JULY 2018
Amistad is committed to collecting, preserving, and providing open access to original materials that 
reference the social and cultural importance of America's ethnic and racial history,
the African Diaspora, human relations, and civil rights.
Amistad to Celebrate "Soundtrack of New Orleans"
Fundraiser to recognize local honorees and city's musical history

Save the date! It is our distinct pleasure to invite your sponsorship of our upcoming event, "Soundtrack of New Orleans." This celebration of New Orleans' music and commemoration of the city's 300th anniversary will take place on Friday, September 28, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater. 

Look for details soon on Amistad's website. Interested in supporting and sponsoring this event? For more information, contact the Center at info@amistadresearchcenter.org.
 

Recent Acquisitions Highlight African American Women
Donations expand Center collections in area of focus

Donor Delisa J. Hargis with her family's papers at Amistad.
Black feminism, LGBTQ equality, avant-garde art,  and an African American family's singular history are just some of the intriguing topics to explore in Amistad's recent archival acquisitions.  Writer and scholar Dr. Alexis De Veaux's papers highlight her long-time advocacy for women's rights and LGBTQ equality. Artist Senga Nengudi's papers provide a window into Black avant-garde art activism from the 1960s onward. Finally, the Thomas-Jones Family Papers, donated by Delisa J. Hargis, document four generations of an African American family with connections to New Orleans, North Carolina, and Harlem.

Local and National Grants Support Preservation and Access Efforts
New Grant Projects Underway

Civil rights oral histories to be digitized with support from the Keller Family Foundation.
A new film preservation award , organizing sources on New Orleans'  Civil Rights Movement , and providing access to major collections on African American land ownership in the South --  i t's a busy summer at A RC  with a series of grant-funded projects in the works. We extend t hanks for the support of the National Film Preservation Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Keller Family Foundation. 
Newly Organized Collection Spotlights Political History
Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism Records document efforts to combat extremism

Amistad is pleased to announce a new online finding aid for an important organizational collection. The records of the Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism (LCARN), an anti-racist organization formed in 1989 to expose David Duke's affiliations with hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, and Duke's history of racist and anti-Semitic statements, are open and available for research. Prominent members of LCARN included Lance Hill, Rev. James Stovall, Lawrence Powell, and Beth Rickey. During Duke's 1990 senate campaign, LCARN raised nearly $500,000 to achieve their goal of informing the public about Duke's history and affiliations. The group remained active until 1992 after Duke's defeat in the United States senatorial race, but it was reorganized in 2016 with the same goals when Duke ran for a U.S. senate seat again. The records give insight into a particularly controversial and volatile period in Louisiana's political history.
Internships Provide Experience in Variety of Ways
Students Assist Amistad and Gain Skills

Intern Sarah Jones is assisting with Amistad's social media outreach.
Every year Amistad hosts summer interns who delve into exciting archival projects at the Center. Our interns originate from various universities throughout the state of Louisiana. They include both undergraduate and graduate students, studying a variety of subject majors. Providing internships is one of the ways in which Amistad gives back to the local community and introduces students to the field of libraries and archives. For summer 2018, we have interns who are newcomers and veterans. Profiles of each intern and the types of projects they are working on can be found at the link below.
Amistad on the Go! Now Online
Digital educational platform to provide sources for educators

The Amistad on the Go! (AOTG) digital educational website is live and available to subscribing educators and students. The first curriculum unit to be released is focused on Slavery & Abolition. The unit is made up of seven lessons covering the lives of those who were enslaved, those who were free, and abolitionism. It contains a curriculum guide, lesson activities and booklets, reproductions of historical documents, transcriptions, maps, video clips, and DVDs.

AOTG will soon add units on the Reconstruction Era and the Civil Rights Movement. Subscriptions  provide free access to digital resources, with additional print/multimedia resources available for a small fee. 

Exhibitions Recognize Important Aspect of City's History
Amistad leading efforts to recognize New Orleans' African American history

Photograph of the Seventh Ward Civic League, 1930
As the city of New Orleans celebrates its 300th anniversary, the Amistad Research Center is assisting efforts to ensure that the city's African American history and heritage are recognized. The Center has contributed to a multi-organizational effort to create a series of citywide exhibitions and programming events throughout the community.

Whether onsite at Amistad or out in the community, the exhibitions provide an important look at the rich and complex history of New Orleans' African heritage. 


Exploring Slavery, Abolitionism, and Emancipation
New exhibition adds to Center's digital outreach

Catalog of anti-slavery works, circa 1838
The Amistad Research Center has expanded its role in the Google Cultural Institute with a new digital exhibition that highlights the Center's holdings related to slavery, abolitionism, and emancipation. The exhibition, entitled My Bondage and My Freedom, takes its title from Frederick Douglass' narrative of his own life and is derived from the Center's physical exhibition commemorating the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation in 2013. The exhibition can be found at the link below.

Performance in Many Genres
New blog series celebrates the performing arts

Annabelle Bernard in Manon Lescaut, 1961.
The remarkable achievements of African Americans in the arena of performing arts have strongly shaped the culture of American music, film, and theater. African Americans have used music, film, and theater to showcase their artistic talents, convey their lived experiences, and create a distinct Black aesthetic. The Amistad Research Center's new blog series celebrates that legacy. The blog series debuted in May and features a new post every Monday on the Center's blog through August 27, 2018. Each week, Amistad is profiling a different artist or organization who is documented in our archival collections. 
 
Staff News...

Executive Director  Dr. Kara T. Olidge participated in a panel on "Converging Collections: Collaboration and Absence in Special Collections" at the annual meeting of the Rare Book & Manuscripts Section of the American Library Association in June. Several staff members also attended and presented at this year's conference.

Christopher Harter , Director of Library and Reference Services, organized a panel on "Poetry in the Archives: Documenting Louisiana Literature Then and Now" for the 2018 New Orleans Poetry Festival in April. In June, he presented a talk at the American Library Association annual meeting entitled "Empowering Community Archives: Lessons and Recommendations from the Diversifying the Historical Digital Record Project" for a panel on Race, Region, and Local History. Christopher also served as a co-organizer for a June 5 kickoff forum for the New Orleans Preservation Coalition.