- Creator
- First World Festival of Negro Arts
- Call number
- Sc MG 220
- Physical description
- .4 linear feet
- Preferred Citation
- First World Festival of Negro Arts. United States Committee. Press agent's files, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library
- Repository
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
- Access to materials
- Some collections held by the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture are held off-site and must be requested in advance. Please check the collection records in the NYPL's online catalog for detailed location information. To request access to materials in the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, please visit: http://archives.nypl.org/scm/request_access Request access to this collection.
The records of the First World Festival of Negro Arts, U.S. Committee Press Agent Files consist of minutes of committee meetings, correspondence pertaining to the planning for American participation in the festival, pre-festival informational packets, biographical information of festival participants and U.S. Committee members, lists of material sent to the festival, press releases, material regarding a reception held for President Leopold Senghor of Senegal, and post-Festival reports.
Biographical/historical information
The First World Festival of Negro Arts took place April 1-24, 1966 in Dakar, Senegal and demonstrated the cultural ties between African nations and the rest of the world, and the impact of black culture upon world culture. The festival involved the participation of forty-five African, European, West Indian, and North and South African countries. Conceived by Senegalese President Leopold Sedar Senghor, the festival highlighted black literature, music, theater, visual arts, film and dance.
The festival was held under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the government of Senegal and the Society of African Culture. While most other nations relied on governmental procedures to arrange participation in the festival, the United States formed a private, volunteer committee. Mrs. Virginia Inness-Brown and Dr. John A. Davis chaired the U.S. Committee and coordinated American representation at the festival. Broad based funding sources were the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Information Agency, Agency for International Development, foundations, corporations and private donors.
Administrative information
Source of acquisition
Museum of the City of New York, 10/--/84Using the collection
Location
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor