- unitid
-
{"value"=>"186326", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"Sc MIRS Abyssinian 1995-23", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"b22238600", "type"=>"local_b"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1992", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1992"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Abyssinian Baptist Church Oral History Project audio collection"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"20 audio_recordings", "unit"=>"audio_recordings"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Abyssinian Baptist Church Oral History Project consists of interviews with ten African American women about their recollections of the church as longtime members. Conducted by Dr. Martia G. Goodson, an American historian specializing in African American oral history, focused the interviews on the church's activities from 1940 to 1970. Many of the interviewees and their stories are included in Dr. Goodson's book <span class=\"title\">Church Ladies: Untold Stories of Harlem Women in the Powell Era</span> (2015)."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Abyssinian Baptist Church (New York, N.Y.)", "type"=>"corpname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Abyssinian Oral History Project was conceived and executed by Dr. Martia G. Goodson, an American historian specializing in African American oral history. In 1992, Dr. Goodson identified and interviewed ten African American women and longtime members about their reminiscences and the history of Abyssinian Baptist Church from 1940 to 1970. Portions of several of the interviews are included in Dr. Goodson's book, <span class=\"title\">Church Ladies: Untold Stories of Harlem Women in the Powell Era</span> (2015). The Abyssinian Oral History Project was part of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture's Preservation of the Black Religious Heritage Project, which ran from 1989 to 1993 and sought to collect and preserve material related to the African American religious experience.</p> <p>The Abyssinian Baptist Church was the first Black Baptist church established in New York State and the fifth in the United States. The congregation was formed in 1808 after Ethiopian seamen and a group of African Americans protested against segregated seating in the First Baptist Church of New York City. In lower Manhattan, they formed Abyssinian Baptist Church whose name is inspired by the ancient name of Ethiopia – Abyssinia. In 1923, the congregation moved to its current location in Harlem on 138th Street. Notable pastors include Adam Clayton Powell Sr. (served from 1908-1936) and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (1937-1972). Adam Clayton Powell Jr. became the first African American to be elected to Congress from New York, representing Harlem from 1945 until 1971.</p> <p>The church remains a vibrant and thriving congregation welcoming hundreds of members and tourists each week.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Abyssinian Baptist Church Oral History Project consists of twenty audio recordings comprising interviews with ten African American women about their recollections as active church members. Since the collection's original formats are audio cassettes, many of the items contain two or more parts, one for each side of the cassette. The interviews are arranged alphabetically and in sequence by part. The scope of the interviews date back to the late 1920s, but the primary time period under discussion is from 1940 to 1970.</p> <p>All the women interviewed in 1992 were over seventy years old, and one was over ninety. The interviewees were: Helen Brown, Robbie Clark, Susan Craig, Gwendolyn Jones, Esther McCall, Estelle Noble, Fannie Pennington, Olivia Pearl Stokes, Amy Terry, and Laura B. Thomas. The women were all involved in several clubs and organizations within the church, and many held leadership positions. The topics discussed range from the women's personal and work lives, church life including church clubs and organizations, Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. 's ministries, social activism and political campaigns, as well as the historical context of the time. A brief bio for each woman is included. Susan Craig, Estelle Noble, and Laura B. Thomas are interviewed more than once. For more information on topics discussed and interview transcripts, see \"Abyssinian Baptist Church Oral History Project 1992\" collection finding aid in the Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Books Division.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Preservation of the Black Religious Heritage Project, 1995.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>Papers transferred to Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division. See \"Abyssinian Baptist Church Oral History Project 1992\" collection, Sc MG 671.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Collection inventoried by <span class=\"name\">Nathan Evans</span>. Collection processed and described by <span class=\"name\">Ornella U. Baganizi</span>, archivist; and <span class=\"name\">Shola Lynch</span>, curator. Finding aid published in 2023.</p>"}
- relatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p><span class=\"title\">Church Ladies: Untold Stories of Harlem Women in the Powell Era</span> (2015), Sc E 16-475.</p>"}
- sponsor
-
{"value"=>"An anonymous donor funded preliminary processing for this collection, and a grant from the Mellon Foundation supported the digitization."}
- revisiondesc
-
{"value"=>"Item scope and content notes and AMI identifiers updated for clarity by Ornella U. Baganizi.", "date"=>"2024-04-12"}
- date_start
-
1992
- keydate
-
1992
- date_end
-
1992
- date_inclusive_start
-
1992
- date_inclusive_end
-
1992
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Abyssinian Baptist Church Oral History Project audio collection, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division, The New York Public Library"}