Archivists & Archives of Color Newsletter Newsletter of the Archivists and Archives of Color Roundtable Vol.16 No. 1 Spring/Summer 2002 Greetings from the Co-chairs archives and documents. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, by Rosalye Settles Coleman was previously employed by the Amistad Research Center. Some things in life, like the change in seasons, occur with regularity and precision, and move us to make decisions about On November 15, 1992, the doors of the Birmingham Civil our daily activities. So, if it is summer, then it must be time for Rights Institute opened to the public. The Institute itself is a the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists state-of-the-art structure that houses permanent museum (SAA). This year’s meeting will be held in Birmingham, exhibitions depicting historical events from post World War I Alabama from August 19-25 at the Sheraton Birmingham racial separation, through the era of the Civil Rights Hotel. Like clockwork, the Archivists and Archives of Color Movement, to present day American society in seven galleries. Roundtable will meet during the SAA annual meeting on In addition to permanent and traveling exhibitions, we host Thursday, August 22nd from 5:15 – 6:45 p.m. numerous educational programs including conferences, workshops, and lectures, all designed to make our facility a This year’s SAA theme, Archival Roots: Our Foundation and vital part of the Birmingham community. Our Future, provides meeting participants with opportunities to learn about projects documenting the African American Since 1994, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has experience, diversity, and role of the host city in the annuals of conducted interviews with individuals who played decisive American social change. Sessions, such as Sustaining the roles in the active resistance of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Human Mosaic: Diversity Activities in Libraries and Under the direction of Dr. Horace Huntley, professor of Archives, and others are designed to inform and inspire us to history at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, over continue our efforts to make the historical voice of people of three hundred black and white men and women who were color heard today and in the future. In between educational citizens of the city of Birmingham during that period have sessions, consider taking one of several tours that highlight the been interviewed and video taped as part of an ongoing project historical and cultural history of Birmingham and the state of to record the history of that era. The interviews reveal the Alabama. impressions, ideas, concerns, and reflections of these individuals, all of whom have firsthand knowledge of the Like clockwork, it’s time to nominate and elect a new co- history of Birmingham's civil rights struggle. chair. Members interested in serving as nominees are invited and encouraged to contact co-chairs Rosalye Settles at The topics discussed include confrontations between [email protected] or Wayne Coleman at demonstrators and city police, the indifference of religious, [email protected] by close of business Friday business, and educational institutions within the white August 9. Also, please let us know if there are any items that community, and the courage of school children that braved need to be added to the meeting agenda. police dogs and hoses. The true history of one of America's most urban cities is revealed in the video and audiotapes of Lastly, I bid farewell as Chair for the Roundtable. All the hard the Institute's project. A variety of perspectives and memories work and support I received from members is most shed light on how and why the city of Birmingham was appreciated. The benefit of others experience was tremendous capable of transforming itself during the second half of the in getting things done. I leave confident that the Roundtable twentieth century. will continue to fulfill its mission well in to the future. We are, Continued on page 2 indeed, blazing a trail for those who follow behind us. See you in Birmingham, The Magic City! Wanted: AAC Newsletter Editor Co-Chair Wayne Coleman Invites Us to Birmingham Looking for a fun and challenging way to be active in the AAC Roundtable? The Newsletter comes out twice a year and Wayne Coleman is Head of Archives Division at the is a great way to show your support for the mission and goals Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, an archives and of the Roundtable. Contact either of the current editors for educational facility that focuses on the Civil Rights more information! Movement. The Institute encourages discussion on global human rights issues and serves as a depository for civil rights Archivists and Archives of Color Newsletter - 1 All New AAC Roundtable Web Site Unveiled! will be offered on both Tuesday and Wednesday. In Selma, experience the Selma Civil Rights District and visit the Pettus The AAC Web site committee is pleased to announce the new Bridge where the infamous “Bloody Sunday” occurred. After site will be hosted on the SAA server at the following URL: traveling on to Montgomery, enjoy a box lunch and tour of the Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, the first state archives http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/aac/index.htm in the United States. After lunch, you’ll visit the Rosa Parks Museum established at Troy State University Montgomery in Features include regularly updated announcements, back 2000; the Civil Rights Memorial, which was designed by issues of the newsletter (as PDF files), and the Archivists of Maya Lin (designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Color Directory, as well as wonderful images from archives of Washington, D.C.); and the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, color. Congratulations and thank you to the Web site where Martin Luther King preached non-violence. committee: Karen Jefferson, Teresa Mora, and Rose Roberto. (The latter two are former recipients of the Pinkett Award!) No visit to Birmingham is complete without a tour of the Civil Rights District. Within a six-block area, visitors witness a lasting tribute to an important struggle for human and civil rights in America. This walking tour will be offered on Coleman Invites Us to Birmingham (continued) Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings and will include th stops at the 16 Street Baptist Church, the Birmingham Civil The Richard Arrington, Jr. Resource Gallery provides access Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park, the Fourth Avenue to information on the Civil Rights Movement, African Business District, and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. American history, and the international human rights struggle. The highlight of the Resource Gallery is an online connection If baseball is your game, then you must join us for a to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's Oral History Wednesday evening at historic Rickwood Field. Built in Project. The research computer rooms, give visitors access to 1920, Rickwood is the oldest baseball park in the United eight different CD-ROM research and educational programs – States. Home of the Birmingham Barons and the Black from the United Nations’ Refworld resource on refugee Barons of the Negro League, the park has played host to such related information to interactive presentations on the African greats as Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Stan Musial, and Dizzy American struggle for freedom. Dean. The Black Barons included team members Satchell Paige and Birmingham’s own Willie Mays. Former members The Institute is also the centerpiece of Birmingham's Civil of the Black Barons will join the group and share their stories Rights District, a six-block tribute to the monumental fight for of playing baseball in a segregated system. Stay for a casual human rights in this country. Historic Kelly Ingram Park ballpark dinner and watch local teams play a game. became the focal point of a grassroots resistance to the inhumanities of racism and discrimination by law and by custom. Sculptures commissioned for the park depict attacks on demonstrators, children jailed for their role in the protests, Documenting the African American Experience in East and a tribute to the clergy's contributions to the Movement. Texas at Stephen F. Austin State University The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame makes its home in the historic Carver Theater for the Performing Arts. The museum honors The East Texas Research Center (ETRC) at Stephen F. Austin great jazz artists with ties to the state of Alabama. A State University was recently searching for a way to make significant part of the Civil Rights District is the newly their collection more widely available and to add value to their renovated Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, site of the finding aids. They decided to create a “Sharing History” infamous 1963 bombing that killed four little girls and brought digital project to bring together all collections in a particular world condemnation of racial violence. The neighborhood subject area. For the pilot project they chose to highlight along Fourth Avenue from 15th to 18th Streets developed as various collections that document the “African American the city's black business district in the early part of the 1900's. Experience in East Texas.” The mission of the "African American Experience in East Texas" was to make primary resources regarding African Alabama History Tours at the SAA Annual Meeting American life and culture in East Texas available for researchers and educators through the Web. The project The 2002 Host Committee for the 66th SAA annual meeting in generated excitement and enthusiasm in the library Birmingham is pleased to offer tours highlighting African administration and with the public. When the initial Web site American history that may be of interest to Roundtable was shown in February possible donors saw what would be members. Registration for the tours is limited, so sign up done with their materials and became more eager to donate early so you don’t miss out! Tour registration forms are material.