African American

Abbott, Robert S. - John H. Sengstacke Family Papers

Dates: 1847-1997. Size: 179 linear feet. Accession #2007/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Robert S. Abbott founded the Chicago Defender in 1905; his nephew John H. Sengstacke took over the family’s newspapers upon Abbott’s death in 1940. The papers trace the Abbott-Sengstacke family history from the mid-19th century in Georgia through Abbott’s move to Chicago and creation of a journalistic empire, to the death of Sengstacke in 1997. The papers are arranged in three superseries: Robert Abbott, John Sengstacke and Myrtle Sengstacke. Extensive documentation of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the Chicago Defender, the Pittsburgh Courier, the Michigan Chronicle, Provident Hospital and the political history of Chicago is included. The papers feature correspondence, manuscripts, organizational and subject research files, biographical materials, programs, clippings and memorabilia. A large collection of photographs is being processed and will be available at a later date. [Finding aid]

Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago Archives

Dates: 1980-2003. Size: 15 linear feet. Accession #2000/12. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago was formed to preserve and perpetuate the historic records of African American ancestors and to promote the study of history and genealogy. The collection contains organizational files, annual reports, conference files, reports, family newsletters, reunion books and funeral programs. [Partially processed]

Albritton, Jesse Lee Papers

Dates: 1938-1965. Size: 1.25 linear feet. Accession #2010/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Jesse Lee Albritton was a Chicago-based labor organizer and author of regular columns featured throughout the 1940s and 1950s in the Chicago Crusader and Federation News. [Finding aid]

Alkalimat, Abdul Papers

Dates: 1981-2005. Size: 33 linear feet. Accession #1983/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. This collection predominantly consists of conference papers, articles, speeches and unpublished manuscripts written and collected by Abdul Alkalimat while he was director of African American studies at the University of Illinois-Urbana. Recent additions include a clipping file on Harold Washington, and materials on black studies and the Internet. [Partially processed]

Allen, Barbara E. Papers

Dates: 1915-2010. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #2005/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Barbara Allen produced, directed and co-wrote the Emmy-winning documentary Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender. The film was broadcast on WTTW, a Chicago PBS affiliate. The collection consists of research materials, original uncut videotaped interviews, audiotaped interviews and complete interview transcripts from the documentary. Interview subjects include then-Senator Barack Obama, Emil Jones, Col. Eugene Scott, Bobby Sengstacke, Timuel Black, Roland Martin, Theresa Fambro-Hooks, Earl Calloway and Lonnie Bunch. [Finding aid]

AMF Midway Postal Retirement Organization Archives

Dates: 1955-2005. Size: 5.25 linear feet. Accession #2006/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. These workers were the first African Americans allowed to work at Midway Airport’s AMF postal facility. They later worked on trains, distributing mail throughout the Midwest. The AMF Midway Postal Retirement Organization was founded in 1991 to document the history of African Americans in the organization. The collection contains administrative records, newsletters, photographs, reports, diagrams and memorabilia. [Finding Aid]

Amos, Wally Papers

Dates: 1975-1996. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #1979/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Wally Amos, entrepreneur, speaker, actor and writer from Tallahassee, Fla., is the founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand. The collection consists of correspondence, draft copies of manuscripts, memorabilia, awards and books. [Finding aid]

Anderson, Maceo Papers

Dates: 1940-1985. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1991/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Maceo Anderson was one of the original members of the legendary Four Step Brothers, an early African American tap dancing act. The papers consist of a scrapbook documenting their career. [Finding aid]

Archdiocese of Chicago/Black History Educational Program Archives

Dates: 1960-1969. Size: 7 linear feet. Accession #1992/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The collection consists of reel-to-reel audiotapes on African American history and literature created by the Archdiocese. [Finding aid]

Bacon, Warren and Mary Papers

Dates: 1951-2006. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2009/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Warren Bacon was a prominent Chicago civic leader and member of the Chicago Board of Education. Bacon opposed the policies of Chicago Public Schools superintendent Benjamin Willis. The papers include photographs and documents from Warren’s career and from his wife, Mary, and from their membership in the Great Black Book Club. [Finding aid]

Barnett, Etta Moten Papers

Dates: 1901-2004. Size: 15 linear feet. Accession #2007/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Internationally acclaimed concert and musical theater singer, social activist and philanthropist Etta Moten Barnett’s career began in the 1930s and continued past her 100th birthday. She starred in Broadway musicals and in films. Her husband was Claude Barnett, founder and president of the Associated Negro Press. She was active in the Chicago chapter of The Links, Inc. Her papers include correspondence, speech texts, clippings, programs, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Barrett, Brenetta Howell Papers

Dates: 1942-2006. Size: 48 linear feet. Accession #2007/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A lifelong Chicagoan, Brenetta Howell Barrett was a leader and political activist in West Side community organizations. She served in the mayoral administrations of Harold Washington and Eugene Sawyer. Active in housing, environmental and civil liberties issues, she was also involved in community protests in the 1960s and 1970s. Her papers include correspondence, office files, programs, clippings, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Berry, Leonidas Papers

Dates: 1891-1995. Size: 17 linear feet. Accession #1988/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Leonidas Berry, noted gastroenterologist, teacher, author, medical rights and civil rights activist, was a major figure in Chicago and nationally for more than 50 years. He was president of the National Medical Association, founder of the Flying Black Medics and successful litigant against the exclusion of African American physicians from Michael Reese Hospital. His collection includes monographs, serials, photographs, correspondence, research notes, minutes, lectures, publications, books and memorabilia. His papers are especially strong in Provident Hospital history. [Finding aid]

Bethel New Life Records

Dates: 1870-2010. Size: 10.25 linear feet in 14 boxes, includes 354 photographs, 27 audiotapes, 17 videotapes, 6 oversize folders. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Neighborhood History Research Collection, part of the Garfield Park Community Collections. Bethel New Life, Inc. is a non-profit community development corporation and social service organization. The organization received an Illinois Humanities Council grant in 1983 to “involve the Black community of Chicago’s West Side in recovering the recent history of the area.” The Looking Backward to Move Forward project from 1984 to1989 focused on the themes of migration, ownership patterns, the church, and community leadership. The historical explorations included a series of oral histories and also gathered a range of documents and photographs that were donated or copied for the archival record. [Finding aid]

Bishop, Charles Papers

Dates: 1939-1963. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #1999/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Charles Bishop, retired professor at Malcolm X College, researched early 20th century African American culture as part of his family history investigations. His family history is centered in Louisiana, Mississippi and Chicago. Collection contains theatrical posters, photographs, magazines and research materials. [Partially processed]

Black Ensemble Theater Company Records

Dates: 1976-2001. Size: 4 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Chicago Theater Collection. The Black Ensemble Theater was founded in 1976 by noted actress, producer and playwright Jackie Taylor. The collection includes reviews and promotional pieces for such productions as Taylor’s The Other Cinderella and Muddy Waters: The Hoochie-Coochie Man in addition to administrative and financial records dating from the company’s inception. [Finding aid]

Black Radical Congress Archive

Dates: 1998-1999. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #1998/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Materials collected at the inaugural conference of the Black Radical Congress, held in Chicago in June 1998 and in the months that followed. Collection consists of publicity, programs, position papers, newsletters, clippings and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Black, Timuel D., Jr. Papers

Dates: 1918-2010. Size: 336 linear feet. Accession #2003/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Professor emeritus at City Colleges of Chicago, Timuel Black is a prominent historian, author, human rights activist and expert on Chicago’s African American history. During the 1960s, he was president of the Negro American Labor Council, Chicago Chapter  and organizer of Chicago participation in the 1963 March on Washington. Black was active in more than 100 organizations over seven decades. The collection includes extensive organizational files, correspondence, manuscripts, subject files, oral histories, audiovisual materials, photographs and memorabilia. Additional papers relating to the life and work of his children, Timuel Kerrigan Black (1963-1993) and Ermetra Black-Thomas, were accessioned in 2007. Selected items from the collection are available online in the Timuel D. Black Jr. Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

Bond Leonard, Toni Collection

Dates: 1948-2012. Size: 42 linear feet. Accession #2011/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Aftro-American History and Literature. Toni M. Bond Leonard became involved in the reproductive justice movement in the 1980s, eventually becoming executive director for the Chicago Abortion Fund. In 1996, Bond Leonard was one of the founding members of African American Women Evolving, which was formed to provide educational services to the African American community about reproductive justice, equality and education. The collection includes organizational and biographical records, as well as manuscripts, correspondence and educational resources. [Finding Aid]

Bowman, Houston and Cora Papers

Dates: 1961-1997. Size: 0.5 linear feet. Accession #2009/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Houston and Cora Bowman were founding members of Trinity United Church of Christ, a large and influential church on Chicago’s South Side. Their papers include the early history of Trinity, church newsletters, anniversary books and newspaper clippings. [Finding aid]

Box, Willie Papers

Dates: 1992-2006. Size: 6 linear feet. Accession #2005/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Willie E. Box, educational administrator and author, donated his collection of research materials on African American museums. The papers also include pamphlets and brochures. [Partially processed]

Brooks, Sydonia/National Association of Negro Musicians Papers

Dates: 1915-2002. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #1995/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A leader in the Chicago Music Association and the National Association of Negro Musicians, Sydonia Brooks donated a collection of CMA and NANM newsletters, proceedings and photographs. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Brown, Ann Hennington Papers

Dates: circa 1890-2001. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #1999/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Ann Brown was a member of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs and longtime member of the Missionary Society of Arnett Chapel A.M.E. Church. Collection contains photographs, memorabilia, funeral programs, church programs and genealogical records relating to the Brown family. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Browne, Al Papers

Dates: 1928-1939. Size: 1.25 linear feet. Accession #2004/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Collection consists of two scrapbooks from 1934 to 1938 from Al Browne’s tours around the United States as a circus clown and circus owner/manager. [Finding aid]

Browning, Alice Papers

Dates: 1942-1985. Size: 7 linear feet. Accession #2000/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Alice Browning was a writer, editor, educator, publisher and co-founder of the International Black Writers Conference. With Fern Gayden, she published Negro Story magazine and later launched the Browning Letter. Her papers include correspondence, manuscripts, serials, newsletters, photographs, newspaper clippings, pamphlets and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Bryant, Leroy Papers

Dates: 1975-2006. Size: 132 linear feet. Accession #2004/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Leroy Bryant served as chair and professor of history and African American studies at Chicago State University, and was active in civil rights work. His collection largely consists of extensive subject research files on a wide range of topics in African American studies. Many of the sources in the files are not widely available. An especially significant collection centers on the history of African Americans in Florida. The papers also include manuscripts, monographs, serials and correspondence. [Partially processed]

Burns, Ben Papers

Dates: 1939-1999. Size: 177 linear feet. Accession #1981/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. At Johnson Publishing Company, Ben Burns was executive editor of Ebony and Negro Digest magazines. He was later the editor of Sepia magazine. The papers center on Burns’ career in journalism and his authorship of a memoir, Nitty Gritty. The collection consists of correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, clippings, memorabilia and Burns’ personal library. [Finding aid]

Butler, Roy G. Collection

Dates: 1922-1997. Size: 6 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Music Information Center. Clippings, personal effects, documents, recordings, musical scores and photographs of jazz sideman and band leader Roy G. Butler, who toured the world from 1922 to 1997. [Processed]

Campbell, Sylvia Photograph Collection

Dates: 1968. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2008/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. This small collection of photographs consists of snapshots taken by Sylvia Campbell’s husband on Chicago’s West Side during the April 1968 riot following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. [Finding aid]

Carter Temple C.M.E. Church Archives

Dates: 1952-2002. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #1996/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Carter Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1921. Carrie McMorris, a longtime member of the congregation, donated this collection, which contains church histories, programs, souvenir booklets and special events records of Carter Temple C.M.E. Church. [Finding aid]

Cayton, Horace R. Papers

Dates: 1866-2007. Size: 32 linear feet. Accession #1983/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Horace Cayton was a nationally prominent black sociologist, co-author of Black Metropolis and director of Chicago’s Parkway Community House. Collection consists of correspondence, published and unpublished manuscripts, photographs, subject research files, memorabilia and oral history recordings. In the last years of his life, Cayton conducted research, including interviews, on the life of noted black author Richard Wright. Housed with Cayton’s papers is his personal library, with many author-inscribed books. Selected items from this collection are available in the Library's Chicago Renaissance Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

Central Area, The Links, Inc. Archives

Dates: 1952-2004.  Size: 7 linear feet. Accession #2006/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Central Area, The Links, Inc. is a regional coordinating body with nearly 60 member chapters, stretching from Michigan to Oklahoma, and from Minnesota to Virginia. Established in 1952, Central Area has kept detailed archives, including correspondence, minutes, programs, chapter histories, photographs and audiovisual materials. [Partially processed]

Chef Kocoa/Kocoa's Kitchen Collection

Dates: 1987-2009. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #2012/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Palma Scott-Winbush, professionally known as Chef Kocoa, is a well-regarded Chicago-based chef and owner of Kocoa's Kitchen. She spent seventeen years on the staff of the Chicago Reader in advertising before changing careers, transforming her life-long love of baking into a new venture. In 1990, she returned to school to further develop her culinary skills and graduated from the Washburne College Chef Training Program in 1991. Among her many accomplishments as a successful chef and business owner, author, consultant, food critic, and correspondent for several local media outlets, Chef Kocoa also made history as the first African American to have a syndicated, live cooking segment on WGN. Her papers contain personal and professional documents, photographs, audiovisual materials, as well as memorabilia that shed light on her impact on Chicago's hospitality industry. [Processed]

Chicago Afro-American Analytic Union Catalog Archives

Dates: 1939-1940. Size: estimated 18 linear feet. Accession #1942/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Horace Cayton supervised this WPA (Works Project Administration) project to develop a bibliography of all resources on African Americans found in Chicago-area libraries. The archive consists of the original catalog cards created by the project. His report on the project, “Bibliography on the Negro in Chicago” may be found in box 17 of the Horace R. Cayton Papers, opens a new window. Published in four volumes in 1978, the card catalog collection is titled The Dictionary Catalog of the Vivian G. Harsh Collection of Afro-American History and Literature, the Chicago Public Library., opens a new window [Processed] 

Chicago Blues Archives

Dates: 1923-2013. Size: 288 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Music Information Center. Items relating to blues in Chicago and around the world, including 500 LPs and CDs, both commercially produced and unique; 50 original videos of the Chicago Public Library’s Speakin’ of the Blues program series; several hundred feet of clipping and photo files; and realia. Continues to receive documents of the annual Chicago Blues Festival. [Description]

Chicago Public Library Archives. Carter G. Woodson Regional Library Archives

Dates: 1975-2006. Size: 74 linear feet. Accession #1975/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The institutional archives of Woodson Regional Library, which opened in 1975, include administrative files, programs, photographs, memorabilia and annual reports. [Partially processed]

Chicago Public Library Archives. George Cleveland Hall Branch Library Archives

Dates: 1932-1975. Size: 33 linear feet. Accession #1932/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Hall Branch is named for George Cleveland Hall, African American physician, Chicago Public Library board member and a founding member of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, who campaigned tirelessly for a full-service library in Bronzeville. Hall Branch, headed by Vivian G. Harsh from 1932 to 1958, was a leading cultural institution in Bronzeville during the Chicago Renaissance. The archives include administrative records, programs, correspondence, photographs, clipping files, pamphlets and research materials from its 1932 opening day until the transfer of the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature to Woodson Regional Library in 1975. Selected items are available online in the George Cleveland Hall Branch Digital Collection and the Chicago Renaissance Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

Chicago Public Library Archives. Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection Archives

Dates: 1975-2006. Size: 99 linear feet. Accession #1975/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The archives of the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature document the collection’s history after it moved to Carter G. Woodson Regional Library in 1975. The collection includes manuscripts, programs, administration records, reports, photographs, audiovisual materials and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Chicago SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) History Project Archives

Dates: 1960-2011. Size: 16 linear feet. Accession #2006/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Chicago SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) History Project was created in 2005 to collect and preserve the experience of SNCC during the civil rights movement in Chicago. The archive includes correspondence, serials, photographs, flyers, clippings, financial records, newsletters, manuscripts, meeting minutes, oral histories and memorabilia. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Chicago Video Project Archives

Dates: 2003-2009. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2010/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Chicago Video Project, a nonprofit, Chicago-based video production company, focused on projects concerning advocacy groups, community development organizations, labor unions, economic and social justice. These archives consist of more than 200 original, unedited videotapes filmed as part of the work on CVP’s documentary, Telling Our Story, on the Chicago Housing Authority’s 15-year Plan for Transition. The tapes include community meetings, protests and interviews with residents, CHA staff and activists. [Unprocessed]

Childs, Josie Brown Papers

Dates: 1943-2005. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #2004/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Josie Brown Childs, political and civil rights activist, aide to Mayor Harold Washington and cultural events promoter, donated her papers documenting her multifaceted career. The scope of the papers consists of family history in Mississippi, Childs’ early political work, her campaign for an aldermanic seat, her work for Mayor Washington, and her efforts to promote African American cultural and historical awareness. Correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, flyers, programs and memorabilia are included. [Finding aid]

Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Chicago Chapter Archives

Dates: 1972-2006. Size: 7 linear feet. Accession #1992/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Founded in Detroit in 1972, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists was created to address the labor, civil rights and political concerns of African Americans active in unions. Donated by Beverly Sandifer of AFSCME Local 1215, the archive includes convention documents, minutes, resolutions, programs, photographs and memorabilia from the Chicago Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Coalition to Save the 'Met' Archives

Dates: 1898-2007. Size: 19 linear feet. Accession #2007/10. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Founded in 1920 by William Decatur Cook as The Peoples Church and Metropolitan Community Center, it took the name Metropolitan Community Church in 1927. The church became a center for African American political activism and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union organization drive. The Coalition to Save the ‘Met’ was begun by church members determined to save the historic church building from a wrecking ball. After they succeeded, they began collecting historic documents and photographs to save the church’s history. Papers include programs, clippings, correspondence, church newsletters, audiovisual materials and photographs. [Finding aid]

Coalition to Save the South Shore Country Club Archives

Dates: 1906-1993. Size: 18.5 linear feet. Accession #1997/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. South Shore Country Club, originally a private club that barred African Americans, was scheduled for demolition in 1977. A grassroots coalition of community organizations organized to save, preserve and restore the historic site for all citizens. This collection contains blueprints and drawings of the renovation of South Shore Country Club, administrative records, statistical reports, newspaper clippings, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding Aid]

Collier, Lucy Smith Papers

Dates: 1891-2002. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #1996/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Granddaughter of Chicago’s legendary Pentecostal preacher Elder Lucy Smith, Lucy Smith Collier’s papers include church documents, programs, memorabilia and photographs of gospel at the Church of All Nations, gospel on the radio, the Lucy Smith Singers and the Roberta Martin Singers. The papers also include a sheet music collection. [Finding aid]

Colter, Cyrus Papers

Dates: 1890-1995. Size: 10 linear feet. Accession #1995/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Cyrus Colter was a distinguished African American novelist, short story writer, lawyer and professor. The papers include manuscripts for his novels, correspondence, photographs, clippings and memorabilia documenting Colter’s career as an author. A smaller group of materials pertains to Colter’s legal and political career and his personal life. [Finding aid]

Commodore, Chester Papers

Dates: 1914-2004. Size: 36 linear feet. Accession #2007/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Chester Commodore was the editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Defender for more than 50 years. In his capacity as one of the earliest established black editorial cartoonists, Commodore offered both humor and protest by using his cartoons to highlight and fight injustice both locally and nationally. His papers include his original cartoons, including the “Accent” caricatures that ran from 1974-1979, correspondence, photographs, newspapers and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), Chicago Chapter Archives

Dates: 1947-1990. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2007/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. CORE, a national civil rights organization, began in Chicago in 1942, with protests to force desegregation of restaurants and other public accommodations. These archives cover the period of the early and mid-1960s, when Chicago CORE’s membership was at its height. Records include meeting minutes, correspondence, flyers, programs, news clippings and photographs. [Finding aid]

Dailey, Ulysses Grant Papers

Dates: 1884-1980. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #1995/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Ulysses Grant Dailey was a nationally prominent surgeon. He served as president of the National Medical Association, operated his own hospital in the 1920s and 1930s, was a leader at Chicago’s Provident Hospital, and helped educate surgeons in Africa, Asia and Latin America. His papers consist of biographical materials, manuscripts, correspondence, programs, photographs and memorabilia. A partial draft of a biography of Dailey entitled The Scholar and the Scalpel is also included. [Finding aid]

Davis, Charles A. Papers

Dates: 1946-2009. Size: 16 linear feet. Accession #2003/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Charles Davis was a journalist, a public relations specialist and an entrepreneur. During the 1940s, he served as the leading political reporter for the Chicago Defender. In the 1960s, he was one of the founders of the Coordinating Council of Community Organizations. Davis was director of the National Insurance Association and served on the boards of several important Chicago companies. His papers include correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, programs, clippings and memorabilia. [Finding Aid]

Davis, Melvin A. Papers

Dates: 1966-1978. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2003/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Melvin Davis served as president of United Automobile Workers Local 1083. He was also active in the Black Arts Movement and in the African Nationalist Pioneer Movement. His papers include materials on the 50th anniversary of Marcus Garvey’s death, the campaign to build a Marcus Garvey memorial and black theater. The papers consist of manuscripts, bulletins, flyers, serials and photographs. [Unprocessed]

Davis, Milton O. Papers

Dates: 1953-2015. Size 7.5 linear feet. Accession #2016/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Milton Davis co-founded South Shore Bank, later renamed ShoreBank. It was the first bank holding company to combine commercial banking, real estate development, nonprofit loan funds and international advisory services aimed at community development. Davis was also an active Civil Rights activist and served as President of the Congress of Racial Equality, Chicago Chapter. The collection consists of correspondence, event programs, newspaper clippings, photographs, audiovisual materials and memorabilia. Davis' work as a banker, activist and community leader are well documented with manuscript materials. [Finding Aid]

Deppe, Rev. Martin L. Papers

Dates: 1932-2019, bulk dates: 1966-2010. Size: 222 linear feet, includes 6 artifacts, 257 buttons, 737 photographs, 145 digital photographs, 4 16mm films, 41 cassette tapes, 3 DVDs, 6 LPs, 16 reel-to-reel tapes, 3 VHS tapes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Rev. Martin L. Deppe created and collected the materials in this collection during his time working with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s (SCLC) Operation Breadbasket program, Clergy and Laity Concerned (CALC), the Alliance to End Repression (AER) and the United Farm Workers (UFW). The collection is comprised of meeting materials, memos, flyers, photographs, posters, publications, reports, speeches, buttons and artifacts that reflect the activities of Chicago’s Civil Rights, anti-war and social justice movements. Projects and actions include confronting the economic discrimination in Chicago’s African American communities, the nuclear freeze movements, anti-apartheid campaigns and Vietnam War opposition. [Finding aid]

Dickerson, Earl B. Papers

Dates: 1891-1985. Size: 12 linear feet. Accession #2008/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Attorney and business executive Earl B. Dickerson was honored for his civil rights and civil liberties work. He was general counsel at Supreme Liberty Life Insurance (an African American-owned company), a Chicago alderman and lead attorney in Hansberry v. Lee, a landmark case challenging restrictive covenants. Dickerson’s papers include correspondence, programs, genealogical materials, clippings, serials, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Driskell, Claude Papers

Dates: 1900-2002. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #1995/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A prominent Chicago dentist, Claude Driskell served as president of the Lincoln Dental Society and is the author of a history of Chicago’s African American dentists. He was also the historian for the renowned “Original Forty Club” and authored the club’s 75th anniversary book. Driskell’s papers include manuscripts, photographs, serials and memorabilia. [Finding Aid]

Dungill Family Papers

Dates: 1894-1999. Size: 5 linear feet. Accession #2000/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Dungill Family Orchestra, a touring band based in Chicago from the 1930s through the 1960s, achieved success as a family band in which each member played a different instrument. The papers include scrapbooks, correspondence, photographs, press clippings and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Durham, Richard Papers

Dates: 1939-1999. Size: 25 linear feet. Accession #1998/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Richard Durham, journalist, radio and television playwright, was the author of the groundbreaking radio drama series Destination Freedom. From 1948 to 1950, the weekly program dramatized black history events and individuals. Durham later wrote the television series Bird of the Iron Feather and edited Muhammad Ali’s biography, The Greatest. The papers include correspondence, research notes, play scripts, clippings, serials, photographs, page proofs and galleys. [Finding aid]

Dyett, Capt. Walter Papers

Dates: 1906-1998. Size: 14 linear feet. Accession #2007/11. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. One of the most influential bandmasters and music educators in Chicago’s history, Walter Dyett taught generations of Chicago jazz, classical and blues musicians at Wendell Phillips and DuSable high schools. The papers document his career with official records, correspondence, programs, news clippings, yearbooks, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church Archives

Dates: 1871-2005. Size: 11 linear feet. Accession #2002/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Ebenezer, founded in 1902, was one of the Chicago churches at the center of the gospel music revolution of the early 1930s. Under the Rev. J.H.L. Smith, Ebenezer grew to more than 3,000 members and included Thomas A. Dorsey, Theodore Frye, Roberta Martin, Eugene Smith and Robert Anderson among those who made music there. The Ebenezer archives include church newsletters, anniversary and souvenir programs, correspondence, photographs, sheet music, audiovisual material, organizational records and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Eichelberger, Brenda/National Alliance of Black Feminists Papers

Dates: 1974-1997. Size: 8 linear feet. Accession #1997/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Open to “any black woman interested in advancing the cause of black feminism,” the National Alliance of Black Feminists was a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to achieving full equality for black women in America. Brenda Eichelberger, founder of NABF, served as president of the Chicago Chapter. The collection consists of manuscripts, brochures, promotional literature, correspondence, financial statements, newspaper clippings, journal articles and serials. [Finding aid]

Elam, Melissia-Lauretta Peyton Papers

Dates: 1891-1961. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession # 2007/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Melissia Elam came to Chicago in 1876 from Missouri. She established a club home for working girls in 1919; it became a center for social and cultural activities. Elam belonged to Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church. After her death in 1941, the work at Elam Home was carried on by Lauretta Peyton. The papers include personal and organizational correspondence, programs, clippings and memorabilia. [Finding aid, opens a new window]

Elder, Leland B. Jr., Papers

Dates: 1945-2016. Size: 9 linear feet Accession #: 2016/02.Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature.  Leland B. Elder, Jr. worked as part of the Chicago Public Library’s Public Information Office (PIO) for over 30 years (1984-2016).  His responsibilities included editing and writing for the various incarnations of the library’s newsletters, marketing, press releases and promoting library programs and services. His papers, which include press releases, event flyers and programs, detail the growth and development of the PIO and the Marketing Department of the Chicago Public Library as well as the evolution of the ethnic heritage committees and the annual library programs. [Finding aid]

eta Creative Arts Foundation

Dates: 1983-2000. Size: 1.5 linear feet in 3 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Chicago Theater Collection. eta was founded in 1969 by Abena Joan Brown and Okoro Harold Johnson. The theater produces dramas and musicals by local and national playwrights and features “Playwrights Speak,” a readers’ theater for new playwrights. [Finding aid]

Evans, Charles J. Papers

Dates: 1920-1994. Size: 7 linear feet. Accession #1996/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Charles Evans was professor of African and African American literature at the City Colleges of Chicago. As an activist in the civil rights and Black Arts movements, Evans developed new curricula for teaching literature of peoples of African descent. He was also active in the union representing City Colleges teachers. His papers include his poetry, literary criticism manuscripts, correspondence, research notes on Richard Wright and other authors, curricula, union records and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Evans, Jesse Papers

Dates: 1994. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1994/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Jesse Evans is the former alderman for Chicago’s 21st ward. This small group of papers consists of serials and other materials Evans brought back from a 1994 trip to South Africa. [Partially processed]

Evans, Rev. Clay Archive

Dates: 1946-2017. Size: 90 linear feet, includes 66 art/artifacts, 5 oversize folders, 786 photographs, 267 digital photographs, 32 oral histories and 885 audiovisual recordings. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. The Rev. Clay Evans Archives span his 50 years of pastoral leadership at Chicago’s Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church that he founded in 1950, and beyond his retirement in 2000. His ministry reached into the larger community with the What a Fellowship Hour broadcasts, Gospel choir performances and an engagement with the Civil Rights Movement along with numerous religious and community organizations such as the African American Religious Connection (AARC), the Broadcast Ministers’ Alliance and Operation PUSH. The collections include church documents, photographs, artifacts and audio-visual broadcasts and interviews. [Finding aid]

Evans, Rev. Clay, Collections on

Dates: 1950-2016. Size: 4.5 linear feet, 147 photographs, includes 44 audio recordings, 7 artifacts. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. The Collections on Rev. Clay Evans brings together materials related to Rev. Clay Evans and Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church during the 50-year span of his leadership from 1950-2000. These materials reflect member involvement in choirs, clubs, committees and community service opportunities fostered by Rev. Evans and their participation in annual banquets, revivals and travel. The collection includes church documents, photographs, artifacts and musical recordings. [Finding aid]

Flory, Ishmael Papers

Dates: 1938-2003. Size: 34 linear feet. Accession #2004/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Ishmael Flory’s career in civil rights, labor and radical activism began with student protests at Fisk University in the 1930s. Flory served as a leader in the Communist Party’s organization on Chicago’s South Side from the 1940s through the 1980s. He was also co-founder of the African American Heritage Association. A friend to Paul Robeson, W.E.B. Du Bois and Langston Hughes, Flory’s activist career included dozens of protest movements. His papers include correspondence, minutes, organizational records, flyers, position papers, serials, photographs and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Fowler, Rev. Elmer Papers

Dates: 1980-1996. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2000/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Founder of Third Baptist Church, civil rights activist and avid photographer, Rev. Elmer Fowler’s collection contains photographs, monographs, newspaper clippings, funeral programs and a tribute written by Fowler to Benjamin Mays. [Partially processed]

Free Street Theater Collection

Dates: 1968-1999. Size: 67 linear feet; photographs and audiovisual materials. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Chicago Theater Collection. The Free Street Theater Collection archives document the history of Free Street from its inception in 1968. Included are files from the highly acclaimed production Project!, as well as from the theater's present-day commitment to addressing teen and social issues through plays and musical productions.. [Finding aid]

French, Robert O. Papers

Dates: 1902-2007. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #1999/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Robert French, nephew of black beauty culture pioneer Annie Turnbo Malone, was a leader in Malone’s Poro College from the 1940s through the 1980s. French’s papers document Malone’s career, and the organizational life of Poro College and the Poro Association. The papers include correspondence, programs, photographs, clipping files, funeral programs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Gayden, Fern Papers

Dates: 1883-1985. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #2007/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A founding member of the South Side Writers Group in the 1930s, Fern Gayden’s long and diverse career included leadership roles in the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the South Side Community Art Center. She co-published Negro Story magazine with Alice Browning. Her papers include family history records, correspondence, flyers and programs, photographs and audiovisual materials. Also included is information on Gayden’s hometown of Dunlap, Kansas, files from her service as a social worker and original copies of Negro Story. [Finding aid]

Go On Girl! Book Club Archives

Dates: 1996-2006. Size: 18 linear feet. Accession #1998/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Go On Girl!, an African American book club, was the vision of three girlfriends in 1991 and has developed into a national book club with more than 25 chapters. Its mission is to expand the African American reading experience, concentrating on authors from the African diaspora. Collection includes correspondence, organizational records, uncorrected galleys and proofs, annual conferences and awards, data sheets for books read, surveys, questionnaires, newsletters and photographs. [Partially processed]

Gubert, Betty Collection of African Americans in Aviation

Dates: 1927-2002. Size: 12 linear feet. Accession #2010/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Betty Gubert is a retired librarian who worked for decades at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. She is the author of several books on African Americans in aviation, including the noted bibliography Invisible Wings. Her papers include correspondence with black aviators, photographs and subject research files. [Finding aid]

Hall, Juanita Papers

Dates: 1899-1965. Size: 5 linear feet. Accession #1974/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Juanita Hall was a singer and choir leader best known for her roles on Broadway. Her papers consist of her personal collection of sheet music and orchestrations, including many original items and hand annotations of printed sheet music. Among the items are songs from Broadway musicals, the Hall Johnson Choir, Eubie Blake and other composers. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Hamilton, Evalyn Papers

Dates: 1990-1999. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #1999/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Evalyn Hamilton, the first coordinator of the Vivian G. Harsh Society, was also active in Go On Girl! book clubs in Chicago. Her personal papers include cultural and literary flyers, programs, serials and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Harris, Adlean Papers

Dates: 1965-2005. Size: 105 linear feet. Accession #1993/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Adlean Harris, a librarian at Governor’s State University, was a founding member of all three Chicago-based African American genealogical societies. She was a leader in the Chicago chapter of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History and a participant in a host of other black history and civil rights organizations. Her papers include an unusually wide range of organizational files, flyers, programs, correspondence, serials, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Harris, Greg Papers

Dates: 1988-2000. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1996/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Greg Harris has been a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose work appeared in more than 50 African American newspapers. His papers include original cartoon drawings, newspaper clippings, correspondence and notes. [Partially processed]

Hatchell, Mildred Papers

Dates: 1941-2002. Size: .5 linear f00t. Accession #1993/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Former Chicagoan Mildred Hatchell conducted extensive research on the hymns of the Rev. Charles Albert Tindley. Her papers consist of research materials, clippings and correspondence in support of her effort to have the Rev. Tindley recognized as the author of the song, “We Shall Overcome.” [Finding aid]

Hayes, Charles A. Papers

Dates: 1944-1997. Size: 10 linear feet. Accession #2010/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Charles Hayes was a union leader in the United Packinghouse Workers of America and in two successor unions from the 1940s through the 1980s. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1993. Most of his papers have been lost, but this small collection includes correspondence, speech texts, reports, clipping files, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Heritage Press Archives

Dates: 1944-2002. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #1988/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Heritage Press, founded by Paul Breman and operated out of London from 1962 to 1975, was one of the most important publishers of black poetry of its time. Best known for virtually launching the careers of Robert Hayden, Audre Lorde and Dolores Kendrick, the press also published major works of poetry by Arna Bontemps, Waring Cuney, Fenton Johnson, Ishmael Reed and prominent members of the Black Arts Movement, including Chicagoans Conrad Kent Rivers and Ronald Fair. The archives include correspondence, manuscripts, booklets, publicity, clippings and photographs. [Finding aid]

Hill, Herbert Papers

Dates: 1963-2002. Size: 1.5 linear feet. Accession #1996/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Herbert Hill served in the 1950s and 1960s as labor director of the NAACP, where he was one of the most effective voices raised against racial discrimination by unions. He was later a professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Wisconsin. His collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts and published articles written by Hill. [Finding aid]

Holli, Melvin Papers

Dates: 1983-1987. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2010/11. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Melvin Holli was a history professor and author who wrote several books on Chicago politics, including The American Mayor. His papers include subject research files on Mayor Harold Washington’s administration, newspaper clippings and notes. [Unprocessed]

Holmgren, Edward Papers

Dates: 1949-2003. Size: 6 linear feet. Accession #2009/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Edward Holmgren spent more than 40 years working in the area of public housing, housing integration and urban renewal, both in government and private sectors. He began his career with the Chicago Housing Authority and was executive director of the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities. His papers include correspondence, organizational records, conference proceedings and serials. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Holton, Deborah Papers

Dates: 1940-1990. Size: 12 linear feet. Accession #1999/11. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Deborah Holton, professor of literature at DePaul University, wrote her doctoral dissertation on “The Plays of Lorraine Hansberry: Studies in Dramatic Form.” The papers include her research notes, photocopied and original manuscript materials, photographs and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Howalton Day School Archives

Dates: 1946-1999. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #1996/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Noted as the oldest African American private, non-sectarian school in Chicago, Howalton School (1947-1986) was established as an early alternative school stressing creativity, the arts and the humanities. Its founders were sharply critical of the failings of Chicago’s public schools in the African American community. The archives consist of correspondence, manuscripts, handbooks, brochures, promotional literature, financial statements, programs, photographs, newspaper clippings and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Howard, Dr. T.R.M. Papers

Dates: 1929-1976. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2009/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Theodore Roosevelt Mason (T.R.M.) Howard was a surgeon, civil rights leader and entrepreneur. He came to national prominence in the 1950s, when he was president of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership, the most important civil rights group in Mississippi then. He also served as president of the National Medical Association. Forced to leave Mississippi, he spent the last 20 years of his life in Chicago and ran for Congress in 1958. Howard’s papers include two scrapbooks he created, correspondence, texts and audiotapes of speeches and articles, clipping files and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Hughes, Langston Papers

Dates: 1940-1942. Size: 5 linear feet. Accession #1942/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The papers consist of three successive typescript drafts of Hughes’ autobiographical memoir, The Big Sea, as well as galley proofs for this book. Each of the drafts contains extensive revisions and marginalia by Hughes. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Husband, Lori Papers

Dates: 1965-2003. Size: 40 linear feet. Accession #2004/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Lori Husband was a leading researcher, teacher and author in the field of African American genealogy. The author of three studies of genealogical information found in the Chicago Defender newspaper, Husband also taught genealogical methodology. Her papers include research materials, subject files, curricula, serials, organizational minutes and programs. [Unprocessed]

Illinois Writers Project: “Negro in Illinois” Papers

Dates: 1936-1942. Size: 22 linear feet. Accession #1942/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. This Illinois Writers Project study of the African American experience in Illinois from 1779 to 1942 consists of draft chapters, research notes, newspaper extracts, oral history transcripts and draft essays. All the work was destined for the “Negro in Illinois,” an unfinished book on which more than 100 researchers from the Illinois office of the Federal Writers Project collaborated. The study was supervised by Arna Bontemps and Jack Conroy. Among the writers who participated were Richard Wright, Fenton Johnson, Margaret Walker and L.D. Reddick. The majority of this collection is available online in the Illinois Writers Project: "Negro in Illinois" Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

International Society of Sons and Daughters of Slave Ancestry Archives

Dates: 1996-2002. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1997/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. International Society of Sons and Daughters of Slave Ancestry Archives is a non-profit lineage society committed to documenting and preserving the genealogy of former slaves for future generations. Founded in 1997, ISDSA commemorates slave contributions to world history and recognizes the work of genealogical researchers. Collection contains articles of incorporation, bylaws, minutes, correspondence, pedigree charts, manuscripts and Juneteenth celebration programs. [Partially processed]

Jackson, Timothy Papers

Dates: 2000-2008. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2008/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Chicago Defender editorial cartoonist Tim Jackson is also renowned as the creator of the website Pioneering Cartoonists of Color, the most extensive database of information about early African American cartoonists. Jackson also worked for LifeTimes, a publication issued by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. The papers consist of his original cartoons, preliminary sketches and graphic design drawings for LifeTimes. [Partially processed]

Jarrett, Vernon Videotape Collection

Dates: 1991-1998. Size: 3 linear feet (150 videotapes migrated to DVDs). Accession #1999/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Vernon Jarrett was a pioneering journalist, award-winning columnist for the Chicago Defender, Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists, civil rights activist and community leader. This collection contains DVDs of more than 150 episodes of his television programs Face to Face and Sunday in Chicago. [Finding aid]

Johnson, Bennett Papers

Dates: 1968-1995. Size: 39 linear feet. Accession #2000/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Bennett Johnson, a graduate of Roosevelt University with Harold Washington, has been a civil rights and radical activist since the 1940s. He was a leader in the March on Conventions movement, Protest at the Polls and the NAACP. He was one of the early activists in Washington’s successful campaign for mayor of Chicago. Johnson was co-founder of Path Press, a black-owned publishing house. His papers include correspondence, minutes, programs, manuscripts and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Johnson, Mildred Papers

Dates: 1945-1994. Size: 27 linear feet. Accession #1994/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Mildred Johnson was an educator, poet, children’s book author, principal of Howalton School (1982-1985) and director of Say! Children’s Theater. Her papers include correspondence, posters, plaques and awards, newspaper clipping files, books, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Johnson, Rev. Floyd D. and Sweetie C. Papers/Zion Temple Missionary Baptist Church Archives

Dates: 1940-1997. Size: 39 linear feet. Accession #1989/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Rev. F.D. Johnson and his wife, Sweetie C. Johnson, were leaders in the National Baptist Convention from the 1940s through the 1980s. Rev. Johnson was the pastor of Zion Temple M.B. Church in Chicago and served for more than 20 years as the president of the National Baptist Convention’s Foreign Missionary Board. Their personal papers and the church’s archives include correspondence, organizational documents, programs, clippings, serials and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Johnson, Venona Papers

Dates: 1966-1995. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2001/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Venona Johnson’s papers include materials on the Chicago Chapter of the Girlfriends, a social and philanthropic club. Included are administrative records, chapter bylaws, financial records, clippings, conference proceedings and newsletters. The papers also contain materials from St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church, including newsletters, anniversary souvenir books and funeral programs. [Partially processed]

Johnson, William Papers

Dates: 1988-1996. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #1996/10. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. William Johnson’s papers include his slides and photographs, activities of the Washington Park Camera Club and materials from the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. [Partially processed]

Jones, Calvin B. Papers

Dates: 1972-2010. Size: 1.25 linear feet. Accession #2010/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Chicago muralist, Black Arts Movement activist and co-director of AFAM gallery, Calvin B. Jones was a leader in community murals projects in Chicago. This small collection includes photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Jones, Dewey Roscoe Papers

Dates: 1910-2013. Size: 16 linear feet. Accession #2015/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Dewey Roscoe Jones was a Chicago-based journalist for the Chicago Defender. He rose to the role of Managing Editor while writing feature articles, book reviews, and columns. Jones left the Defender in 1932 to work as the Associate Advisor on Negro Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. He returned to Chicago in 1938 to serve as the Assistant Director of Hull-House, Jane Addam’s progressive settlement just southwest of the city’s Loop. The collection contains newspaper articles, correspondence, manuscripts, photographs and memorabilia documenting the personal and professional lives of Dewey Roscoe Jones and his wife, Faith Jefferson Jones Killings. [Finding Aid]

Jones, Jeanne Boger Papers

Dates: 1845-2000. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #20001/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Jeanne Boger Jones is a genealogist and descendant of abolitionist minister Abraham T. Hall of Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church. Her papers contain materials relating to her family’s genealogy, World War II black naval veterans of Great Lakes and records of the Chicago chapter of the Idlewild Lot Owners Association, Inc. Included in the papers are genealogical charts, newspaper clippings, videotapes, correspondence and photographs. [Finding aid]

Jones, Richard Papers

Dates: 1974-2005. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2007/13. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Richard Jones served as an officer in Bronzeville’s famed 8th National Guard Regiment and as manager of 47th Street’s South Center Department Store. The papers consist of subject research files on the history of the 8th regiment as well as a set of 1974 by-laws. [Unprocessed]

Jones, Willa S. Papers

Dates: 1930-1984. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #1982/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Willa S. Jones was, for 52 years, the founder, writer and producer of the acclaimed Chicago Passion Play. First presented in 1926 in a storefront church, the Passion Play later moved to St. John-Baptist Church. Jones was also a gospel pianist and director of a choir sponsored by the National Baptist Convention. Her papers include clippings, programs, serials and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Joyner, Marjorie Stewart Papers

Dates: circa 1890-1994. Size: 107 linear feet. Accession #1992/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Marjorie Stewart Joyner was national supervisor of Madame C.J. Walker Beauty Colleges, chair of Chicago’s Bud Billiken Parade and Chicago Defender Charities, benefactor of Bethune-Cookman College and an activist in the Democratic Party in Chicago. Her papers include correspondence, business records, programs, serials, clipping files, photographs and memorabilia. Organizational materials from the United Beauty School Owners and Teachers Association, Alpha Chi Pi Omega Sorority and Fraternity, Cosmopolitan Community Church and the Bud Billiken Parade are also included. [Finding Aid]

Just the Beginning Foundation Archives

Dates: 1940-2008. Size: 78 linear feet. Accession #2000/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Just the Beginning Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 to honor Judge James Benton Parsons, the first African American appointed to the U.S. District Court with life tenure. The foundation’s mission is to highlight the accomplishments of African Americans in the federal judiciary, and to provide education and outreach to youth on career opportunities in the legal profession. The archives include correspondence, administrative records, photographs, conference proceedings, biographical information on federal judges and audiovisual materials. An addition to the archives consists of the papers of Edward Toles, federal bankruptcy judge and former president of the National Bar Association. [Partially processed]

Kellum, David Papers

Dates: 1920-1981. Size: 1 linear feet. Accession #2004/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. David Kellum was a leading figure at the Chicago Defender from the 1920s through the 1950s. He is credited with the invention of the Bud Billiken character and was an early coordinator of the Bud Billiken Parade. This collection contains reproductions of early Bud Billiken photographs and an oral history interview about David Kellum conducted with his son, James Kellum. [Finding Aid]

Kelly, Ernece Papers

Dates: 1964-1975. Size: 1.5 linear foot. Accession #2000/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Ernece Kelly was an activist in the 1960s Chicago civil rights movement and a staffer for the Coordinating Council of Community Organizations. This collection contains political buttons, books and pamphlets. [Finding aid]

Kersey, McGowan and Morsell Archives

Dates: 1919-2010. Size: 15 linear feet. Accession #2012/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. This collection contains the funeral registers from Kersey, McGowan and Morsell Memorial Chapel which was located in the heart of the Bronzeville community at 3515 S. Indiana. The chapel opened in June 1919, one month before the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 and closed on January 31, 2010. [Unprocessed]

Kuumba Theatre Company Collection

Dates: 1969-1996; Bulk dates: 1970-1986. Size: 20 linear feet, includes 164 photographs, 43 negatives, 31 slides, 10 artifacts. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Chicago Theater Collection. The Kuumba Theatre Company was founded in 1969 by Chicago dramatist, Val Gray Ward. The collection contains the theater company’s production history files, administrative records, artistic files and affiliations with a range of community and political organizations. The documentation includes the work of local playwrights along with the company’s nationally recognized productions, The Amen Corner, The Little Dreamer and In the House of the Blues. [Finding aid]

Lambda Pi Alpha, Beta Mu Chapter Archives

Dates: 1970-2002. Size: 14 linear feet. Accession #2003/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Beta Mu Chapter of Lambda Pi Alpha Sorority, an organization of registered nurses, was organized at Provident Hospital in 1954. The archive includes correspondence, photographs, minutes, newspaper clippings, videotapes, souvenir books, programs and constitution bylaws. [Partially processed]

Lattimer, Agnes Papers

Dates: 1963-1991. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2001/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A 1954 graduate of Chicago Medical School, Agnes Lattimer was the college’s first African American alumna. After working as director of ambulatory pediatrics at Michael Reese Hospital, she took a similar position at Cook County Hospital. From 1986 to1995 she was medical director of Cook County Hospital. Her papers include newspaper clippings, correspondence and photographs. [Finding aid]

Learning Logic Foundation Archives

Dates: 1969-1996, undated. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1994/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Learning Logic Foundation, headed by Calvin Pearce, was a non-profit think tank created to promote educational discussion and experimental programs between senior citizens and school-age youth. The collection includes correspondence, bylaws, board meeting minutes and neighborhood gang violence reports. [Finding aid]  

Lems-Dworkin, Carol Papers

Dates: circa 1973, undated. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1992/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Musician, teacher and author Carol Lems-Dworkin donated photographic reproductions of African American jazz musicians. [Finding aid]

Les Cameos Archives

Dates: 1955-2004. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2004/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Les Cameos is an African American women’s social organization founded in 1951 as a group of mothers of Girl Scouts, but that continued as a club with parties and charitable events. The organization’s archives include photograph albums, programs and newspaper clippings. [Partially processed]

Livingston, Dorothy Rogers Papers

Dates: 1941. Size: .25 linear foot. Accession #1998/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Dorothy Rogers Livingston, a program coordinator for the Chicago Park District in 1941, collected play scripts and memorabilia from Federal Theater Project plays presented in the parks. Her papers consist of these play scripts and memorabilia. From 1942 through 1950, she was program director for Parkway Community House, the innovative settlement house led by Horace Cayton. Additional materials of Dorothy Rogers Livingston are located in Horace Cayton’s papers. [Finding aid]

Lockett, Cherie Papers

Dates: 1953. Size: .25 linear foot. Accession #2007/12. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. This collection consists of rare promotional and descriptive materials on the first years of Lake Meadows, a middle-class housing development in Bronzeville owned by New York Life Insurance Corporation. [Finding aid]

Logan, Arthur Papers

Dates: 1887-1999. Size: 17.5 linear feet. Accession #2004/11. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Arthur Logan, a graphic artist, singer and choirmaster, was graphic designer for the 1927-1929 “Wonder Books,” edited by Frederic H. Robb. Logan was later active in Chicago churches as a choirmaster through the 1980s. His papers include early Wendell Phillips High School yearbooks, gospel music programs, photographs, clippings, sheet music and memorabilia. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Logsdon, Joseph Papers

Dates: 1960-1961. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1961/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The papers consist of his typed dissertation submitted to the University of Chicago for a Master of Arts in social sciences. The dissertation traces the Rev. Archibald J. Carey and his impact on politics in Chicago. [Finding aid]

MacDonald, J. Fred Papers

Dates: 1955-1974. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2010/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. J. Fred MacDonald is professor emeritus at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and president of MacDonald & Associates, a historical film archives based in Chicago. The collection includes DVD transfers documenting black arts, television and radio during the early 20th century. [Unprocessed]

Mackel, Audley Papers

Dates: 1925-1970. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2003/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Audley Mackel was a prominent dentist in the Vicksburg-Natchez, Mississippi area. In the 1950s he was active in the Regional Council of Negro Leadership, headed by T.R.M. Howard. In a legendary incident, he drove Howard in a hearse past Ku Klux Klan gunners. Mackel was also instrumental in an NAACP lawsuit challenging “separate but equal.” The papers include correspondence, original petitions, photographs, speeches, clippings and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Manney, Edward Papers

Dates: 1980-1992. Size: 11 linear feet. Accession #1992/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Edward Manney was the assistant curator of the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature from 1984 to 1992. His personal collection consists of manuscripts, books, posters, memorabilia, theater programs, newspaper clippings, videos, color slides, campaign materials from Harold Washington’s 1983 mayoral election and exhibit catalogs. [Partially processed]

Mardis, Geraldine Lane Papers

Dates: 1907-1953. Size: 3.5 linear feet. Accession #2003/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Geraldine Lane Mardis’ grandfather Alexander Lane graduated from Rush Medical College in 1895 and served as an Illinois state legislator. Her family vacationed at Idlewild, Mich., beginning in the 1920s. While a student at University of Chicago, Mardis was the subject of a racially motivated controversy. Her papers include correspondence, newspapers clippings, Idlewild and Chicago photographs, and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Martin & Morris Music Company Papers

Dates: 1905-1980. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2003/14. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. When the Martin & Morris store was closing in the 1990s, gospel music devotees bought up the store’s remaining sheet music stock. The papers include more than 300 gospel music titles, some of them rare. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Martin, Rev. George Papers

Dates: 1901-1972. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2000/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The papers of the Rev. George Martin, D.D., an A.M.E. minister originally from Kansas City, Missouri, were donated by his daughter, Chestine Warfield Allen. Martin was sent in 1916 to serve A.M.E. congregations in the Pacific Northwest, where he was a pastor in Portland, Oregon, Seattle and Spokane, Washington. He later returned to Kansas City as a pastor and was influential in the A.M.E. church nationally. His papers include correspondence, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Mason, Grace Papers/Franklyn Atkinson Henderson Photograph Collection

Dates: 1880-1920. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #1992/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Grace Mason, a descendant of pioneering Chicago African American photographer Franklyn Atkinson Henderson, donated his collection of nearly 100 photo portraits of “prominent Negro Chicagoans.” Photos were created from 1885 to 1915. Many of these photos were exhibited at the 1940 American Negro Exposition. The papers include photos of the “Old Settlers” and an official register of the Chicago Old Settlers Club, founded by Ida McIntosh Dempsey in 1904. Later Scott family records and photographs are also included. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

McBride, William Papers

Dates: 1907-1995. Size: 45 linear feet. Accession #1995/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. From the 1930s through the 1980s, William McBride was an artist, political activist and collector of Bronzeville cultural memorabilia. During the early 1940s, he played a prominent role with the South Side Community Art Center, serving as its publicity director. His papers include early SSCAC organizational and publicity files. Also included are extensive files of cultural and political activities, correspondence, fliers, programs, posters, playbills, art studies and photographs. Selected items from this collection are available in the Library's Chicago Renaissance Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

McGill Family Papers

Dates: 1870-2008. Size: 13 linear feet. Accession #2004/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Nathan K. McGill, a native Floridian, had a profound impact on Chicago journalism and law. In 1925, he was appointed assistant state’s attorney in Chicago. A confidant of Robert Abbott, he later served as general manager, vice president and counsel of the Chicago Defender. He was also a member of the Chicago Public Library Board of Directors. From 1934 to 1937, he published his own newspaper, Metropolitan News. Nathan McGill’s papers consist of newspaper clippings, serials, rare documents, photographs and memorabilia. The McGill Family Papers also include materials from Nathan McGill’s brother, Simuel D. McGill, a civil rights attorney who represented the Scottsboro Boys, and items from their descendants. [Finding aid]

Metcalfe, Ralph Papers

Dates: 1934-1975. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1993/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Ralph Metcalfe was an Olympic track athlete and was later elected a Chicago alderman and Congressman. The papers include early correspondence, awards, photographs, official documents and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Minor, Frances Papers

Dates: 1863-2009. Size: 15 linear feet. Accession #2002/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A Chicago public school educator and South Side Community Art Center and African American history activist, Frances Minor’s papers focus on African Americans in Chicago, Minnesota and Mississippi. Other topics include her late husband, school administrator Byron Minor; Judge Irvin C. Mollison; and St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church. The collection consists of programs, clippings, serials, correspondence, funeral programs, scrapbooks, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Minor, Myrtis Papers

Dates: 1946-2007. Size: 2.5 linear feet. Accession #2004/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. As a high school student in Jackson, Mississippi, Minor was one of the leaders of a 1949 bus boycott for civil rights. Her papers document the boycott, her career as a nurse at Provident Hospital and her activities in community organizations. They consist of oral history audio recordings, programs, yearbooks, clippings and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Montrose, Ruth Papers

Dates: 1962-1979. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1981/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Ruth Montrose was a social worker active in the National Council of Negro Women, the League of Black Women, the National Association of Black Social Workers and the Chicago Urban League. Her papers include a wide range of music, theater and political programs as well as flyers, correspondence and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Mootry, Maria Papers

Dates: 1971-2001. Size: 3.5 linear feet. Accession #2001/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Poet, literary critic and essayist Maria Mootry was a professor at the University of Illinois-Springfield and the author of literary criticism on Gwendolyn Brooks. Her papers include original manuscripts, correspondence, conference programs and memorabilia. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Morgan Park Co-op Credit Union Archives

Dates: 1940-1995. Size: 6.5 linear feet. Accession #2001/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Morgan Park Co-op Credit Union, founded in 1940, is the oldest African-American credit union in Chicago. The collection contains photographs, legal documents, history brochures and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Morris, Aldon Papers

Dates: 1986-2006. Size: .25 linear foot. Accession #1998/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Professor of sociology and African American studies at Northwestern University, Aldon Morris is the author of Origins of the Civil Rights Movement. His papers include published and unpublished articles, speeches and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Morris, Madeline Stratton Papers

Dates: 1859-2003. Size: 15 linear feet. Accession #2003/10. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Madeline Stratton Morris’ papers document her work as an educator, author and activist in the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. As a Chicago schoolteacher during World War II, she developed the first “Negro History” curriculum to be adopted by a U.S. public school system. Later, she was the author of black history books for young people. Her papers include correspondence, her original curriculum guide, manuscripts of published and unpublished works, photographs, programs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Morrow, E. Frederic Papers

Dates: 1952-1996. Size: 13 linear feet. Accession #2000/11. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Best known as a member of President Eisenhower’s White House staff, E. Frederic Morrow worked for the Urban League, the NAACP and CBS radio before joining Eisenhower’s campaign in 1952. He served on the White House staff from 1955 through 1960 and wrote a memoir, Black Man in the White House. His papers include manuscripts, correspondence, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Mosby, Sisi Donald Papers

Dates: 1951-1964. Size: 2.75 linear feet. Accession #1997/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Civil rights activist, journalist and historian Donald Mosby published The Struggle, a 1960s civil rights newspaper, and did most of the writing on a biography of Ulysses Grant Dailey. Papers include rare newspapers, original manuscripts and speeches, and page proofs. [Finding aid]

Motley, Willard F. Papers

Dates: 1939-1951. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2002/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. This small group of Willard Motley’s papers includes newspaper clippings, manuscripts and journal articles by Motley. Also included is significant correspondence between Motley and William P. Shenk, co-founder of Hull House literary magazine. [Finding aid]

Moye, Don/Art Ensemble of Chicago Papers

Dates: 1970-1990. Size: 8 linear feet. Accession #1993/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Don Moye is best known as one of the members of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, the avant-garde jazz group that emerged in the 1970s. The papers include posters, programs, audiovisual materials and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

National Black Nurses Association, Chicago Chapter Archives

Dates: 1970-2005. Size: 38 linear feet. Accession #2003/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Chicago Chapter of National Black Nurses Association, established in 1970, is dedicated to collective action by nurses to investigate and advocate for the health care needs of African Americans, and to implement strategies that ensure access to equal health care. The archives include official documents, minutes, programs, investigative reports, correspondence, clippings, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Nesbitt, Prexy Papers

Dates: 1968-1996. Size: 36 linear feet. Accession #1996/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Prexy Nesbitt was a leader in organizing Chicago’s support for southern African liberation and against apartheid. He wrote extensively on southern Africa and collected materials on liberation movements there. His papers include manuscripts, programs, rare serials and subject research files. [Partially processed]

O’Quinn Family Papers

Dates: circa 1937-circa 1987, undated. Size: 5.75 linear feet in 6 boxes, includes 112 photographs. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Neighborhood History Research Collection, part of the Lawndale Community Collections. The O’Quinn Family Papers document their participation in Chicago’s Lawndale community that includes Boy Scouts of America, O’Quinn Royal Gladiators Drum and Bugle Corps and West Side Negro Women's League. [Finding aid]

Owen, Chandler Papers

Dates: 1922-1972. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2010/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Chandler Owen was a writer, editor and labor activist who co-founded the radical socialist journal The Messenger with A. Philip Randolph. He later worked as managing editor of the Chicago Bee newspaper. This small group of papers includes original typescripts of several of Owen’s speeches and essays. [Finding aid]

Palmer, Alice and Edward (“Buzz”) Papers

Dates: 1950-2005. Size: 5 linear feet. Accession #2006/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Alice Palmer, an educator and human rights activist, worked on Harold Washington’s campaigns and served as an Illinois state senator. She was active in Chicago’s civil rights movement of the 1960s and in international dialogues beginning in the 1980s. Her husband, “Buzz” Palmer, a former police officer, was one of the founders of the Afro-American Patrolmen’s League and has been active in international human rights work. Their papers include correspondence, subject research files, programs, serials and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Parada, Esther Papers

Dates: 1929-1993. Size: 6 linear feet. Accession #2007/15. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. In 1992, Esther Parada, an artist and professor at University of Illinois at Chicago, created an exhibit entitled, “Who Dis/Covers, Who Dis/Colors?” The exhibit investigated the struggle of African Americans for representation of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable at the 1933 Century of Progress international exposition in Chicago. The papers include original art by Parada, research materials from the period of the exposition and press coverage of the 1992 exhibit. [Unprocessed]

Passovoy, Lorraine Papers

Dates: 1940-1984. Size: .5 linear foot. Accession #1987/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Lorraine Passovoy’s papers include research materials and correspondence on the life of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable. [Finding aid]

Path Press Archives

Dates: 1961-1996. Size: 41 linear feet. Accession #1997/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. One of the first black-owned publishing companies in the United States, Path Press was founded in Chicago in 1969 by novelist Herman C. Gilbert and civil rights veteran Bennett Johnson. The company was active until 2001 and had considerable success with Gilbert’s novel, The Negotiations. The archives include published and unpublished manuscripts, correspondence, administrative records, publicity, distribution/sales files and photographs. Additional materials were accessioned relating to unpublished authors at Path Press. [Finding aid]

Patricia Liddell Researchers (PLR) Archives

Dates: 1920-2006. Size: 150 linear feet. Accession #1994/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Patricia Liddell Researchers is an African American genealogical society co-founded by Adlean Harris and Thelma Eldridge. The PLR’s initial donation of 2 linear feet has grown exponentially along with the surge in interest in genealogy. The PLR archive includes over 10,000 funeral programs, surname indexes, organizational files, program materials, conference workshops, meeting records, genealogical serials and a wide variety of national genealogical information. [Finding aid]

People for Community Recovery Archives

Dates: 1983-2008. Size: 62 linear feet. Accession #2009/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. People for Community Recovery (PCR) is a community organization located in the Chicago Housing Authority’s Altgeld Gardens project on Chicago’s far Southeast Side. Founded in 1979 by Altgeld Gardens resident Hazel Johnson, PCR demanded cleanup of toxic waste surrounding the community and pressed for repair work. The organization also coined the term “environmental racism.” The archives include correspondence, organization files, programs and newspaper clippings. [Finding aid]

Perkins, Marion Papers

Dates: 1938-2003. Size: 6 linear feet. Accession #2006/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Arkansas-born and Chicago-based Marion Perkins was an acclaimed sculptor; his works are held at the Art Institute of Chicago and DuSable Museum. From the late 1930s until his death in 1961, Perkins was a radical activist whose art reflected his perspectives.  The papers include Marion Perkins’ writings, photographs and articles about his work. [Finding Aid]

Perkins, Useni Eugene Papers

Dates: 1960-2014. Size 12 linear feet. Accession #2014/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Useni (Eugene) Perkins is an accomplished poet, essayist and social worker who was a leader in the Black Arts Movement. His father is artist Marion Perkins. The papers include plays, poetry and interviews by Useni Perkins as well as correspondence and photographs. [Finding Aid]

Pinkney, Nannie Papers

Dates: circa 1959-1994. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1994/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. In the 1950s, Nannie Pinkney was a clerk at George Cleveland Hall Branch Library. Her papers include an oral history audiotape on the Hall Branch and the last years of Vivian Harsh’s life, as well as photographs. [Finding aid]

Pollard, Fritz Papers

Dates: 1916-2004, undated. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2005/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. An early and exceptional football star, Fritz Pollard played for Lane Tech High School and Brown University, and in the National Football League. The papers include newspaper clippings and photographs collected by Eleanor Towns. [Finding aid]

Prince Hall Freemasonry Archives

Dates: 1902-2006. Size: 7.5 linear feet. Accession #1997/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The papers, donated by Brian Abrams, Robert DeCuir and Isaac Washington, include rare serials, Masonic proceedings, lodge materials, directories, programs, annual reports, bylaws, amendments and memorial services. [Finding Aid]

Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church Archives

Dates: 1905-1999. Size: 5.5 linear feet. Accession #2001/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The oldest African American congregation in Chicago, Quinn Chapel A.M.E. was founded in 1844. The archive includes anniversary books, programs, newsletters, membership registers, financial records and photographs. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Reid, Loudella Evans Papers

Dates: 1958-2005. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2006/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Legendary gospel singer and choirmaster Loudella Evans Reid led the choir at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church for more than 50 years. Her papers include church programs, newsletters, audiovisual materials, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Restuccia, Rusty Papers

Dates: 1919-2011. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2009/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Rusty Restuccia, a retired Ford Motor Co. executive, runs a website dedicated to the history of African Americans in the automobile industry. His papers center on his research and writing on the history of African American-owned car dealerships, including those in Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri, and Detroit. [Unprocessed]

Richardson, James M. Papers

Dates: 1890-1990. Size: 118 linear feet. Accession #1995/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. James Richardson, M.D., was an ophthalmologist at Provident Hospital and civil rights activist from the 1940s through the 1990s. He also studied his family history in Oklahoma and Texas. Richardson’s papers include correspondence, subject research files, programs, Howard University and medical periodicals, newspaper clippings, early photographs from Oklahoma and Texas, and rare historical materials from Provident Hospital. [Partially processed]

Rivkin, Amanda Photographs, Chicago Police Torture Survivors

Dates: 2015 August-2016 August. Size: 2 linear feet in 1 oversize folder. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Twelve 16” x 24” portraits by photographer Amanda Rivkin depict present-day survivors of systematic torture by the Chicago Police Department, which occurred from approximately 1972 to 1991 under the direction of former Commander Jon Burge. Burge was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in 2010. In 2015, the Chicago City Council passed a reparations ordinance that provided monetary compensation and other benefits to victims of Burge-era torture. Following the passage of the ordinance, Rivkin received a grant from the International Women’s Media Foundation to photograph and record the stories of the survivors. [Finding aid]

Rogovin, Mark Collection

Dates: 1960-1995. Size 18.5 linear feet. Accession #2021/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Mark Rogovin was an artist in the modern mural movement and founder of Chicago’s Peace Museum. His collection consists of artwork (prints) by Margaret Burroughs and Tecla Selnick, political and activist posters (including prints related to the Black Panther Party and Mayor Harold Washington’s elections), correspondence and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Rollins, Charlemae Hill Papers

Dates: 1906-1994. Size: 56 linear feet. Accession #1980/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Charlemae Rollins served as children’s librarian at the Hall Branch of the Chicago Public Library from 1932 to 1963 and was a nationally recognized pioneer in the development of multicultural children’s literature. Her papers include correspondence, scrapbooks, clipping files, memorabilia, photographs and published and unpublished essays, as well as Rollins’ personal library. An item from this collection is available in the Library's Chicago Renaissance Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

Rollins, Joseph W., Jr. Papers

Dates: 1930-2004. Size: 8 linear feet. Accession #1994/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Joseph Rollins, Jr., son of Hall Branch librarian Charlemae Rollins, grew up in the Rosenwald, attended DuSable High School and served in World War II. In the 1960s he became an executive in the federal government’s Office of Economic Opportunity. He was later in a leading position at Arthur Anderson, Inc. After the death of his mother in 1979, Rollins dedicated himself to documenting and perpetuating her legacy. His papers include photographs and memorabilia from Bronzeville and from World War II, correspondence and clipping files from his work at OEO and Arthur Anderson, and extensive files on celebrations and conferences on the work of Charlemae Rollins. [Partially processed]

Rosen, Stan Papers

Dates: 1960-1992. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1997/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Labor history educator Stan Rosen’s papers include materials on Chicago’s African American labor activists. [Unprocessed]

Rushing, Fannie Papers

Dates: 1963-2004. Size: 12 linear feet. Accession #2006/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Fannie Rushing, a professor at Benedictine University, was an early activist in Chicago Friends of SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee). Her papers document the civil rights movement in Chicago and the South, and her involvement in human rights work internationally. Included are correspondence, clipping files, programs, manuscripts, photographs and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Saffold, Howard Papers

Dates: 1968-1994. Size: 6 linear feet. Accession #2010/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The papers consist primarily of newsclippings and photographs related to the history of the African American Police League in Chicago. [Unprocessed]

Sampson, Rev. Al Papers

Dates: 1960-1970. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1993/06, Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Rev. Albert Sampson, ordained by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was active in the 1960s civil rights movement. He is the pastor of Fernwood United Methodist Church. His papers include clippings, photographs and memorabilia from his early civil rights activities. [Unprocessed]

Sang, Phillip Papers

Dates: 1682-1970. Size: 15 linear feet. Accession #1978/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Phillip Sang was a collector of manuscript materials and memorabilia on slavery and abolitionism. His papers include original documents from slave owners, slave traders and insurance companies. Other materials include correspondence, photographs, speeches, pamphlets and memorabilia by abolitionists and about the abolitionist movement; as well as few items from the Civil Rights era. Selections from the Papers are digitized and found in the Philip David Sang Collection [Finding Aid]

Saunders, Doris E. Papers

Dates: 1920-2006. Size: 75 linear feet. Accession #1994/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Doris Saunders served as a librarian at the Hall Branch during World War II. In 1949, she went to work at Johnson Publishing Company, establishing its corporate library and later directing its Book Publishing Division. From the 1970s through the 1990s, she was chair of the Department of Mass Communications at Jackson State University. Her papers include correspondence, manuscripts, Bronzeville-era memorabilia, subject research files, rare serials, programs and memorabilia. Selected items from this collection are available in the Library's Chicago Renaissance Digital Collection. [Partially processed]

Schupp, Rev. Ronald Papers

Dates: 1979-1997. Size: 0.25 linear foot. Accession #1997/10. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Rev. Ronald Schupp was active in Chicago’s anti-apartheid movement and in efforts to aid the homeless. His papers include programs and clippings. [Finding aid]

Scott, William Edouard Papers

Dates: 1846-2007. Size: 5 linear feet. Accession #2005/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. William Edouard Scott was a prominent painter, illustrator and muralist who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. Scott was one of the first nationally known African American artists in Chicago, and his work is held in many museums and private collections. His papers include biographical materials, correspondence, programs, clippings, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Shaw, Laura Bell Papers

Dates: 1948-1988, undated. Size: 1.25 linear feet. Accession #2003/13. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Laura Bell Shaw served as president of the Women’s Auxiliary board of Provident Hospital in the early 1980s. She was also an organizer of an early African American women’s golf organization. Her papers include programs, rare serials and newspaper clippings. [Finding aid]

Shepherd, Barbara Photograph Collection

Dates: 1940-1942. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1999/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Barbara Shepherd worked on the 1940 American Negro Exposition held at the Chicago Coliseum. She also served in staff positions in several social service organizations. This small photograph collection is one of the few sources that documents the construction and activities of the 1940 exposition. [Finding aid]

Simeon, Neal F. Papers

Dates: 1942-1967. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1979/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Simeon, one of the 16 teachers who organized Dunbar Trade School (now Dunbar Vocational High School) in 1948, later served as acting director of Dunbar and director of Vocational Education Centers for the Chicago Board of Education. His papers consist of scrapbooks of educational clippings, correspondence, photographs and college transcripts. [Finding aid]

Simmons, Herbert Papers

Dates: 1961 Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1961/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Born in St. Louis in 1931, Herbert Simmons was one of the earliest Black crime genre writers. His protagonists fought the restrictive nature of white society toward Black men. His papers include galleys of Simmons’ novel Man Walking on Eggshells with author’s marginalia. [Finding aid]

Skinner, Clementine Papers

Dates: 1930-2002. Size: 22 linear feet. Accession #1993/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Clementine Skinner was a Chicago Public Schools assistant principal, teacher and librarian. She was active during four decades in the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and served as president of the Chicago branch. She was also active in the YWCA, the NAACP and genealogical organizations. Her papers include manuscripts, monographs, correspondence, organizational records, yearbooks, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Smith, Carl E., Jr. Collection

Dates: 1959-1965. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2006/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Carl E. Smith was the general and managing editor for several black magazines in Chicago during the 1950s and 1960s. The collection includes rare serial titles: Tone, Marque and Musically Speaking. [Partially processed]

Smith, Homer Papers

Dates: 1957-1964. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1994/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Homer Smith’s memoir, Black Man in Red Russia, was published and promoted by Johnson Publishing Company in 1964. The collection includes an unpublished manuscript by Smith highlighting his life in Ethiopia in the mid-twentieth century. [Finding aid]

Smith, Mary Ella Papers

Dates: 1981-1987. Size: 6 linear feet. Accession #2003/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Mary Ella Smith, fiancée to Mayor Harold Washington, took over as head of the Harold Washington Foundation after his untimely death in 1987. Her papers include programs, flyers, newspaper clippings, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Smith, Rosella E. Papers

Dates: 1920-1956. Size: .25 linear foot. Accession #2005/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Rosella E. Smith’s papers include capital stock certificates from Binga State Bank and Supreme Liberty Life Insurance and receipts. Jesse Binga’s bank was a major Black-owned financial institution on Chicago’s South Side. It closed in 1933. [Finding aid]

Southern Africa Support Group Archives

Dates: 1963-1980. Size: 5 linear feet in 9 boxes. Accession #1985/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. This Chicago-based organization aided the cause of African liberation movements in Mozambique, Angola, Namibia and South Africa. The archive includes programs, flyers and a wide array of serials. [Finding aid]

St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church Archives

Dates: 1930-2002. Size: 8 linear feet. Accession #2002/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Church of St. Edmund, King and Martyr was founded in 1909 and is one of the oldest predominantly African American Episcopalian churches in Chicago. The collection contains funeral programs, newspaper clippings, anniversary programs and brochures, sermons, serials and photographs. [Finding Aid]

St. James, Michael Photograph Collection

Dates: 1890-1997. Size: 2.5 linear feet. Accession #2000/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Photographer Michael St. James collected early images produced by Chicago’s pioneering African American photographers. The collection includes photographs taken in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [Finding aid]

St. Mark’s Camera Club Photograph Collection

Dates: 1990-1993. Size: 4.25 linear feet. Accession #1992/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. St. Mark’s Camera Club was founded by Willie Griffin in 1972. Griffin was also associated with the Washington Park and South Side camera clubs. This collection contains photographs from the camera club of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. [Finding aid]

Starr, Victoria Papers

Dates: 1979-1992. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1997/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A social worker and union organizer beginning in the 1930s, Victoria Kramer Starr was one of the three women present at the 1937 founding of the Packinghouse Workers Organizing Committee. Her papers include United Packinghouse Workers Union of America materials, oral history interviews and newspaper clippings. [Finding aid]

Stewart, Eva Lee Papers

Dates: 1951-1995. Size: 5 linear feet. Accession #1995/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Eva Lee Stewart was a nurse during Word War II and later a teacher in Cleveland. The collection contains correspondence, diplomas, nursing credentials, Seventh Day Adventist papers, newspaper clippings, diaries, audiotapes, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Stone, Theodore Charles Papers

Dates: 1899-1998. Size: 32 linear feet. Accession #1998/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Theodore Charles Stone served as president of the Chicago Music Association for more than 50 years and as president of the National Association of Negro Musicians. His papers include correspondence, programs, photographs, clippings and memorabilia documenting his career as a concert baritone, his work in the CMA and NANM, and his work as a music writer for several black newspapers in Chicago. [Finding aid]

Stull, Ann Papers

Dates: 1955-1971. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #1999/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Ann Stull was director of Friendship House in Chicago from 1951 to 1955. Friendship House was a Roman Catholic mission that preached and practiced racial tolerance in the pre-civil rights era. Her collection of rare serials and newspaper clippings documents racism, Catholicism’s involvement in interracial justice, labor relations, housing and educational discrimination on Chicago’s West Side. [Finding Aid]

Summerower, Fanniemae and James Papers

Dates: 1960-1995. Size: 18 linear feet. Accession #1999/10. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Fanniemae Summerower was a schoolteacher, mathematics consultant, philanthropist and widow of real estate broker James Summerower. The couple was prominent in elite Chicago social organizations. The papers include files of social and fraternal organizations, correspondence, audiovisual materials, textbooks, photographs, awards and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Temple, Willietta Jones Papers

Dates: 1972-2002. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2007/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Willietta Jones Temple was a longtime member of Lilydale First Baptist Church and an activist in Lilydale community organizations. Her papers include church anniversary books, programs, correspondence, newsletters, funeral programs and photographs. Also included are materials from other churches and documentation of Lilydale community organizations’ work. [Finding aid]

Thatcher, Harold Papers

Dates: 1940-1996. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2002/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Harold Thatcher, M.D., was a dermatologist who trained with famed African American physician Theodore K. Lawless. Thatcher attained the rank of lieutenant colonel during World War II and was a leader in the National Medical Association. His papers include World War II photographs, programs, clippings and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

The Links, Inc. Chicago Chapter Archives

Dates: 1950-2006. Size: 78 linear feet. Accession #1999/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Links, Inc. is a national women’s service organization founded in 1946 in Philadelphia. The Chicago chapter was founded in 1950. The chapter has included such notable members as Madeline Stratton Morris, Edith Sampson, Oneida Cockrell and Olive Diggs. The Links, Inc. archives include organizational records, annual cotillion books, program booklets, newsletters, conference proceedings, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Thompson, Era Bell Papers

Dates: 1930-1987. Size: 96 linear feet in 108 boxes, includes 1240 photos, 368 35mm photo slides, 18 audio cassettes and 1 oversize folder. Accession #1987/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Era Bell Thompson, author of American Daughter and Africa, Land of My Fathers, was a pioneering photojournalist for Ebony and international editor for Johnson Publishing Company for more than 30 years. She was also an important figure in the Chicago Renaissance; her ties to the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature span nearly 50 years. Thompson’s papers include correspondence, diaries, financial records, audio and videotapes, monographs, journals, subject clipping files, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Todd, Thomas N. Papers

Dates: 1954-2015. Size: 55 linear feet. Accession #2017/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Thomas N. Todd was a groundbreaking attorney for civil rights. He served as the president of the Chicago Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1971 and president of Operation PUSH from 1983-1984. Attorney Todd established the nation’s first local U.S. attorney’s civil rights office. He taught law at Northwestern University as the school’s first full-time Black law professor. His papers include correspondence, case files, speeches, newspaper clippings, yearbooks, photographs, audiovisual materials, and memorabilia. [Unprocessed] 

Travis, Dempsey Papers

Dates: 1970-2008. Size: 30 linear feet. Accession #2010/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Dempsey Travis was a real estate developer, mortgage broker, author of books on Chicago’s African American history and civil rights activist. His papers include correspondence, typescripts of his books, organizational files, photographs, scrapbooks, subject research files and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Turner, Glennette Tilley Papers

Dates: 1978-2001. Size: 45 linear feet. Accession #2003/11. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Glennette Tilley Turner is the leading authority on the Underground Railroad in Illinois. She is the author of African American history books and books for children. Her papers document more than two decades of research on the Underground Railroad, including manuscripts, subject research files, programs, monographs, photographs and memorabilia. Also included are materials from Tilley Turner’s work for the National Park Service and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. A small group of materials documents the work of her father, the Rev. John L. Tilley, a historian and leader in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. [Unprocessed]

Turner, Laurence Papers

Dates: 1931-1990. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1992/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Laurence Turner, an African American supporter of independent African nations, moved to Tanzania in the 1970s. He established his own business and trained local entrepreneurs. His papers document his life and work in Tanzania. [Finding aid]

Valmor Products Label Collection

Dates: 1934-1944. Size: 38 labels. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. The Valmor Products Company was started in 1926 by South Side native and chemist, Morton Neumann. Together with his wife, Rose, the Neumanns operated Valmor Products Co. and its subsidiary companies: Lucky Brown, Madam Jones, King Novelty, and Famous Products Co. The products ranged from hair pomades, perfumes and skin creams to household products that were marketed to African American women prior to the Black is Beautiful movement and frequently consisted of skin lighteners and hair straighteners. The collection consists of a small selection of labels. [Finding aid]

ViewPoint, Inc. Archives (Felix A. Burrows, Jr.)

Dates: 1968-1991. Size: 50 linear feet. Accession #1994/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. ViewPoint, Inc. was a black-owned market and media research firm founded by Felix Burrows. Based in Chicago, ViewPoint was at one time the largest black-owned market research firm in the nation. The corporate archives consist of chronologically arranged client/case files for each contract performed by the firm, as well as subject research files. Burrows closed ViewPoint, Inc. in 1992. [Finding aid]

Walker, Thomas Calhoun Papers

Dates: 1953. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1958/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Thomas Calhoun Walker was born at the end of slavery in Gloucester, Virginia, and educated at Hampton Institute. He later became a lawyer and community activist. His papers consist of the typescript of his autobiography, The Honey-Pod Tree. [Finding aid]

Wallace, Joan Papers

Dates: 1901-1994. Size: 42.5 linear feet. Accession #2005/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Joan Wallace, daughter of painter William Edouard Scott and widow of anti-poverty federal official Maurice Dawkins, was an assistant secretary of agriculture during the Carter administration. Her papers contain correspondence, speeches, scrapbooks, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Walton, Charles Papers

Dates: 1928-2005. Size: 28 linear feet. Accession #1996/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Born in Alabama, Charles Walton came to Chicago as a child. He became a jazz drummer immediately after World War II. He went on to direct the music education program at Malcolm X College and served as an officer in American Federation of Musicians Local 10-208. In his “retirement,” he worked relentlessly to document Chicago’s black music history, conducting at least 343 interviews with 179 interviewees. The interviews were part of his research for his unfinished book, Bronzeville Conversations. His papers include drafts of his book, the oral history interviews, essays, rare documents and photographs. Subjects include performers, venues, business relationships and the history of American Federation of Musicians locals in Chicago. Selected items from this collection are available in the Library's Chicago Renaissance Digital Collection.  [Finding aid]

Ward, Val Gray Papers

Dates: 1967-1996. Size: 40 linear feet. Accession #2002/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Val Gray Ward is a celebrated actress, director, producer and founder of Chicago-based Kuumba Professional Theatre Company. Her plays have won numerous awards. Her papers include correspondence, programs, playbills, photographs, artwork and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Wash, Leonard Papers

Dates: 1958-2011. Size: 67 linear feet. Accession #2000/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Leonard Wash, a writer and an educator at the City Colleges of Chicago, was active in the Black Arts, Black Consciousness and Black Power movements beginning in the mid-1960s. He attended every annual Black Studies Conference at Olive-Harvey College, recording much of the proceedings. His papers document a wide range of movement activity, jazz and literature. They include correspondence, manuscripts, flyers, programs, pamphlets, playbills, serial publications, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Washington Heights Community Organization Archives

Dates: 1968-2003. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2003/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Washington Heights Community Organization, formed in 1966 for the upkeep and economic development and growth of the area, was initially composed of formal block clubs in the Washington Heights and Mount Vernon communities. The organization also campaigned to name a neighborhood elementary school after Marcus Garvey. The archive includes correspondence, board minutes, agendas, newspaper clippings and organizational files. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Illinois State Representative Records

Dates: 1957-1976. Size: 3.25 linear feet in 7 boxes and 2 artifacts. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Reports, minutes, press releases, speeches, newsletters and news clippings from Harold Washington’s tenure as State Representative for the 26th District of Illinois. Major topics covered in this collection include the creation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Law and the Medical Malpractice Act. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Illinois State Senatorial Records

Dates: 1969-1981, bulk 1976-1980. Size:10.5 linear feet in 21 boxes, plus 2 oversize folders. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Reports, minutes, correspondence, newsletters and news clippings from Harold Washington’s tenure as State Senator from 1976 to 1980. The records reflect Washington’s involvement with various committees, particularly the Fair Employment Practices Commission and the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, of which he was a founding member. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Campaign Records

Dates: 1980-1983. Size: 28.5 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. In 1983 Harold Washington became Chicago's first African American mayor. His mayoral campaign is documented in detail in this collection. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Asian American Advisory Committee Records

Dates: 1983-1987. Size: 5 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Reports, correspondence and minutes generated by the Mayor’s Asian American Advisory Committee. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Central Files Records

Dates: 1949-1987, bulk dates 1983-1987. Size: 63 linear feet in 55 boxes. Chicago Public Library Center, Special Collections. The Central Files Records consist of correspondence received by the Mayor’s Office. Incoming mail was sorted by Harold Washington’s Executive Office using the Central Filing System. Included in the collection is a small amout of papers from Harold Washington and the files of Dolores Woods, Harold Washington’s Executive Secretary. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Chief of Staff Records

Dates: 1974-1988 (bulk dates 1983-1987). Size: 51.5 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Records in this collection document the roles of Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff in the management of the city’s workforce, the execution of policies set by Mayor Washington and the administrative direction of the mayoral liaisons. When Harold Washington took office in 1983 he formed five sub-cabinets that were responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of policies that cut across departmental boundaries. Each of these sub-cabinets reported to the Chief of Staff and as such, the subjects found in the records are extensive. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Community Services Sub-Cabinet Records

Dates: 1975-1988, bulk dates 1983-1988. Size: 62 linear feet in 45 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. When Harold Washington took office in 1983 he formed five sub-cabinets that were responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of policies that cut across departmental boundaries. The Community Services Sub-Cabinet focused on the “people-oriented” departments of city government, including Human Services, Human Relations, Departments of Health and Aging and Disabilities and the Chicago Public Library. Records include reports, correspondence and minutes. Major topics addressed in the collection include the spread of AIDS, the construction of a new central library and education reforms. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Development Sub-Cabinet Records

Dates: 1980-1987. Size: 24 linear feet in 16 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. When Harold Washington took office in 1983 he formed five sub-cabinets that were responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of policies that cut across departmental boundaries. The Development Sub-Cabinet worked with several city departments including Departments of Economic Development, Planning, Housing, Cultural Affairs, Chicago Housing Authority and the Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training. Documents include reports, memoranda, correspondence and minutes. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Finance and Administration Sub-Cabinet Records

Dates: 1980-1988, bulk dates 1983-1987. Size: 27 linear feet in 18 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. When Harold Washington took office in 1983 he formed five sub-cabinets that were responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of policies that cut across departmental boundaries. Major topics in the collection include the renovation of the Chicago and Regal Theaters, the Chinatown Basin Project and the North Loop Development Project. Documents include reports, memoranda, correspondence and minutes. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Infrastructure Sub-Cabinet Records

Dates: 1981-1989, bulk dates 1983-1987. Size: 18 linear feet in 40 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. When Harold Washington took office in 1983 he formed five sub-cabinets that were responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of policies that cut across departmental boundaries. Departments reporting to the Infrastructure Sub-Cabinet include Aviation, Public Works, Sewers, Streets and Sanitation and Water. Major topics in the collection include an expansion of O’Hare International Airport and the construction of a direct rail link to O’Hare International Airport by the Chicago Transit Authority. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Legislative Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs Records

Dates: 1977-1988, bulk dates 1984-1987. Size: 11.5 linear feet in 23 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Records created by the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) and the Legislative Liaison. IGA was established to coordinate legislative and lobbying efforts for and with various city departments, boards and commissions and with state and federal governments. Major topics in the collection include transportation issues and Chicago’s anti-apartheid and divestment from South Africa efforts. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Office Manager/Supervisor of Clerical Staff Records

Dates: 1983-1987. Size: 15.5 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. In 1983 Harold Washington became Chicago’s first African American mayor. The Office Manager/Supervisor of Clerical Staff Records detail the day to day administrative work done within the Mayor’s Office. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Press Office Records

Dates: 1979-1991, bulk dates 1983-1987. Size: 74.5 linear feet in 100 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. The Press Office was responsible for the mayor’s scheduling and for ensuring he was prepared for each event by producing briefing notes with detailed background information about the organization or venue involved. They also drafted press releases and speeches for the mayor and gathered news clippings on all topics. Of particular note are a collection of news clippings gathered after Mayor Washington’s sudden death. Selected items from the collection are available online in the Harold Washington: Selected Speeches Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Public Safety/Regulatory Sub-Cabinet Records

Dates: 1982-1988. Size: 12 linear feet in 24 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. When Harold Washington took office in 1983 he formed five sub-cabinets that were responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of policies that cut across departmental boundaries. Departments reporting to this Sub-Committee include Police, Fire, Consumer Services, Cable Communications and Animal Care and Control. Records from the Police Department are particularly strong in the area of gangs and the Mayor’s Task Force on Youth Crime Prevention. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Real Estate Review Committee Records

Dates: 1979-1984, bulk dates 1983-1984. Size: 6 linear feet in 12 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. This Committee managed a wide range of city-owned properties. Documents include market value appraisals and reports, correspondence, site plans, leases and market data. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Schedules and Evaluations Records

Dates: 1986-1987. Size: 9 linear feet in 19 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Files from Mayor Harold Washington’s Scheduling Department detailing events that the mayor was invited to. Records include reports of site-visits, seating plans, floor plans of the venue, the racial mix of the audience and follow-up reports about how the Mayor was received. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. Videocassette Collection

Dates: 1969-1987. Size: 342 videotapes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Created by the Press Office, these tapes (mainly VHS but also other formats) are generally of television broadcasts by the local news stations. Some tapes were saved and others were recorded over with new material. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Political Education Project Records

1963-1988; bulk dates: 1983-1987. Size: 42 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Harold Washington Archives & Collections. Harold Washington (1922-1987) served as Mayor of the city of Chicago from 1983 until his death in 1987. The Political Education Project (PEP) was formed in 1984 by members of Washington’s mayoral campaign staff. The organization served as Washington’s political arm, organizing delegates to the 1984 Democratic National Convention, Washington’s 1987 mayoral re-election campaign and the campaigns of his political allies. Harold Washington’s Political Education Project Records contain files related to Washington’s career and campaign efforts, including his mayoral campaign in 1983, participation in the 1984 Democratic National Convention, the 1986 Chicago special aldermanic elections and Washington’s mayoral re-election campaign in 1987. [Finding Aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. U.S. Congressional Records

Dates: 1970-1983, bulk 1980-1983. Size: 57 linear feet in 43 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Correspondence, speeches, press releases and reports from Washington’s tenure as Congressman for the First District and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Of note are his legislative files and those from his committee and caucus work. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Archives & Collections. Mayoral Records. City Council Proceedings Records

Dates: 1983-1987. Size: 15 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. A complete set of the Journal of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Chicago from Washington’s inauguration in 1983 until Eugene Sawyer gave his acceptance speech as Acting Mayor following Washington’s death in 1987. [Processed]

Washington, Harold Archives and Collections. Pre-Mayoral Photograph Collection

Dates: circa 1938-1983, bulk dates 1969-1983. Size: 5 linear feet in 5 boxes, includes 476 photographs. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. This collection begins with photographs of Harold Washington as a student, in the Army and as a member of the Illinois legislature, but the bulk of the collection dates from his time in Washington, D.C., as U.S. Congressman, and from his 1983 campaign for Mayor of Chicago. [Finding aid]

Washington, Harold Commemorative Year Archives

Dates: 2007-2008. Size: .5 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Harold Washington Archives & Collections. The Harold Washington Commemorative Year sought to promote remembrance, encourage discussion and champion the legacy of Harold Washington. The Harold Washington Commemorative Year sponsored a series of free public programs and events. [Unprocessed]

Wertz, Irma Cayton Papers

Dates: 1930-1985. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2004/10. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Irma Cayton Wertz, a graduate of Fisk University, married Chicago sociologist Horace Cayton and moved to Chicago in the late 1930s. During World War II, she served as an early African American WAC officer. Her papers include correspondence, news clippings, official documents and photographs on her experience in the military during World War II. Also included are some materials on her work at Chicago’s Parkway Community House. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

West Chesterfield Community Association Archives

Dates: 2000-2019. Size: 4 linear feet in 9 boxes. Accession #2020/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The West Chesterfield Community Association was founded in 1956 to promote community awareness and development. It lies between the Chatham and Roseland communities on Chicago's south side. These papers include monthly board and community meeting notes, community-based projects, newsletters and financial records. [Finding aid]

Westbrook, Shelby Papers

Dates: 1945-1992. Size: 1.5 linear feet. Accession #2008/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A Tuskegee Airman during World War II and a historian of African Americans in the military services, Shelby Westbrook’s papers consist of press releases, photographs and audiovisual materials. [Finding aid]

Whack, Rita Coburn Collection

Dates: 1996-2003. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2002/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Rita Coburn Whack, a novelist, television and radio producer, and on-air radio contributor, won an Emmy for writing in her documentary film, Curators of Culture: Chicago’s South Side Community Art Center, in 2005. Her papers include 41 oral history interviews and other audiovisual materials from her public radio work and from documentaries she created for public television. [Finding Aid]

Wheeler, Rose Papers

Dates: 1927-2000. Size: 13 linear feet. Accession #1995/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Rose Wheeler was a highly respected social worker, race relations activist and lifelong organizer for world peace. Her papers include manuscripts, correspondence, extensive subject research files, professional and organization materials, and newspaper clippings. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

White, Sarah Papers

Dates: 1985-2004. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #2005/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Sarah White, born in poverty in the Mississippi Delta town of Inverness, became a leading organizer of unions for black women working in the catfish processing plants of the region. She was a key figure in the 1990 strike at Delta Pride Catfish, the largest strike in the history of Mississippi. The catfish workers’ struggle became a celebrated cause in Chicago, as civil rights groups, unions and churches sent assistance. White’s papers include extensive oral history interviews, manuscripts, speeches, clipping files, serials and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Williams, Melva Papers

Dates: 1940-1990. Size: 45 linear feet. Accession #1995/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Melva Williams toured with the Sallie Martin Singers, led church choirs in Chicago, and served as a high school principal and as a music educator. Her papers include a large sheet music collection of classical and sacred music, clippings, serials and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Wilson, Edith Papers

Dates: 1879-1973. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #1996/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Edith Wilson was the last person to perform the official portrayal of “Aunt Jemima” for the Quaker Oats Company. Her papers include programs, clipping files, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Wilson, Muriel Papers

Dates: 1975-2000. Size: 8 linear feet. Accession #2002/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Muriel Wilson is a founding member of the African American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago, an activist in the Episcopal Church and a prominent genealogical scholar. Her papers include research materials in African American history and genealogy, subject files, genealogical serials, workshop guides and event programs, photographs and memorabilia. [Partially processed]

Winslow, Eugene Papers

Dates: 1851-1994. Size: 18.75 linear feet. Accession #1993/07. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Architect, artist and historian Eugene Winslow made his mark in a wide variety of fields. He was a Tuskegee Airman during World War II, an architect influenced by the Bauhaus movement and a Black history researcher in the 1970s. He wrote most of the articles and created all the illustrations for Great Negroes Past and Present. His papers include extensive subject research files created for his work on the book, rare serials, biographical information, photographs and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Wood, Jearl Defense Committee Papers

Dates: 1980-1984. Size: .5 linear foot. Accession #1987/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Jearl Wood, an autoworker, Vietnam veteran, UAW member and artist, was accused of attempted murder, aggravated battery and armed violence. This collection contains the files of the defense fund for Wood, including correspondence, litigation documents, logbook, leaflets and political buttons. [Finding aid]

Woods, Alfred Papers

Dates: 1966-2004. Size: 12 linear feet. Accession #2006/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Poet, librarian and cultural projects activist Alfred Woods is best known as the author of Mannish. His papers include poetry and other manuscripts, correspondence, programs, grant materials, official reports, clipping files and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Woodson, Susan Cayton Papers

Dates: 1910-2004. Size: 24 linear feet. Accession #1999/09. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Art gallery owner Susan Cayton Woodson has been hailed for her work publicizing and preserving the art of the Chicago Renaissance period. Active with the South Side Community Art Center, she is a member of the famed Cayton family and a descendent of Senator Hiram Revels. Her papers include family documents, correspondence, subject research files and photographs. Papers from her late husband, food chemist Harold Woodson, are also included. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Wright, Richard Papers

Dates: 1935-1936. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1942/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Collection consists of a  48-page proofed typescript draft of Wright's short story, Big Boy Leaves Home. [Processed]

Wyatt, Rev. Addie and Rev. Claude Papers

Dates: 1947-2005. Size: 220 linear feet. Accession #2007/04 Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The Rev. Addie Wyatt and her husband, the Rev. Claude Wyatt, were co-pastors at Vernon Park Church of God for more than four decades. Addie Wyatt was a meatpacking worker and union activist in the 1940s. Her determination to fight for social justice led her to union leadership roles, culminating in her election as vice president of the Amalgamated Meatcutters Union (later merged into the United Food and Commercial Workers Union). She was a founder of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. This collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, programs, proceedings, serials, clipping files, audiovisual materials and photographs from her work in labor, black and women’s organizations. Also included is extensive documentation on the history of Vernon Park Church of God, including sermon texts by Claude Wyatt. [Finding aid]

Zeta Phi Beta, Roanoke, Va., Chapter Papers

Dates: 1950. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #1994/10. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The papers include a scrapbook dated 1949-1950 of the sorority founded at Howard University in 1920. [Processed]