Found 66 collections related to African American authors

Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960) author of several novels, short stories, poetry and an autobiography, was a trained anthropologist who also wrote ethnographic studies. Writings consisting of nine poems and one short story entitled "The Conversion of Man", and correspondence with William Clifford and Lawrence Jordan. less

C. L. R. James was a West Indian scholar, political activist, and writer. Born in Trinidad in 1901, James began his career as a writer and sports journalist. He migrated to Great Britain in 1932, where he published his first major work, The Black Jacobins, in 1938. He became acquainted with Marxism and Trotskyism in 1934, meeting with Leon Trotsky in Mexico in 1938. In New York during the 1940s, he led a small faction of left-wing Communists opposed to the policies of the Communist Party-USA, as well as to some of the main tenets of Marxism-Leninism and Trotskyism. Following his expulsion from the United States in 1953, during the Cold War, James relocated to London, residing at times in Trinidad, where he launched an opposition party against the government of Eric Williams, and in the United States, where he lectured periodically. James died in 1989. The C. L. R. James letters consist mainly of letters written by James to his former wife and political associate, Constance Webb. James's letters discuss a wide variety of subjects including love, politics (especially Marxism), art, history, sports, literature, and popular culture. Also included are miscellaneous letters and organizational materials documenting James's political activities in the United States, 1938-1953; and letters written to Webb, regarding her writings on Richard Wright, from Arna Bontemps, Lawrence Reddick, and Ellen Wright. Numerous letters also discuss the Johnson-Forest Tendency, a faction led by C. L. R. James, under the pseudonym of J. R. Johnson, and Raya Dunayevskaya (also known as Freddie Forest) within the Socialist Workers Party, which later evolved into the group Facing Reality. The letters are voluminous, averaging 20 pages on loose leaf paper; handwritten; undated; and either signed with a majuscule N (first letter of his nickname and political pseudonym Nello) or unsigned. They were transcribed and annotated by Webb. less

Mordecai Philip Montgomery was a long-time member of the Socialist Party of New York. Montgomery was born in 1880 in Fayette, Alabama, and worked as a Pullman porter, then for the Works Progress Administration, and in his later years, was a messenger in the Wall Street area of Manhattan. He died in 1956 in New York City. The Mordecai P. Montgomery Collection consists principally of an unpublished manuscript, "Shining in Death," authored by Montgomery, about a Canadian black man and his struggle to become an actor in New York; the time period is from the second half of the nineteenth century until the Depression. The collection also includes a folder of letters and a reminiscence by Edward P. Gottlieb, the donor, regarding Montgomery. The letters are from Gottlieb to a publisher/editor, and to author Toni Morrison, seeking to get the manuscript read and published following Montgomery's death. less

Born in Britain, Allan Morrison was a combat correspondent during World War II. He accompanied the liberation forces into Paris towards the end of the war. On becoming a naturalized United States citizen, in 1946 Morrison officially changed his surname to Allan Malcolm Morrison. In the 1940s, he began a career at Ebony magazine which continued for more than 25 years. On two occasions (1961 and 1965), John H. Johnson wrote letters commending Morrison for his service to the Johnson Publishing Company. Collection consists of several letters and a few miscellaneous items, including Morrison's naturalization certificate (1946). Included are a 1946 "thank you letter" from Walter White, Executive Secretary of the NAACP, making positive comments about the content of an article done by Morrison on the White family; two letters from J.G. Gude, August 18, 1963, one introducing Morrison to Blair Clark, then chief of CBS news operations, the other informing Morrison about the introduction; and two letters from John H. Johnson, 1961 and 1965. There is also a letter from the US Information Agency, 1965 cancelling a contract with Morrison for his failure to produce a manuscript. less

The Owen Dodson Collection consists principally of printed matter describing Dodson's career as a poet, playwright and novelist. There are also programs, obituaries and a memorial, a few of his poems and an extensive bibliography. Additionally, the collection contains a handwritten poem (1940's), postcards he wrote to his friend Sol Gordon, court documents and correspondence regarding Dodson's estate and his will. less

Born Yves Francois Lubin in Haiti in 1957, Assotto Saint was a New York-based gay activist, poet, and performance artist who edited two anthologies of black gay poets in the early 1990s. He founded a publishing house, Galiens Press, which published his book of poems Stations and the anthologies Here to Dare and The Road Before Us. In addition, Saint also wrote and produced several theater pieces, including Risin' to the Love We Need and New Love Song. Saint was the founder and artistic director of Metamorphosis Theater and the lead singer of the rock band Xotica. He died of HIV-related diseases in 1994. The Assotto Saint papers consist of correspondence and writings by Saint, manuscripts and letters from authors featured in his anthologies as well as other gay writers, printed matter, and some personal papers. less

The collection contains poems recited in the film, contracts, newspaper ad layouts, advertisements, press releases, a press kit, foreign correspondence regarding theater inquiries, national and international reviews of the film, articles about the cast members and legal documents relating to the suit brought by Hassan, et al. less

Personal and professional papers, writings, office files and printed matter documenting Preston Wilcox's dual career as an educator and community organizer. Included are biographical and autobiographical narratives; some correspondence and organization files; an extensive writings series; proposals, minutes, reports and other documents dating from 1958 to 1965 pertaining to the East Harlem Project, the East Harlem Summer Festival, and the Massive Economic Neighborhood Development (MEND); confidential files from the 1964 Princeton Summer Studies Program, the pilot project for the pre-college Upward Bound program; compilations of material on public schools, decentralization and community control; and Afram's surviving records. Some of the main themes explored in the writings are: decentralization and parental decision-making, community organization and economic development, Black Power versus integration, social policy and white racism, empowering the poor, and black studies and black schools. The Afram files comprise the following subseries: Administrative, Publications, Parent Participation in Follow Through, Malcolm X Lovers Network and Vertical Files. The latter two categories are compilations of articles and other printed matter, with editorial notes by Wilcox, on Malcolm X, and on selected topics and personalities, including education, community control, reparations, Harlem, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr., Kwame Toure (Stokely Carmichael) and Leonard Jeffries. less

Jeremy Randolph was an African American actor, poet, playwright, and founder of two independent publishing houses, Rannick Playwrights Company and Amuru Press. The Jeremy Randolph papers primarily document the activities of Randolph's small, independent black publishing company, Amuru Press, during the brief period from 1972 to 1974. less

The Alice Childress papers document Alice Childress's career as a writer and actress, and her activities in the theatre for five decades in New York City. The Personal Papers series includes correspondence, an oral history conducted by Ann Shockley, Childress's FBI file, diaries, calendars, interviews, educational materials, family letters, files for her two husbands, and biographical information about Childress. Significant correspondents include writers Kay Bourne, Harold (Hal) Courlander and Susan Koppleman. less

The AMAS Musical Theatre production files consist of documentation for thirty-six plays produced by AMAS, including both original plays and well known plays such as "It's so nice to be civilized," "Bojangles," "Jam," "Juba," "Blackberries," and "The buck stops here." Revivals have included "Bye Bye Birdie," "Carousel," and "My Fair Lady." A variety of material can be found in the files; however not every kind of material will be available for each production. The following list provides a sampling of files: attendance sheets; audition sheets, budgets, cast lists/contact sheets; casting lists and notices; contracts; costume inventories; cue sheets; equity contracts; flyers and programs; memoranda and correspondence; music and lyrics; performance reports; production schedules; rehearsal logs, schedules and reports; reviews; scene breakdown sheets; scripts-blocking/production/master/music; set design and illustrations/lighting/props; sound; stage manager's notes; and VIP lists. Additionally, the collection includes background information about AMAS and Rosetta LeNoire, AMAS's Eubie Blake Youth Theatre, programs and flyers for productions not represented in the files, and certificates awarded to AMAS. less

The Aubrey Howard Bowser Papers consist primarily of writings, academic and school related papers, and letters. Bower's writings include a manuscript entitled "Black Pilgrim: A Novel of Harlem's Early Life," a short story "Maryelle Rose," poetry, book reviews and critiques. There are also two full runs of the "Rainbow," a weekly literary magazine he edited, 1919-1920. less

The Edward Boatner papers reflect his activities as composer, choral conductor, music professor and author of music textbooks. The music in the collection consists of scores for "Freedom Suite," his musical comedy "Julius Sees Her in Rome, Georgia," and his opera "Troubled in Mind." There are also scores for four gospel songs written by Boatner, and voice parts for selections from his musical play, "He Will Answer.". less

Papers reflecting Schomburg's endeavors as a writer and researcher, and collector and curator of books and manuscripts documenting black history and culture. Personal and professional papers, including correspondence and writings, and writings of others. Includes material relating to Schomburg's position as curator of the Schomburg Collection at the 135th St. branch of the New York Public Library, and to black literature, art, and history. Correspondents include John E. Bruce, Henrietta Buckmaster, W.E.B. Du Bois, Nicolás Guillén, W.C. Handy, Langston Hughes, Charles S. Johnson, James W. Johnson, Claude McKay, J.A. Rogers, Albert A. Smith, Sténio Vincent (President of Haiti), Walter White, and Carter G. Woodson. Other papers include programs, news clippings, invitations, announcements, and minutes of a variety of organizations, such as the New York Urban League, New York Public Library, Young Men's Christian Association, and several black cultural and educational groups. Also, transcriptions of eighteenth and nineteenth century historical documents pertaining to black history and culture. less

Myran E. Haley (My Haley) is the third wife of the well-known writer Alex Haley. They were married in 1977 although they were legally separated at the time of his death in 1992. Myran Haley claimed she assisted Alex Haley in finishing "Roots," published in 1976. She also stated in court documents that she was a collaborator on at least three of his unpublished works: "Queen," (the story of his Caucasian ancestry), "Madame C. J. Walker," and "Henning," a collection of stories about Haley's boyhood summers at his grandmother's home in western Tennessee. The Myran E. Haley Legal Documents relate to the suit filed by Myran Haley against George Haley (Alex Haley's brother), and the Haley Estate regarding ownership of three literary works Haley was working on at the time of his death: "Merging" aka "Queen," "Madam C. J. Walker," and "Henning." She claimed co-ownership of these works and the right to complete the manuscripts. A compromise judgment was rendered giving her partial (15%) ownership rights. Documents include photocopies of Mryan Haley's complaint, her affidavit, Alex Haley's will, their prenuptial agreement, and the partial compromise judgment. less

Composer; cornetist; bandleader and publisher, W.C. Handy's fame rests upon his work as a composer. Handy wrote and published more than 150 songs and arrangements of folksongs, mainly spirituals and blues. The popularity of Handy's songs helped to make black folk blues a permanent part of America's popular music. Collection of documents relating to W. C. Handy and the Handy Brothers Music Company. Included is correspondence from Handy and his friends, programs, broadsides and invitations related to affairs honoring Handy. Also, printed material advertising publications by Handy's music and publishing companies, and a 28 page bio-bibliography, "Negro Authors and Composers of the United States" by Handy. less

Collection consists of eighteen play scripts and one film script. With the exception of one play which was published in Paris, in French, all plays are unpublished. Titles for three act plays include: "Leedsville," 1951 (carbon copy, with minor corrections); two versions of "The end of the search" (one of the copies lacks the t.p., the date is unknown, and bears handwritten corrections, alterations, and additions. The second copy is dated 1953. Ultimately this play was rewritten as a novel); "A star for Bella," 1956; two copies of "Sounds in the alley," 1964 (the typewritten draft of the play with handwritten corrections, and its final typewritten version); two versions of "God takes the late train," 1964 (carbon copy draft with handwritten alterations, and its final typewritten version); "Not a single blade of grass," 1966 (carbon copy); "The blood of the starches," 1969. less

Ted Poston was the first full-time African-American reporter for the New York Post, where he worked from 1936 covering many major black-oriented news stories, until his retirement in 1972. The Ted Poston Research Collection consists of biographical information about Poston and a transcript of an interview that Professor Luther P. Jackson did with Ted Poston on "interracial reporting" in October 1968. Most of the collection consists of typescripts of articles and columns written by Poston (1927-1971) collected and prepared by the donor, Kathleen Hauke. less

George Rich Metcalf (born Feb. 5, 1914 in Auburn) was a white American N.Y. State Senator; president of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing; an activist; businessman; journalist; author; and philanthropist. In 1948, he became chairman of the Auburn Housing Authority before being elected to the New York State Senate in 1950. He authored many bills regarding fair housing, civil rights, and public health. In 1965, he left the Senate to write about racial injustice. He authored four books, including two books on Black history. During the 1970s, he taught Black history at Auburn Community College. He died on May 30, 2002. The George R. Metcalf research files are comprised of research material for Metcalf's two books, Black Profiles (13 biographies of prominent African Americans living and deceased), and Up from Within: Today's Black Leaders (a biographical sequence of emerging Black personalities and their contributions to the "Black revolution" in America). Material consists of clippings, correspondence, typescripts, transcribed interviews, notes, and miscellaneous printed material. The material covers notable figures including Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Roy Wilkins, Shirley Chisolm, W.E.B. Du Bois, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Medgar Evers, Jackie Robinson, Eldridge Cleaver, Whitney Young, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Edward Brooke, Julian Bond, James H. Meredith, and Andrew Brimmer, among others. less

James Weldon Johnson was a publisher, educator, lawyer, composer, artist, diplomat and civil rights leader. Together with his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, he wrote the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which came to be known as the "Negro National Anthem" as well as a large number of popular songs for the musical stage of the early twentieth century. Johnson also served as consul of the United States to Venezuela and Nicaragua. His literary contributions include several books and his position as editor of "New York Age." From 1920-1931 Johnson was field secretary, then secretary, of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1930 he became chair of Creative Literature and Writing at Fisk University. The James Weldon Johnson collection consists primarily of programs honoring Johnson's numerous endeavors following his death in 1938, including those sponsored by the NAACP, Yale University Library, Virginia Union University and Hampton Institute. Two programs printed during his lifetime provide information about subjects for his lectures and work with students at Fisk University. News clippings discuss a marker erected in 1972 at the site of his home in Jacksonville, Florida. An obituary marks the passing of his widow Grace Nail Johnson in 1976, and two towels with their embroidered initials complete the collection. less

The bulk of the Charles Gordone Collection pertains to the author's Pulitzer-prize winning play "No Place to Be Somebody," which includes several versions of the play script, programs, letters, playbills, flyers, posters, production and showcase materials, press, and two files for awards Gordone received from the Pulitzer Prize and the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1970 and 1971, respectively. less

The Larry Neal Papers document his role as a writer/editor and seminal figure in the Black Arts Movement, and consists principally of Neal's diverse forms of writings, including essays, scripts, screenplays, poems, short stories and anthologies. Published copies of some of his writings are included in the collection, as are writings by colleagues and publishers. less

Ted Joans was a painter, poet and trumpeter, member of the New York Greenwich Village literary Beat Generation. He was among the first to set his poems to jazz music. His style is associated with the oral tradition of African-American writing but also to the Beat Generation. Joans a self identified surrealist, was the author of over 30 books. Joans was born in 1928, Cairo, Ill. and died at the age of 74 in Vancouver. The Ted Joans collection consists mainly of correspondence and notes (1969-2003). The bulk of the material is between Hy Shore, Joans attorney, agent and friend, with a folder of material on Jim Haynes, a client and friend of Hy Shore and a key social figure in the expatriate community in Paris. Also included is the typescript for "The Hipsters" (1961), poems, sketches and cartoon style drawings (mostly on envelopes). less