Found 185 collections related to Authors, Black

J. R. Casimir was a poet, editor, and founding member and secretary of the Roseau, Dominica Division of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The papers consist of correspondence, legal documents, and printed matter relating to Casimir's writing, and they deal with social and political issues affecting the island of Dominica. less

A former editor of the Daily Worker and member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party, U.S.A., James E. Jackson was educated at Howard University, Goddard College, and Moscow University. A former trade-union organizer and co-founder of the Southern Negro Youth Congress, he participated as a field researcher in the Carnegie-Myrdal study, "The Negro in America". He was indicted under the Smith Act in the 1950s, and lived for several years as a political refugee, until the reversal of the verdict against him and his co-defendants. He contributed many theoretical articles to the literature of the communist world, especially on issues of labor, the civil rights movement, and the national question as it related to Blacks in the United States. This collection consists of speeches, articles and essays on communism, world politics, and the civil rights movement in the United States, published mainly in Political Affairs, the theoretical organ of the Communist Party, USA. Also includes are Jackson's master's thesis, "The Dialectics of National Liberation" (1973), and "Stalin's Thought Illuminates: Problems of the Negro Freedom Struggle", written under the pseudonym of Charles P. Mann. (1953). less

John H. Hewitt was a writer, editor, instructor, and a collector of Black art. Born in 1924, in New York City, Hewitt attended Harvard College and New York University. He taught English at Morehouse College and he was a medical staff writer for the journals Frontiers of Psychiatry and Emergency Medicine. He also was an associate editor for the newspaper Medical Tribune and a managing editor of Hospital Practice, a monthly magazine. Hewitt held memberships in professional organizations including the American Medical Writer Association and National Association of Science Writers, and he was a trustee with the Manhattan Country School and The Schomburg Corporation. In 1994, Hewitt was awarded the New York Association's Kerr History Prize for his article, "Mr. Downing and His Oyster House". This collection contains Hewitt's writings on Black artists (1931-1997), including Hale Woodruff, Ernest Crichlow, Alvin C. Hollingsworth, and Haitian artist Luce Turnier. Also included are historical profiles of largely unknown, but accomplished, 19th-century African American New Yorkers, such as Thomas Downing and Elizabeth Jennings, along with writings on African American Episcopalians and St. Philip's Church in New York City. Materials include research matter, drafts, and correspondence. less

Helene Johnson was one a poet of the Harlem Renaissance. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She attended Boston University and Columbia University, the latter in in New York City in 1926. Johnson was the youngest of the African American writers of the Harlem Renaissance. She published approximately twenty-five poems which appeared in such magazines as Opportunity, Fire!!, and Vanity Fair, as well as in The New Negro. Her writings were mainly concerned with life in the ghetto and a strong identification with her racial heritage. The Helene Johnson poems consist of more than thirty unpublished and undated poems, with corrections and revisions by Johnson. There are also photocopies of articles which mention Johnson as a Harlem Renaissance poet: "Frank Horne and the Second Echelon Poets of the Harlem Renaissance" from Arna Bontemps's The Harlem Renaissance Remembered, 1972; "Propaganda and Aesthetics: The Literary Politics of Afro-American Magazines in the 20th Century", 1979; and "The Unpublished Poems of Helene Johnson.". less

Geraldyn "Gerri" Hodges Major was a journalist and editor for several African American publications including the New York Amsterdam News, Ebony Magazine, and Jet Magazine. The Gerri Major papers reflect some aspects of the career of this journalist and writer, but much of the collection consists of biographical information. less

David Bryant Fulton was a poet, journalist, and novelist who often published under his pseudonym, Jack Thorne. Born in North Carolina in 1863, Fulton moved to New York in 1887 and joined the Pullman Palace Car Company as a porter in 1888. In 1892, Fulton published a pamphlet entitled Recollections of a Sleeping Car Porter, under his pseudonym. He also authored a novel, Hanover, or the Persecution of the Lowly (1900), concerning violent racial conflict in the South during that period. Between 1903 and 1906, Fulton gained prominence in Brooklyn for his letters and articles in New York City newspapers. After 1907, Fulton wrote poetry, essays, and short stories; most remained unpublished. The David Bryant Fulton collection consists of his writings and two biographical sketches. The writings include poems, a manuscript of a novel, and short stories. There are also manuscripts for two short stories entitled "Cumberland" and "The Red Rosary". The biographical sketches were written by Eures Hunter, and William Andrews. There is also correspondence between Andrews and Mrs. Fulton (1973). less

Carleton L. Lee was an African-American educator and social worker. The Carleton L. Lee papers contain material reflecting his various positions, with files discussing aspects of his professional employment and activities. A contributor to professional, church and literary journals, his writings are also represented in the collection. less

This collection consists of personal papers, professional and literary correspondence, office files, research notes, and printed matter documenting the professional and literary activities of Léon-Gontran Damas, an author, lecturer, and acting-chairman of the department of African Studies and Research Program at Howard University (1975-1976). less

The Helen Armstead-Johnson miscellaneous theater collections (HAJMTC) were formed by over two hundred file-folder level collections (one-three file folders per personality or event). The collections contain information dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the late twentieth century, and they document early dramatic actors, minstrel shows, vaudeville, musical revues, Broadway productions, and protest dramas, among others. In addition to actors, playwrights, singers, musicians, and dancers and the productions in which they appeared, there are collections for poets and visual artists. less

Heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson (1878-1946) was the first African-American boxer to win the heavyweight title. A controversial figure, Johnson was famous for the furor that surrounded his heavyweight championship, his flamboyant lifestyle, and his association with white women. His victory against retired boxer Jim Jefferies, who was referred to in the press as "the great white hope", triggered riots in many cities throughout the United States. Johnson lost his title in 1915 against white boxer Jess Willard, and continued to box until 1938, when he fought his last professional fight. The Jack Johnson Scrapbooks include numerous newspaper clippings and programs of his fights and the 1967 play, Great White Hope, which was based on his life. There is additional printed material with images of Johnson boxing with a variety of opponents such as Joe Jeannette, Jess Willard, Jim Jeffries, Sam Langford, Tommy Burns, and Sam McVey. The clippings cover all aspects of Johnson's life in and out of the ring, including his run for public office in Chicago. Other articles document his trial and conviction in 1913 for violating the Mann Act. Promotional material and reviews of Johnson's autobiography, Jack Johnson in the Ring and Out (1927), are included. less

An African American career soldier, Jesse J. Johnson authored eight books and several plays about the military service of black men and women. The Jesse J. Johnson military collection consists primarily of secondary sources and printed material, along with typescripts of his plays and one of his books. less

J. Raymond Jones, also known as the "Harlem Fox", was a Democratic Party district leader from the Carver Democratic Club on 145th Street, and one of the most powerful political leaders in New York City. From 1964 to 1968, he was chief of Tammany Hall, a position to which he was elected by his peers in the New York City Democratic Party, and the only African American to hold that position. Among Jones's many protégés in the Carver Club were former Judge Constance Baker Motley, Congressman Charles Rangel, and former Mayor David Dinkins. Articles in the collection discuss these relationships. The J. Raymond Jones Collection consists primarily of news clippings (1962-1989) related to Jones's activities and achievements, most notably on the occasion of a dinner given in his honor in 1962, and the publication of his biography by John C. Walter in 1989. Jones's relationships with Motley, Rangel, and Dinkins are discussed in the clippings. There is also an incomplete copy of the manuscript of his biography, The Harlem Fox; several letters, including from Charles Rangel (1987) and David Dinkins (1986); and material related to the Jones-Holloway-Bryan Foundation, which Jones established in 1985 to raise money for the College of the Virgin Islands. less

Mama, I Want to Sing is a gospel musical in 2 acts. The book and lyrics are by Vy Higginsen and Ken Wydro. Original music is by Rudolph V. Hawkins, Wesley Naylor and Doris Troy. The play opened at the Heckscher Theatre, Off-Broadway, on March 25, 1983. Produced and directed by Vy Higginsen and Ken Wydro (a married couple), it depicts the real life story of Higginsen's family, and in particular, her younger sister's desire to sing. This scrapbook contains highlights in the three year life of the production, Mama, I Want to Sing. It consists of photocopies of reviews and other articles, programs, letters, and a press kit. The photographs were transferred to the Photographs and Prints Division; photocopies of the photos were left in their place. A press kit is included with the collection. The press kit contains profiles of Vy Higginsen and the actors who have preformed major roles in the musical, including Deitra Hicks, Doris Troy, Katheleen Murphy-Palmer, Rudolph V. Hawkins, Charles Stewart, and Keith Pringle. less

This collection consists mostly of screenplays and television scripts, some of in which Delroy Lindo acted and others for which he possibly auditioned. Some scripts were written by Black writers (such as America's Most Wanted by Keenan Ivory Wayans) and others featured Black actors or Black directors (including Kansas City with Harry Belafonte, and Clockers, directed by Spike Lee); other scripts feature Black subjects, such as Miss Evers Boys. less

This collection consists of typescripts of novels, biographies, essays, and poems on historical, sociological, and educational issues, and conference papers. Some of the typescripts appear as final drafts, others as working drafts with author's annotations and corrections. Manuscripts included are "A Talk to Teachers: The Negro Child, His Self Image" by James Baldwin; "Slavery and Capitalism" by Eric Williams; "Life in a Haitian Valley" by Melville J. Herskovits; "American Dilemma" by Gunnar Myrdal; and poems by Waring Cuney, among others. Other authors represented are Arna Bontemps, Horace Mann Bond, Lloyd Brown, Helen Buckler, Henrietta Buckmaster, John H. Clark, Benjamin Davis, Ralph Ellison, Arthur Huff Fauset, and E. Franklin Frazier. Conference material includes Melville J. Herskovits and the Future of Africana Studies (Schomburg Center, May 1988); Marcus Garvey Centennial Conference (Jamaica, November 1987); and the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (Nigeria, 1977). less

The Louis Burnham collection reflects Burnham's socialist interests and consists of a complete run of Freedom, a monthly newspaper published by Paul Robeson from 1950-1955 and edited by Burnham; newsclippings of articles Burnham wrote for the National Guardian (1958-1960); copies of various souvenir journals and other printed matter of the Southern Negro Youth Congress; and a copy of Burnham's Behind the Lynching of Emmet Louis Till. less

The Playscripts collection is composed of plays acquired from a variety of sources and includes plays donated by the playwrights and actors who performed in the plays, as well as those purchased from dealers. It is represented by authors like Theodore Ward (Our Lan'), Zora Neale Hurston (The Fiery Chariot); James Baldwin (Blues for Mr. Charlie); Owen Dodson (Til Victory Is Won); Amiri Baraka (Black Mass); and Ruby Berkley Goodwin (Mutiny at Port Chicago). The collection contains both published and unpublished playscripts. less

Raphael Philemon Powell, a minister and native of Jamaica, served at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Harlem. He received his preacher's license and certificate of ordination in the 1950s, and a doctorate of divinity degree from the American Bible College and Manhattan Bible Institute in 1972. Powell wrote six books, which he distributed through his own publishing company, Philemon. Topics for his books include Black history, race identity, and religion. Powell died in New York in 1995, at the age of 96. The Raphael Philemon Powell papers encompass personal and pastoral papers, professional and legal papers, manuscripts, songs, and poems. Drafts of his unpublished and published writings form the bulk of this collection. Included are manuscripts for three of Powell's books Human Side of a People and the Right Name... (ca. 1937), The Invisible Image Uprooted (ca. 1979), and The Prayer for Freedom: A Memorial of the Prayer Pilgrimage (1957). Among the titles of his unpublished manuscripts in the collection are "The Dry Years Addict"; "Biography of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr."; "The Neglected Remedy for Addicts"; and "Who Are You? The Misuse of the Word Black". There is also original music and lyrics for songs composed by Powell. less

William Moore, an African American dance critic, dancer, and researcher, began his career in the 1960s. He later managed the dance companies of Eleo Pomare and Joan Miller, and participated in the creation of the Association of Black Choreographers in 1967. In 1975, he founded Dance Herald, a journal about Black dance. Moore also lectured on dance history and criticism at Lehman College and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. The William Moore papers consist primarily of appointment books (1966-1980) in which Moore noted his activities; some letters; writing and notes; a resume; and an annotated treatment for a documentary film by Kermit Frazier entitled The Black Tradition in American Modern Dance (1988). less

The Frederick D. Murphy papers consist principally of press kits and news clippings that Murphy collected on hundreds of recording artists of popular music (primarily rhythm and blues, soul, disco, rock and roll, and other genres) and executives in the music industry. The bulk of the collection consists of these files and material on organizations that Murphy represented, primarily record companies and related music associations, including the Black Music Association. The years for most of the collection span the 1970s and 1980s. less

The Theophilus G. Steward research collection includes correspondence regarding Professor Seraile's research compiled for his biography Voice of Dissent: Theophilus Gould Steward (1843-1924) and Black America. The correspondence includes letters to Steward's descendants, other individuals, and repositories. Additionally, there is research material that he gathered from a number of institutions and the second draft of the manuscript. 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

William Hairston was an actor, writer, director, producer and administrator. The collection contains biographical information about Hairston; correspondence; manuscripts for books, playscripts, musicals, poetry, comedy writing, television and film; and scrapbooks. less

Clarence Cameron White was a Black violinist, composer, and teacher. This collection consists of musical scores, compositions, and librettos, correspondence, biographical information, writing, contracts, financial records, programs, sheet music, press releases, newspaper clippings, and printed material relating to the first thirty years of White's career. less