; "Judith Carter Horton." Notable Oklahoma Women. Tulsa City-County Library, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. ; Stiefmiller, Helen M. "Horton, Judith Ann Carter Horton (1866-1948)." Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society and Oklahoma State University Libraries Electronic Publishing Center, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010 ; "Social Uplift." The Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races 9.1 (Nov. 1914): 8. Print. ; "Carnegie Libraries: Oklahoma's Treasures." Trustee Talk (Oklahoma Dept. of Libraries, Office of Library Development) 8 (Sept. 2004): 10. Print. ; "Guthrie Public Library." OLA Celebrates the Oklahoma Centennial and the OLA Centennial. Oklahoma Library Association, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Everett, Dianna. "Carnegie Libraries." Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society and Oklahoma State University Libraries Electronic Publishing Center, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; "Carnegie Library." The Oklahoma Territorial Museum & Carnegie Library. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum & Carnegie Library, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Guthrie Public Library. Guthrie Public Library, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. ; Reports of the Oklahoma Library Commission, Sept. 15, 1919-June 30, 1920 and Survey of Public Libraries of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City: Warden Company, 1922. 12-13, 20, 26-27, 43, 69-70, 86, 95-96. Print. ; "Hear This Musical Program and Address." The Oklahoma Guide (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 30.18 (Oct. 14, 1920): 1. Print. ; Rees, Margaret. "Guthrie's New Library: An Appeal to the Public to Assist the New Enterprise." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 11 Nov. 1901:3. Print. ; "Building Site for Carnegie Library: Discussed Pro and Con by Members of Women's Clubs." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 5 Nov. 1901:3. Print. ; "Public Library Notes." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 7 Feb. 1902: 6. Print. ; "Total Gifts to Date of America's Two Wealthiest Money Kings." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 7 Feb. 1902: 3. Print. ; "Carnegie Library Cornerstone Laid: Federation of Women's Club Fitly Celebrate the Event." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 3 July 1902:1, 8. Print. ; "Carnegie Library Was Officially Dedicated Last Night." The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) 21 May 1903:1, 4. Print. ; "OTM Collecting Artifacts and Stories Relating to the African American Experience." Mistletoe Leaves 47.10 (Nov. 2016): 5. Print.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Article on Evansville, Indiana's Former African American Library Branch (The Cherry Street Branch -- A Colored Carnegie Library)
The Spring 2011 (v. 10, no. 2) issue of the Library History Round Table Newsletter contains a short article I wrote about the former Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library of Evansville, Indiana. Built with a donation from Andrew Carnegie, the Cherry Street Branch Library (also known as the "Colored Branch") provided services to Evansville's African American community from 1914-1954. To read the article, visit the Library History Round Table Newsletter's page at:
Fenton, Michele. "Building Spotlight: The Cherry Street (African American) Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County, IN Public Library." LHRT Newsletter 10.2 (2011):6-7. Print.
Update 03/04/2012:
There is also a longer, expanded article I wrote containing additional information about the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library in Indiana Libraries, v. 30, no. 2 (2011):
Fenton, Michele T. "Way Down Yonder at the Cherry Street Branch: A Short History of Evansville's Negro Library." Indiana Libraries 30.2 (2011): 37-41. Print.
Update 06/01/2012:
The Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library is briefly mentioned on pages 56 and 213 of the following monograph:
McPherson, Alan. Temples of Knowledge: Andrew Carnegie's Gift to Indiana. Kewanna, IN: Hoosier's Nest Press, 2003. 56, 213. Print.
Update 12/17/2012:
See related posts: Lillian Sunshine Hayden Childress Hall: Pioneer in the History of Library Service to African Americans in Indiana, Fannie C. Porter and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library, and Minnie B. Slade Bishop: 1939 Graduate of the Hampton Institute Library School, and The Flanner Guild Deposit Station, Paul Laurence Dunbar Branch, Crispus Attucks Branch, and the George Washington Carver Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library (Indianapolis, Indiana).
Update 03/09/2013:
The Wisconsin Historical Society has in its digital collection, a picture of children using the Cherry Street Branch:
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=74504
Also, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library has in its digital collection, a picture of the Cherry Street Branch in 1927:
http://digital.evpl.org/u?/evplcent,253
Update 04/18/2014:
I wrote an article on Lillian Haydon Childress Hall who served as branch manager of the Cherry Street Branch from 1915 until 1921. The article was published in the latest issue of "Indiana Libraries". Click the link below for access:
Fenton, Michele T. "Stepping Out on Faith: Lillian Haydon Childress Hall, Pioneer Black Librarian." Indiana Libraries 33.1 (2014): 5-11. Print.
Update 6/07/2014:
Rachel Davis Harris, noted children's librarian at the Eastern Colored Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony for the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library. The ceremony took place on December 2, 1914 at McFarland Baptist Church (also called "McFarland Chapel"). The title of Mrs. Harris's speech was "The Advantages of Colored Library Branches." The Southern Workman, a journal published by the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), published Mrs. Harris's speech in the v. 44, no. 7 (1915) issue. Google Books has digitized the Southern Workman. You can view Mrs. Harris's speech by clicking on the link below:
Harris, Rachel D. "The Advantages of Colored Library Branches." The Southern Workman 44.7 (1915): 385-391. Pdf.
The Cherry Street Branch is also mentioned in the following sources:
Malone, Cheryl Knott. "Quiet Pioneers: Black Women Public Librarians in the Segregated South." Vitae Scholasticae 19.1 (2000): 64. Print. ; Bigham, Darrel. Southern Indiana. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000. 89. Print. ; "The Negro Library in Evansville, Ind." Public Libraries 20.3 (1915): 115. Print. ; "News of Indiana Libraries." Library Occurrent 3.8 (1913): 138. Print. ; "Carnegie Donations." Library Occurrent 3.7 (1913): 124. Print. ; "News of Indiana Libraries." Library Occurrent 3.12 (1914): 203. Print. ; "New Library Buildings." Library Occurrent 4.2 (1915): 28. Print. ; "Personals." Library Occurrent 3.12 (1914): 204. Print. ; Evansville Public Library. Second Annual Report, 1914. Evansville: Evansville Public Library, 1915. 6. Print. ; Goldhor, Herbert. The First Fifty Years: The Evansville Public Library and the Vanderburgh County Public Library. Evansville: Goldhor, 1962. 4, 22. Print. ; Evansville Public Library. First Annual Report, 1913. Evansville: Evansville Public Library, 1914. 8. Print. ; Bobinski, George S. Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development. Chicago: ALA, 1969. 80, 176. Print. ; Shores, Louis. "Public Library Service to Negroes." Library Journal 55.4 (1930): 152. Print. ; Atherton, Christi. "West Branch Library, A Mix of Past & Present." Evansville Courier & Press 22 Aug. 2008: n. pag. Web. 29 Jan. 2011. ; Rose, Ernestine. "Work with Negroes Round Table." Bulletin of the American Library Association 16.40 (1922): 363-365 and Library Journal 47.14 (1922): 666-668. Print. ; Bigham, Darrel E. An Evansville Album: Perspectives on a River City, 1812-1988. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1988. 92. Print.
Fenton, Michele. "Building Spotlight: The Cherry Street (African American) Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County, IN Public Library." LHRT Newsletter 10.2 (2011):6-7. Print.
Update 03/04/2012:
There is also a longer, expanded article I wrote containing additional information about the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library in Indiana Libraries, v. 30, no. 2 (2011):
Fenton, Michele T. "Way Down Yonder at the Cherry Street Branch: A Short History of Evansville's Negro Library." Indiana Libraries 30.2 (2011): 37-41. Print.
Update 06/01/2012:
The Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library is briefly mentioned on pages 56 and 213 of the following monograph:
McPherson, Alan. Temples of Knowledge: Andrew Carnegie's Gift to Indiana. Kewanna, IN: Hoosier's Nest Press, 2003. 56, 213. Print.
Update 12/17/2012:
See related posts: Lillian Sunshine Hayden Childress Hall: Pioneer in the History of Library Service to African Americans in Indiana, Fannie C. Porter and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library, and Minnie B. Slade Bishop: 1939 Graduate of the Hampton Institute Library School, and The Flanner Guild Deposit Station, Paul Laurence Dunbar Branch, Crispus Attucks Branch, and the George Washington Carver Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library (Indianapolis, Indiana).
Update 03/09/2013:
The Wisconsin Historical Society has in its digital collection, a picture of children using the Cherry Street Branch:
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=74504
Also, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library has in its digital collection, a picture of the Cherry Street Branch in 1927:
http://digital.evpl.org/u?/evplcent,253
Update 04/18/2014:
I wrote an article on Lillian Haydon Childress Hall who served as branch manager of the Cherry Street Branch from 1915 until 1921. The article was published in the latest issue of "Indiana Libraries". Click the link below for access:
Fenton, Michele T. "Stepping Out on Faith: Lillian Haydon Childress Hall, Pioneer Black Librarian." Indiana Libraries 33.1 (2014): 5-11. Print.
Update 6/07/2014:
Rachel Davis Harris, noted children's librarian at the Eastern Colored Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony for the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library. The ceremony took place on December 2, 1914 at McFarland Baptist Church (also called "McFarland Chapel"). The title of Mrs. Harris's speech was "The Advantages of Colored Library Branches." The Southern Workman, a journal published by the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), published Mrs. Harris's speech in the v. 44, no. 7 (1915) issue. Google Books has digitized the Southern Workman. You can view Mrs. Harris's speech by clicking on the link below:
Harris, Rachel D. "The Advantages of Colored Library Branches." The Southern Workman 44.7 (1915): 385-391. Pdf.
The Cherry Street Branch is also mentioned in the following sources:
Malone, Cheryl Knott. "Quiet Pioneers: Black Women Public Librarians in the Segregated South." Vitae Scholasticae 19.1 (2000): 64. Print. ; Bigham, Darrel. Southern Indiana. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000. 89. Print. ; "The Negro Library in Evansville, Ind." Public Libraries 20.3 (1915): 115. Print. ; "News of Indiana Libraries." Library Occurrent 3.8 (1913): 138. Print. ; "Carnegie Donations." Library Occurrent 3.7 (1913): 124. Print. ; "News of Indiana Libraries." Library Occurrent 3.12 (1914): 203. Print. ; "New Library Buildings." Library Occurrent 4.2 (1915): 28. Print. ; "Personals." Library Occurrent 3.12 (1914): 204. Print. ; Evansville Public Library. Second Annual Report, 1914. Evansville: Evansville Public Library, 1915. 6. Print. ; Goldhor, Herbert. The First Fifty Years: The Evansville Public Library and the Vanderburgh County Public Library. Evansville: Goldhor, 1962. 4, 22. Print. ; Evansville Public Library. First Annual Report, 1913. Evansville: Evansville Public Library, 1914. 8. Print. ; Bobinski, George S. Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development. Chicago: ALA, 1969. 80, 176. Print. ; Shores, Louis. "Public Library Service to Negroes." Library Journal 55.4 (1930): 152. Print. ; Atherton, Christi. "West Branch Library, A Mix of Past & Present." Evansville Courier & Press 22 Aug. 2008: n. pag. Web. 29 Jan. 2011. ; Rose, Ernestine. "Work with Negroes Round Table." Bulletin of the American Library Association 16.40 (1922): 363-365 and Library Journal 47.14 (1922): 666-668. Print. ; Bigham, Darrel E. An Evansville Album: Perspectives on a River City, 1812-1988. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1988. 92. Print.
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