Author: Shuttlesworth

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1962 NEGRO ENROLLMENT “ENDS SEGREGATION IN MISSISSIPPI” (James Meredith)

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This is the famous and historic headline from the October 2, 1962 edition of The New York Times reporting THE END OF SEGREGATION IN MISSISSIPPI when James Meredith integrated the all-white University of Alabama.  White segregationists from around the state joined students and locals in a violent, 15-hour riot on the campus on September 30, in which two people were killed execution style, hundreds were wounded, and six federal marshals were shot. Continue reading “1962 NEGRO ENROLLMENT “ENDS SEGREGATION IN MISSISSIPPI” (James Meredith)”

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1950’s A. G. Gaston Motel Postcard

1950s-AG-Gaston-motel-postcard-3-WMThe A. G. Gaston Motel is a former motel located at 1510 5th Avenue North, now part of Birmingham’s “Civil Rights District”. It was constructed in 1954 by businessman A. G. Gaston to provide higher-class service to black visitors during the city’s decades of strictly-segregated business and recreation. It would become Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s headquarters for Birmingham’s “Project C” leading to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Continue reading “1950’s A. G. Gaston Motel Postcard”

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1963 MLK BIRMINGHAM JAIL EDITORIAL CARTOON

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This is the front page of the May 13, 1963 issue of the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper featuring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with American “Stars and Bars” artistically creating a jail cell.  This was based on his historic incarceration in Birmingham (the month before) where he penned the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”.

 

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1963 “KING PREACHES DOCTRINE IN POOL HALLS”

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This May 14, 1963 edition of The Montgomery Advertiser has the cover story “Wallace Hints Court Order To Oust Troops” with subtitle “Governor Insists Military Units In Alabama Illegally“.  A unique article “King Preaches His Doctrine In Pool Halls, On Sidewalks“, describes the effort of the SCLC to protect the Civil Rights Movement from violence by preaching nonviolence even in the most unlikely places (and even collecting knives while doing so! Continue reading “1963 “KING PREACHES DOCTRINE IN POOL HALLS””

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1963 BIRMINGHAM TRUCE STILL IN EFFECT

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This May 10th, 1963 edition of The Montgomery Advertiser  shows the headline “King Says Agreement Reached On Demands“.  Subtitle says “Birmingham Truce Still In Effect“.  Another interesting cover story says “Wires Praise, Attack Wallace On Racial Issue At Birmingham” and quotes from disapproving Connecticut Governor John Dempsey (whom Wallace tells to “mind his own business” and quotes from supportive Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett.  Inside the paper is a very interesting article is titled “Pep Rallies Heartbeat of Birmingham’s Negro Movement“.  This last article is a surprisingly neutral observation from a reporter inside a local church rally who notes that “It’s there that they receive the spiritual push necessary to face police, firemen and jail.” Continue reading “1963 BIRMINGHAM TRUCE STILL IN EFFECT”

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1962 Brochure from the Ponce de Leon Motor Lodge (St. Augustine Segregation Testing Site)

On March 31st, 1964, 72-year-old Mary Peabody was arrested for attempting to integrate the cocktail lounge at the Ponce de Leon Motor Lodge in St. Augustine, Florida. This brochure shows a date of 1962, two years before the arrest. Peabody wasn’t the only person to test segregation at the hotel or in St. Augustine, but as the white mother of Massachusett’s Governor Endicott Peabody, she was among the most famous to be arrested. Mary Peabody’s unusual participation was a turning point that generatedpublicity and put an international spotlight on demonstrations in St. Augustine. Martin Luther King, Jr., sent a public telegram to then-Governor of Massachusetts stating, “I have been so deeply inspired by your mother’s creative witness in Florida.” Interestingly, press photos of her separate encounters with law enforcement can be matched to chairs from two different rooms on this brochure which identify the cocktail lounge, and the Terrace Dining Room where she would be arrested (see attached photos below).

Continue reading “1962 Brochure from the Ponce de Leon Motor Lodge (St. Augustine Segregation Testing Site)”

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1967 “NEGRO NOMINATED FOR COURT” (Thurgood Marshall)

Negro-Nominated-Court-June-13-1967-WMThe Birmingham News (Alabama) from June 13, 1967 has cover story “NEGRO NOMINATED FOR COURT” about Thurgood Marshall’s historic nomination to the Supreme Court with the subtitle “Ex-NAACP aid first of his race to be named.”  Also includes article “Tampa Negroes loot, burn slums”, and “Carmichael likely to go free on bond” about Stokely Carmichael.

TM

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1926 RARE VERNON JOHNS PUBLISHED SERMON

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Vernon Johns (April 22, 1892 – June 11, 1965) is considered by some as the father of the American Civil Rights Movement, having laid the foundation on which Martin Luther King, Jr. and others would build. Johns was a courageous and vocal opponent of segregation.  In 1926, he was the first African-American to have his work published in Best Sermons of the Year; this was a personal triumph for Johns as he had repeatedly submitted sermons for consideration in previous years Continue reading “1926 RARE VERNON JOHNS PUBLISHED SERMON”

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“We’se Mischievous Little Nigs” 1925 Sheet Music

This racist sheet music from 1925 is titled “Two Naughty Little Pickanin’s”. The subtitle reads “A Duet for Little Darkey Boy and Girl.” The third verse starts with “We’se mischievous little nigs, An’ we eat lak little pigs, Dat’s what makes us so mischievous.” Later, it says, “It am nuffin’ but de mischief oozin’ out.”

Words by Willis N. Bugbee and music by Chas. W.A. Ball.

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1950 Bull Connor Segregation Political Ad

This April 30, 1950 edition of The Mobile Press Register is complete and inside features a VERY large (14″ x 5″) political ad for Eugene ‘Bull’ Connor as a candidate for Governor of the state of Alabama. This ad says that he is “Alabama’s States’ Rights Democrat.” As Safety Commissioner, Bull Connor became a symbol of the segregated south after journalists captured the violent aftermath of his instruction to the Birmingham Fire Department to put their water hoses on demonstrators and ordered the Birmingham Police Department to attack demonstrators with police dogs…. Continue reading “1950 Bull Connor Segregation Political Ad”

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Amelia Boynton Robinson Signed Photo

I was nervous about asking Ms. Boynton to sign this photo of her laying unconscious from her beating, but she understood that I valued her sacrifice. In 1965, Amelia Boynton Robinson asked Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to come to Selma to add power to their voting rights campaign. They accepted, and set up headquarters in Ms. Robinson’s home. It was there at her home that they planned the Selma to Montgomery March which took place on March 7, 1965. Led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams, the event became known as Bloody Sunday when county and state police stopped the march and beat demonstrators bloody after they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Ms. Robinson was beaten unconscious; a photograph of her lying on Edmund Pettus Bridge went around the world. Ms. Robinson also suffered throat burns from the effects of tear gas.The events of Bloody Sunday and the later march on Montgomery galvanized national public opinion and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. While Selma had a population that was 50 percent black, only 300 of the town’s African-American residents were registered as voters in 1965, after thousands had been arrested in protests. By March 1966, after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 11,000 were registered to vote.Ms. Amelia Boynton Robinson passed away in 2015 at the age of 103. She was portrayed by Lorraine Toussaint in the 2014 film “Selma”.

Click here to see autographed copy of Amelia Boynton Robinson’s autobiography.

Continue reading “Amelia Boynton Robinson Signed Photo”

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Diane Nash Autograph (8×10)

diane nash 1  Diane Nash was part of the first successful lunch counter sit-in, she was a freedom rider, she co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and was involved in the Selma voting rights movement. Ms. Nash was jailed many times for the cause of civil rights and spent time in jail while she was pregnant with her first child; her crime was teaching nonviolent tactics to children.  Few civil rights leaders were as militant as Diane Nash.   When violence stopped the first Freedom Ride in Alabama, Diane Nash was insistent that the rides continue. “The students have decided that we can’t let violence overcome,” she told civil rights legend Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, “We are coming into Birmingham to continue the Freedom Ride.” She later led all the rides from Birmingham to Jackson in 1961.

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6 TUSKEGEE AIRMEN SIGNATURES

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This Tuskegee Airmen book Lonely Eagles is signed by 6 Tuskegee Airmen, with at least 2 of them identifying themselves as being part of the famed 99th Fighter Squadron.  The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States armed forces. During World War II, Black Americans in many U.S. states were still subject to the Jim Crow laws and the American military was racially segregated Continue reading “6 TUSKEGEE AIRMEN SIGNATURES”

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19-Yr-Old Farrakhan In Jet Mag (1953)

It was only after reading through old Jet Magazines that I stumbled upon this March 5, 1955 Jet magazine with an article about 19-year-old Louis Walcott, who would become Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam. While Walcott would become a recording artist prior to becoming the protege of Malcolm X and fiery orator and leader of Boston’s mosque, his lasting fame would come as religious leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI).

Continue reading “19-Yr-Old Farrakhan In Jet Mag (1953)”

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SHUTTLESWORTH SIGNED BIOGRAPHY

DSC09420This is a biography of one of the legends  of the American Civil Rights Movement: Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth.  It is also signed by the author, Doug Ervin. Shuttlesworth was whipped with a chain for trying to enroll his children in a white school. He advertised that he was going to do it and knew he was going to suffer for it (his wife was also stabbed during the effort). His home was bombed with 16 sticks of dynamite by the KKK and he miraculously survived. Shuttlesworth invited Martin Luther King to Birmingham resulting in the climax of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement. As a result, the 1964 Civil Rights Act can be attributed initially to HIS efforts.

DSC09422  shuttles2  tumblr_lsmaw9uCxf1qzrgbqo1_r2_500 Continue reading “SHUTTLESWORTH SIGNED BIOGRAPHY”

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1974 “Together Again” Art Print of MLK and Mother After Her Murder

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It was after Martin Luther King’s mother was murdered (while playing the organ at her church) that this print titled “Together Again” was presumably created featuring both Martin Luther King, Jr. and his mother. Alberta King was shot and killed on June 30, 1974, at age 69, by Marcus Wayne Chenault, a 23-year-old black man from Ohio who had adopted an extremist version of the theology of the Black Hebrew Israelites. Chenault’s mentor, Rev. Hananiah E. Israel of Cincinnati, castigated black civil rights activists and black church leaders as being evil and deceptive, but claimed in interviews not to have advocated violence. Chenault did not draw any such distinction, and actually first decided to assassinate Rev. Jesse Jackson in Chicago, but canceled the plan at the last minute. Two weeks later he set out for Atlanta, where he shot Alberta King with two handguns as she sat at the organ of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Continue reading “1974 “Together Again” Art Print of MLK and Mother After Her Murder”

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1958 MONTGOMERY STORY COMIC (Fellowship of Reconciliation)

MLK-King-Montgomery-Story-Comic-2-WMThis booklet titled “MARTIN LUTHER KING AND THE MONTGOMERY STORY” was published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation and sold for ten cents.  The subtitle says, “How 50,000 Negroes found a new way to end racial discrimination.”

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Martin Luther King’s relationship with the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) began during the Montgomery bus boycott, when FOR veteran Bayard Rustin Continue reading “1958 MONTGOMERY STORY COMIC (Fellowship of Reconciliation)”

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James Lawson and Bernard Lafayette Freedom Rider Autographs

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James Lawson (the man in the middle) met Dr. King in 1955 (right after the Montgomery Bus Boycott) and is a huge reason why Dr. King pursued his nonviolent philosophy. Rev. Lawson is the man who personally trained other civil rights legends such as John Lewis, Diane Nash, Bernard Lafayette, Jesse Jackson, Marion Barry, etc. James Lawson is also responsible for inviting Dr. King to Memphis to help the cause of the Memphis sanitation workers. Surprisingly, Rev. Lawson was so convinced that James Earl Ray did not assassinate Dr. King that he officiated a wedding for James Earl Ray in prison. 

Continue reading “James Lawson and Bernard Lafayette Freedom Rider Autographs”

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1977 “ROOTS” TV MINISERIES COLLECTION

DSC08543This is a collection of 7 items from the 1977 groundbreaking miniseries “Roots”.  It includes the following:

  • –TV Guide (Jan 22-28 1977)
  • –Vinyl LP (still in shrinkwrap)
  • –Jet Magazine (January 27, 1977)
  • –Music Book (all about the music of “Roots”), includes poster (see photo of Kunta Kinte raising child to the heavens)
  • –Time Magazine (February 14, 1977), signed by Levar Burton
  • –Large publicity still from rebroadcast (Ed Asner and Levar Burton)
  • –Roots Magazine

Continue reading “1977 “ROOTS” TV MINISERIES COLLECTION”

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111 JET MAGAZINES FROM 1950’s & 1960’s

DSC00660This huge lot of 111 Jet Magazines is a fascinating time capsule taking you into all of the issues of the Black community before and during the Civil Rights Movement.  Note some of the cover stories: “BOYCOTT EXCLUSIVE: What’s Happening In Montgomery?, Will Bombs Keep Integration Out of Alabama?, Tenn. Negroes Who Must Vote In Tents Because They Voted, Will the Bates Be Forced To Quit Little Rock?, Parents: Unsung Heroes In School Integration Crisis, The Woman Who Tried To Kill King, The Girl Who Upset Alabama (Arthurine Lucy), Ambush Shooting of Meredith, Muhammad Ali’s Draft Dispute Continue reading “111 JET MAGAZINES FROM 1950’s & 1960’s”

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1955-1960 Emmett Till Jet Magazine Collection

Jet-Magazine-15sep55Many historians say that it was seeing the photos of Emmett Till’s mutilated body in THIS ISSUE (Sept 15, 1955) of Jet Magazine that sparked the Civil Rights Movement.  Rosa Parks said that she thought about going to the back of the bus, but when she thought about Emmett Till, she couldn’t do it (her refusal to give her seat to a white man occurred 95 days after Till’s death). The other 5 Jet Magazines in this collection show cover stories relating to Till’s death: “Will Mississippi Whitewash the Emmett Till Slaying?, Emmett Till’s Ghost Haunts Natchez, Where is Third Man in Till Lynching? How the Emmett Till Case Changed 5 Lives, Emmett Till’s Mother Starts a New Life.”  Continue reading “1955-1960 Emmett Till Jet Magazine Collection”

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1956 EISENHOWER INTEGRATION AD TARGETING BLACK COMMUNITY

1956-Eisenhauer-Integration-1-WMThis 1956 Advertisement is a double-sided card intended for distribution within the black community.  On one side it lists all of Eisenhower’s desegregation accomplishments that have benefitted African-Americans; the other side claims that Stevenson is a “fence-sitter”.

It shows that under Eisenhower…

“No more segregation in Washington D.C.–Hotels, Restaurants, and Schools, over 300 jobs for Negroes paying $6,000-$17,500 per year, no more segregation in Veterans Hospitals, no more separate water fountains or rest rooms in Navy shipyards, no more segregation in the Armed Forces.”

Continue reading “1956 EISENHOWER INTEGRATION AD TARGETING BLACK COMMUNITY”

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1971 ENFORCEMENT OF THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT

DSC08920This 1971 book was “printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary” and is a compilation of hearings before the Civil Rights Oversight Subcommittee on the Enforcement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  It is a rare “time capsule” of everything that was said before the House of Representatives during this turbulent time.

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DAISY BATES SIGNED 1ST ED. AUTOBIOGRAPHY

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This is a rare 1st Edition SIGNED copy of Daisy Bates’ autobiography The Long Shadow of Little Rock.  Just 5 years after the Little Rock Crisis, she writes “Especially for a freedom fighter.  May God keep you.  Daisy Bates Nov. 6, 1926 (she obviously meant 1962).  Ms. Bates passed away in 1999.  After the nine black students were selected to attend all-white Central High, Mrs. Daisy Bates would be with Continue reading “DAISY BATES SIGNED 1ST ED. AUTOBIOGRAPHY”

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1878-1907 RACIST CALLING CARD (ADVERTISEMENT)

DSC06345aThis is a Frank G. Abell calling card for his famous photography business.  It shows a black man stealing watermelons with a dog attached to his rear, while a white man with a shotgun chases him.  It says, “Which will let go first, the dog or the darkey?” Born in Illinois in 1844, Frank G. Abell opened his first gallery on his own, Abell’s Star Gallery, in Stockton in 1866. Moving back to San Francisco the following year, he then gradually worked his way north, through Grass Valley, Red Bluff, and and Yreka, arriving in Roseburg, Oregon in 1877.  From 1878 to 1888 he was based in Portland, and after a few years back in San Francisco, he continued in Portland from 1897 to 1907. Known primarily for his studio portraits, his gallery in Continue reading “1878-1907 RACIST CALLING CARD (ADVERTISEMENT)”

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1963 “MARCHERS HURL ROCKS IN ALBANY”

DSC08742DSC08741Albany was considered Martin Luther King’s only failure in the Civil Rights Movement (thanks to Police Chief Laurie Prichett, who studied the mistakes of King’s previous adversaries).  See below for a brief history of the Albany Movement.  This June 20, 1963 edition of The Atlanta Constitution has the headline “President’s Rights Bill Assailed by Georgians“.  It has the subtitle “Kennedy Blueprints Broad Plan“.  One cover article states “Marchers Hurl Rocks In Albany” (with quotes from infamous Police Chief Laurie Prichett).  The title of a very interesting Opp/Ed piece “The Civil Rights Controversy Continues Uppermost in the Minds of the Readers” reflects the outrage of someone who witnessed a black patron being carried out of a restaurant feet first; the writer vows never to return Continue reading “1963 “MARCHERS HURL ROCKS IN ALBANY””

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1931 RACIST JOKES IN CATHOLIC BROCHURE FOR “COLORED MISSIONS”

DSC08580This 1931 large pamphlet is from “The Catholic Board for Mission Work Among the Colored People” and is titled “OUR COLORED MISSIONS” with the subtitle “JESUS DIED FOR ALL”.  It pictures a white Jesus holding a black child.  The section “Negro Laughs” (see photo) perpetuates the stereotype of the ignorant African-American who cannot speak well nor reason well (hence the butt of every joke).  To the credit of the brochure is a section titled “Gleanings” (see photo) where the publication acknowledges “Humility and kindness are lovable virtues among the colored race; therefore they are surely much loved by Jesus Christ…Civilization is far older than the science of anthropology, and in the olden days it was not considered necessary to weigh the brain of the individual in order to find whether he merited equality of opportunity.  Anthropology has now as its chief reason for existing the lamentable fact that it furnishes a justification for the exploitation of the darker races.–J.A. Rogers Continue reading “1931 RACIST JOKES IN CATHOLIC BROCHURE FOR “COLORED MISSIONS””

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1989 SIGNED RALPH ABERNATHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY

DSC08655 DSC08654This is an almost perfect 1st edition boldly SIGNED copy of Ralph Abernathy’s autobiography.  Ralph David Abernathy, Sr. (March 11, 1926 – April 17, 1990) was a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, a minister, and the best friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. bayard_wide-5dbb299753fe1cf46f5162575eff3362b1cd3575Abernathy was also the organizer of the first mass meeting of the Montgomery Bus Boycott to protest Rosa Parks’ arrest on December 1, 1955. Abernathy and his friend Martin Luther King, Jr. organized the boycott and gave birth to the American Civil Rights Movement.  Following King’s assassination, Dr. Abernathy took up the leadership of the SCLC Poor People’s Campaign and led the March on Washington, D.C., that had been planned for May 1968.

 

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1992 RODNEY KING POLICE ACQUITTAL (LOS ANGELES TIMES)

DSC08826“All 4 in King Beating Acquitted”  This is the COMPLETE newspaper from the acquittal of the 4 police officers charged with beating black motorist Rodney King.  Newspaper is in great condition; a real time capsule.  Rodney Glen King III (April 2, 1965 – June 17, 2012) was an American construction worker who became nationally known after being beaten by Los Angeles police officers following a high-speed car chase on March 3, 1991. A local witness, George Holliday, videotaped much of it from his balcony. The footage shows five officers surrounding King, several of them striking him repeatedly, while other officers Continue reading “1992 RODNEY KING POLICE ACQUITTAL (LOS ANGELES TIMES)”

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1991 SIGNED AUTOBIOGRAPHY–MOTHER OF VOTING RIGHTS MOVEMENT

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Click here to see signed photo of beating.

This is a SIGNED copy of Amelia Boynton Robinson’s autobiography Bridge Over Troubled Water.  Ms. Boynton Robinson personally invited Dr. King to Selma, Alabama and is considered the mother of the Voting Rights Movement.  She was famously beaten unconscious (photo went around the world) on the Edmund Pettus Bridge while marching for the right to vote. Continue reading “1991 SIGNED AUTOBIOGRAPHY–MOTHER OF VOTING RIGHTS MOVEMENT”

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SIGNED TUSKEGEE AIRMAN POSTER

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Four original Tuskegee Airmen have autographed this oversized poster (see wristwatch for size) for the movie “The Tuskegee Airmen.”  Among the bold signatures on this poster is that of Robert Williams.  Williams wrote the story for the movie, but more importantly, he was a distinguished and decorated pilot with the famed Tuskegee Airmen.  Most of these flying heroes have now passed away.  I aquired this poster and had it signed at the world premiere of the movie where several original Tuskegee Airmen were in attendance and agreed to sign. Continue reading “SIGNED TUSKEGEE AIRMAN POSTER”

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1963 BLACK CARICATURE POSTER

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Color illustration of a black man dressed as a Kentucky colonel and sitting on a front porch rocker while holding a mint julep.  I purchased this poster (on thick card stock) from an antiques dealer from the South. 1963 Twinkle Press, Roanoke Virginia.  Measures 14 x 11 inches.

 

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1965 ORIGINAL INFAMOUS PHOTO OF BEATEN MARCHER, AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON

boynton-robinson-1-WMThis is the infamous photo of Amelia Boynton Robinson being gassed and beaten on Bloody Sunday March 7th, 1965.  She was eventually left for dead after being beaten with a billy club for her participation in a peaceful march (across the Edmund Pettus Bridge) for the right to vote. Evidence that this photo went around the world is the fact this is an original press photo from a Latin American country (everything is in Spanish).

Click here to see the autographed copy of Ms. Boynton Robinson’s autobiography.

Continue reading “1965 ORIGINAL INFAMOUS PHOTO OF BEATEN MARCHER, AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON”

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1957 DAISY BATES SIGNED COVER LIFE MAGAZINE

The late Daisy Bates signed an almost-perfect copy of the Little Rock Nine edition of Life Magazine.

After the nine black students were selected to attend Central High Mrs. Daisy Bates would be with them every step of the way. Bates guided and advised the nine students, known as the Little Rock Nine, when they attempted to enroll in 1957 at Little Rock Central High School, a previously all-white institution. The students’ attempts to enroll provoked a confrontation with Governor Orval Faubus, who called out the National Guard to prevent their entry. White mobs met at the school and threatened to kill the black students; these mobs harassed not only activists but also northern journalists who came to cover the story.

Continue reading “1957 DAISY BATES SIGNED COVER LIFE MAGAZINE”
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1924 GIRL WITH WATERMELON (LARGE COVER)

DSC08973This colorful cover of the September 1924 issue of Pictorial Review furthers the very strange American stereotype of African-Americans going crazy over watermelon.  This is just the cover; you can see the edges have been eaten by insects over the last 90 years.  Note the large size of the cover as compared to the quarter to the right.

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1995 RACIST ENGLISH TRANSLATOR

In 1995, Radio Shack manufactured a translating device (model 63-797) that made headlines when someone noticed that it translates the word “black” to “nigger”.  Radio Shack recalled this specific model and issued a written apology.  Upon hearing this, I went to Radio Shack to attempt to purchase the device for my collection.  When I arrived, all of the units had long-since been pulled from the shelves…except a demo.  I successfully talked the young cashier (unaware of the controversy) into selling me the demo.

Included with the translator is the original box, plastic sheath, instruction manual, unopened batteries that came with the unit, receipt (showing my name), and Radio Shack plastic bag.

Continue reading “1995 RACIST ENGLISH TRANSLATOR”
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1927 RACE CONTACT

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This book by Earl Edward Muntz is a 1927 scientific explanation about what happened to primitive and aboriginal races when caucasians conquered/displaced them.  From the preface it says “The rapid dispersal of the Caucasian peoples throughout the inhabitable portions of the world during the past four or five centuries has been fraught with unfortunate consequences for the backward races of mankind.” Continue reading “1927 RACE CONTACT”

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12 Selma-Related Signatures

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This advertisement for the 30th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” and the Selma to Montgomery March is signed by 12 significant figures related to the Selma Campaign and the Civil Rights Movement in general. It is signed by the following: 

George Wallace (former AL Governor), Joseph Smitherman (former Selma Mayor), Hosea Williams, C.T. Vivian, Joseph Lowery, Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, Sheyann Webb, Benjamin Chavis, James Forman, James Orange, and Jim “Arkansas” Benston.

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Ruby Bridges Signed Program

Ruby-Bridges-Noel-Foundation-2-WMThis program from the Noel Foundation Humanitarian Life Awards is signed by Ruby Bridges. The event in Hollywood occurred at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 10, 1999.

On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges was first escorted to an all-white school in New Orleans by four Federal Marshals. When she enrolled, many white parents took their children out of the school. Because of daily threats, President Eisenhower sent Federal Marshals to escort her every day into the classroom for a year. Continue reading “Ruby Bridges Signed Program”

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Stokely Carmichael-Kwame Ture Signature

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Signed program from the Million Man March dated October 16, 1995 says, “To my brother Chris, Help us organize us, Kwame Ture“. This signature was obtained from the Million Man March organizing committee in San Diego, CA prior to the date of the event in DC.

Kwame Ture, born Stokely Standiford Churchill Carmichael (June 29, 1941 – November 15, 1998) was a key leader in the development of the Black Power movement, first while leading the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), then as the “Honorary Prime Minister” of the Black Panther Party (BPP), and last as a leader of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP).

Continue reading “Stokely Carmichael-Kwame Ture Signature”
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9 Selma Foot Soldier Signatures

This is the program for the “Invisible Giants of the Voting Rights Movement Women’s Conference” dated March 3-4, 1995 and held in Selma, Alabama for the 30th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” when marchers were brutally attacked by state troopers as they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge during a demonstration for the right to vote. It is signed by Marie Foster, Amelia Boynton Robinson, Dorothy Cotton, Evelyn Turner, Lillie Brown, Maggie Wheeler, Mildred Black, Elma Hawkins, and Betty Maye.

Continue reading “9 Selma Foot Soldier Signatures”
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9 Memín Pinguín Comics (Mexican blackface/minstrel cartoon character)

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Before my wife received her Permanent Resident card to come to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico, we would periodically meet in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. One restaurant, Los Remedios, became one of our favorites for its loud mariachi music and eclectic culture-cluttered walls. It wasn’t until later that I discovered a racist depiction on one of the walls that stunned me. I talked with my wife about it and she explained that this was Memín Pinguín, a beloved Mexican comic book character. She assured me it wasn’t racist and that everyone loves Memín Pinguín. But what about the overtly racist “blackface” depiction of Memín…  Continue reading “9 Memín Pinguín Comics (Mexican blackface/minstrel cartoon character)”

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1920 THE NEGRO: AN AMERICAN ASSET

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The Negro: An American Asset by Rev. S.J. Fisher, DD.  Published by Board of Missions for Freedmen of the Presbyterian Church in the USA.  Surprising verbiage from the Presbyterian Church: “We can neither understand the Negro, nor realize how great is his progress if we do not look back to the pit from which he was digged.  We cannot sympathize or feel a loving consideration for this people unless we see him emerge from savagery.” Continue reading “1920 THE NEGRO: AN AMERICAN ASSET”

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3 JAMES MEREDITH SIGNATURES

 

 

This is a collection of three signatures from Civil Rights legend James Meredith.  One signature is an autographed photo sized 4×6; another signature is on the cover of a program where he spoke in the 90’s; the last signature is on the cover of a booklet he sold based on his autobiography.   In 1962, James Meredith was the first African-American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the African American civil rights movement.  Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, Meredith decided to exercise his constitutional rights and apply to the University of Mississippi. His goal was to put pressure on the Kennedy administration to enforce civil rights for African Americans. Continue reading “3 JAMES MEREDITH SIGNATURES”

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1965 JOHN LEWIS SIGNED LIFE MAG

DSC08975DSC08976John Lewis (pictured at the front of the line on this cover) has boldly signed this March 19, 1965 LIFE Magazine that features the Selma, Alabama cover story of “Bloody Sunday”…when peaceful demonstrators were beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by State Troopers.

The 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, also known as “Bloody Sunday” and the two marches that followed, led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a landmark achievement of the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. Continue reading “1965 JOHN LEWIS SIGNED LIFE MAG”

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1969 THE RIGHTNESS OF WHITENESS

DSC06453This is a pamphlet dated Feb 1969 that was produced for the school system.  It is titled The Rightness of Whiteness, The World of the White Child in a Segregated Society. Really unusual, written by the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory as part of a program to combat the causes and effects of racism.

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1955 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF WHITE CIVIL RIGHTS MARTYR

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This is a rare 1st Edition hardcover of The Mind In Chains: the Autobiography of a Schizophrenic by William L. Moore.  William Lewis Moore (April 28, 1927 – April 23, 1963) was a postal worker and Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) member who staged lone protests against racial segregation. He was murdered on his final protest.  On April 23, 1963, about 70 miles (110 km) into a march, Moore was interviewed by Charlie Hicks, a reporter from radio station WGAD in Gadsden, Alabama, along a rural stretch of U.S. Highway 11 near Attalla, Alabama. The station had received an anonymous phone tip about Moore’s location Continue reading “1955 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF WHITE CIVIL RIGHTS MARTYR”

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1964 HARLEM RACE RIOTS (EDITORIAL CARTOON)

DSC08802This July 26, 1964 edition of The Atlanta Journal and Constitution contains a very interesting editorial cartoon about the Harlem Race Riots.  The cartoon’s captions says “Brother Nero, do you smell smoke?” and includes caricatures of the leaders of the SCLC (Martin Luther King), the NAACP, SNCC, and CORE playing the violin to the music of “We Shall Overcome”.

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1962 “WHERE THE STATES STAND ON CIVIL RIGHTS”

DSC08660This hardbound book is like a reference manual.  The subtitle is “STATE BY STATE PROBLEMS AND PROGRESS IN: EATINGPLACES/ VOTING/ HOUSING/ EDUCATION/ EMPLOYMENT/ TRAVELS/ HOTEL“.  Written by Richard Barnett and Joseph Garai, it answers many practical questions such as “Where can a Negro get a haircut in Iowa?” or “Is intermarriage legal in Missouri?” or “What is the housing situation in Alaska?” or “Are public schools desegregated in Nevada?….in New York?”  Book gives a state by state account of all 50 states.

DSC08662 Continue reading “1962 “WHERE THE STATES STAND ON CIVIL RIGHTS””

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1980 Pinbacks Promoting Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday

 

 

These pinback were issued to promote January 15 as the national holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Though President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000…. Continue reading “1980 Pinbacks Promoting Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday”

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1988 DAVID DUKE FOR PRESIDENT PINBACK

DSC06375Former Klansman turned Louisiana politician, this is from David Duke’s run for the Presidency in 1988, This 1.75″ diameter button is in excellent condition.  It has dark wording that reads “The New Minority WASP’S FOR DAVID DUKE FOR PRESIDENT”

David Ernest Duke (born July 1, 1950) is an American White nationalist, writer, right-wing politician, and a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was a candidate in the Democratic presidential primaries in 1988 and the Republican presidential primaries in 1992. Duke has unsuccessfully run for the Louisiana State Senate, United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, and Governor of Louisiana.

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1825 “WANTED…A SMALL GIRL ABOUT 8 OR 10 YEARS OF AGE” (7 other slave ads)

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This is the December 29,1825 edition of The Virginian.  There are a total of 8 slave ads, 2 of them are runaway slave notices. The most disturbing of the ads states, “WANTED the ensuing year, a NEGRO MAN of steady habits to remain about a House and Lot–one that is a little advanced in years, and without a wife would be preferred–also a small girl about 8 or 10 years of age.  Apply at this office.” Continue reading “1825 “WANTED…A SMALL GIRL ABOUT 8 OR 10 YEARS OF AGE” (7 other slave ads)”

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1942 SEGREGATED HOTEL ADVERTISES “WHITE ATTENDANTS”

This is a postcard for Hot Springs National Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Note the verbiage at the top that says “COMPLETE, SANITARY, CONVENIENT, WHITE ATTENDANTS: THIS MEANS SERVICE“.  Back says “Established 1832. The Nation’s Health Resort. Accommodations to suit any purse.  Where the sick get well and the well stay well.”  

Postcard is postmarked 1942.

Continue reading “1942 SEGREGATED HOTEL ADVERTISES “WHITE ATTENDANTS””

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“Nigger Run Fork” Postcard

This postcard shows a waterfall and states “White Oak Canyon at Nigger Run Fork, Skyline Drive, VA.”

Negro Run was one of “at least 1,441 federally recognized places across the nation include slurs in their official name”. At least 558 place names refer to African-Americans specifically in a derogatory manner. This creek was originally called Tim’s River in 1753 and officially named Nigger Run in 1933. It, and all other geographic features, replaced the word “Nigger” with “Negro” in 1962 by order of… Continue reading ““Nigger Run Fork” Postcard”

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1840 Runaway Slave: “…Negro Woman…Engaged With Others In the Use of Poisonous medicants in the family.”

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This is the July 14, 1840 edition of the Richmond Enquirer and contains 3 runaway slave advertisements. The first slave as states $225 REWARD–Ran away from the undersigned, about the 1st of January last, a negro woman named SCINDA–Since she has departed, I have every reason to believe she has for a long time been engaged with others in the use of poisonous medicants in the family, and suspicion rested on her previously. She is of common stature, dark skin, rather large and prominent nose, austere countenance, –about 27 years of age…” Also, $25 for CRITTY, a negro woman aged about 52 or 3. –Also, $75 for the apprehension of the two Thieves, and their conviction to the Penitentiary, who stole her from my kitchen a few nights ago. These two thieves came armed as Banditti, in the dead time of night and stole her off. She is of low stature and dark skin. She will make herself known on enquiry, as she is attached to the family, and came home after being dragged off by such a Banditti once before.”

Continue reading “1840 Runaway Slave: “…Negro Woman…Engaged With Others In the Use of Poisonous medicants in the family.””
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1833 “NEGROES WANTED” Ads

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“Negroes Wanted” and “200 Negroes Wanted” advertisements.  COMPLETE front section of the Daily National Intelligencer, Washington D.C.  Wednesday, January 30, 1833.  First ad: “The subscriber wishes to purchase from forty to fifty Negroes of both sexes, form the age of twelve years to twenty-five.  He will exchange two 2 story brick Houses…for Negroes, or give the highest cash price.”  Second ad: “Two Hundred Negroes of both sexes from twelve to twenty-five years old, field hands or mechanics…determined to give higher prices for slaves than any purchaser who is now, or may hereafter come into this market.” Continue reading “1833 “NEGROES WANTED” Ads”

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1839 SLAVE RUNAWAY ADS (5)

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These 1839 runaway slaves from the COMPLETE front section of the Charleston Courier are described with incredible detail in these heartbreaking advertisements.  In fact, I don’t see how someone can read these ads and not feel compassion for the men that must have been panic-stricken while on the run during the publication of this newspaper.  From the 1st ad: “The above reward will be given on proof of being harbored by a white person ($300), or One Hundred Dollars for any or each of them, or Thirty Dollars for each, if proved to be harbored by a colored person, or Twenty-five Dollars for each of them being lodged in any Jail or Workhouse, so that I can get them.

“If they will return of their own accord, they will not be punished.  Masters of vessels and others are particularly cautioned against employing or carrying them away, as the law will be strictly enforced.” 

Interestingly, there is one ad seeking the conviction of a white person harboring a slave…”FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD for conviction of a White Person, who may have harbored my slave Billy…$200 for the conviction of a free person of color….$20 for proof of his having been harbored by a slave…”  PLEASE SEE OTHER PHOTOS BELOW.

Continue reading “1839 SLAVE RUNAWAY ADS (5)”

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1810 Runaway Slaves: 1)”Negro Boy Appears to be Frenchman By Birth” 2)”Mulatto Woman w/Large Breasts” 3) Slave, “Skin Not Black”. For Sale: “Negro Woman With 6 Yrs to Serve and Child for Life”, and Slave “Lost Sight of One Eye”

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This is the April 30, 1810 edition of the National Intelligencer. It has a total of 5 runaway slave ads and 2 other slave sale ads. The first runaway slave ad says, “….One Negro Boy named JACK, about 17 or 18 years of age, 5 feet 2 inches high; appears to be a Frenchman by birth…” Continue reading “1810 Runaway Slaves: 1)”Negro Boy Appears to be Frenchman By Birth” 2)”Mulatto Woman w/Large Breasts” 3) Slave, “Skin Not Black”. For Sale: “Negro Woman With 6 Yrs to Serve and Child for Life”, and Slave “Lost Sight of One Eye””

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1963 “NEGROES PROTEST IN GREENSBORO; 400 ARRESTED”

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This May 18, 1963 edition of The Montgomery Advertiser shows a headline of “Gov. Wallace Files Suit Against Kennedy In D.C.” with subtitle “President Urges Racial Harmony“.  Other articles included “Negroes Protest in Greensboro; 400 Arrested” and “Birmingham Increases Patrols For Weekend“.  The latter article, referring to threats of racial bombing says “Negro volunteers posted themselves at the homes of integration leaders and churches Friday night.” Continue reading “1963 “NEGROES PROTEST IN GREENSBORO; 400 ARRESTED””

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1960 “THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND”

DSC00592This book This Is What We Found by Ralph and Carl Creger, is an insider-look at race relations from a student who attended Little Rock High School.  “…A Little Rock father and son dispassionately explore the background of the issue that tore Little Rock asunder. The authors shun the traditional arguments of segregationists and integrationists….They discover that segregation is an innovation rather than a Southern tradition and that it has its unique counterparts in all sections of America….[This book] began as a history assignment for Carl Creger, a seventeen-year-old white student of Little Rock’s Central High School. Ralph Creger is his father, chief train dispatcher in Little Rock for the Rock Island Railroad. Both father and son became so interested in the topic that they collaborated to expand it to its present length. It wound up as both a study of the history of the American Negro and the reasons why a white father and son in Little Rock came to champion equal rights and opportunities for Negroes….” Continue reading “1960 “THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND””

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1838 RUNAWAY AD (“mark…covers part of her breasts, body, and limbs…”) AND 3 OTHER SLAVE ADS

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This is the full front section from the May 4th, 1838 Daily National Intelligencer.  It includes one runaway and three slave purchase advertisements.  First ad: “FIFTY DOLLARS REWARD.-Eloped from my residence ELOIZA, a young negress of ordinary stature and size, but strongly made, about 22 years old, color of a chestnut or brown, long thick wooly hair, which is commonly neatly combed, parted before, and tucked with combs.  Her clothing consists of several calico frocks, white cotton aprons and collars, and a black bombasin dress.  She has had from her birth a very singular mark, resembling the dashing on the skin of coffee grounds or some black substance.  This mark, to the best of my recollection, commences on the neck or collar bone, and covers part of her breasts, body, and limbs, and when her neck and arms are uncovered is very perceptable. I understand that she calls herself Louisa, and has been frequently seen east and south of the Capitol square, and harbored by ill-

Continue reading “1838 RUNAWAY AD (“mark…covers part of her breasts, body, and limbs…”) AND 3 OTHER SLAVE ADS”

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1965 RACIST BOOK “SELMA”

DSC09432An anti-Civil Rights view of what happened in Selma, Alabama in 1965 is contained in this book “Selma” by Robert M. Mikell.  Book also shows an unusual preoccupation with alleged interracial relationships (see photo of back cover).  The photo of the car where Civil Rights heroine Viola Liuzzo was murdered is in particular poor taste (especially with how the publisher has “colorized” it).

DSC09433    Continue reading “1965 RACIST BOOK “SELMA””

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4 “CRISIS” MAGS (NAACP) from 1955,1966 (2), & 1968

DSC00657These 4 Crisis Magazines are published by the NAACP and are from 1955, 1966 (2), and 1968.  These magazines are filled with articles and photos on the Civil Rights Movement and outstanding achievements of African-Americans.  Note the article (see photo) entitled “Again the Name Negro” and the photo of the burned-down house of NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer (see photo).

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Continue reading “4 “CRISIS” MAGS (NAACP) from 1955,1966 (2), & 1968″

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1980 ROY WILKINS SIGNED FDC

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This is a signature from NAACP’s Roy Wilkins (signed one year before he died) on an “Official First Day of Issue” Cover honoring Harriet Tubman. It is postmarked February 1, 1978 and also includes a 13 cent Harriet Tubman stamp.  Wilkins has signed with a blue pen.  In 1955, Roy Wilkins was chosen to be the executive secretary of the NAACP and in 1964 he became its executive director. He had an excellent reputation as an articulate spokesperson for the civil rights movement. One of his first actions was to provide support to civil rights activists in Mississippi who were being subject to a “credit squeeze” by members of the White Citizens Councils. Continue reading “1980 ROY WILKINS SIGNED FDC”

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GOVERNOR FAUBUS (FAMOUS SEGREGATIONIST) METAL SIGN

DSC06583Orval Faubus was the famous segregationist Governor of Arkansas who made international news when he called out the National Guard to prevent 9 black children from entering a white high school (Central High School).  Dramatically, the President of the United States then sent in the troops (101st Airborne) to escort the children to school.  Metal and enamel political sign reads: “I Like FAUBUS”. Continue reading “GOVERNOR FAUBUS (FAMOUS SEGREGATIONIST) METAL SIGN”

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1957 CITIZEN’S COUNCILS BROCHURE “SEGREGATION AND THE SOUTH”

DSC08866  DSC08868 This is a segregationist booklet from 1957 titled “Segregation and the South” by Judge Tom Brady.  A very interesting document from the infamous White Citizen’s Council of Greenwood, Mississippi.  Interesting illustrative reference to the Little Rock Crisis of 1957 on the back showing a soldier with a bayonet “forcing” children to integrate, with the slogan “REMEMBER LITTLE ROCK.” Continue reading “1957 CITIZEN’S COUNCILS BROCHURE “SEGREGATION AND THE SOUTH””

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1965 “WALES WINDOW” 16th St Baptist Church Bombing (Birmingham, AL)

DSC08858DSC08860 In 1965, in remembrance of the 4 girls that were killed in the KKK bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, the people of Wales funded a beautiful hand-crafted window that was installed in that same bombed church.  This is the original 1965 program from the Wales Window Unveiling Ceremony. Continue reading “1965 “WALES WINDOW” 16th St Baptist Church Bombing (Birmingham, AL)”

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1963 “HUMILIATION STALKS THEM” (NAACP BROCHURE)

DSC00719This 1963 brochure from the NAACP says “From Morning until Night…Humiliation Stalks Them”.  This is the text of the testimony of Roy Wilkins, NAACP Executive Secretary, July 22, 1963, in supporting the public accommodations section (Title II, S.1731) of the proposed civil rights bill being considered by the Senate Commerce Committee.  It says, “…our faltering fealty to the great ideal of ‘all men’ set down in our Declaration of Independence, has shaken the confidence of the millions of mankind who seek freedom and peace.  Do we mean ‘all men’ or do we just say so?  Is our nation the leader of the free world or of the white world?  Are we for democracy in southeast Asia, but for Jim Crow at home?” Continue reading “1963 “HUMILIATION STALKS THEM” (NAACP BROCHURE)”

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1902 SEGREGATED PULLMAN PORTER TRAIN BLUEPRINT

Pullman-Porter-Segregation-Blueprint-WMThis large (8.5″x3′,4.5″) Pullman Porter blueprint is from 1902. The  “Colored Passengers” area and “White Passengers” area are clearly notated).  Note the red stamp that says “THE PULLMAN COMPANY, GEN’L MNGR’S OFFICE.   MANUFACTURING DEPARTMENT.  OCT-8 1902.”

Prior to the 1860s, the concept of sleeping cars on railroads had not been widely developed. George Pullman pioneered sleeping accommodations on trains, and by the late 1860s, he was hiring only African-Americans to serve as porters. After the Civil War ended in 1865 Pullman knew that there was a large pool of former slaves who would be looking for work; he also had a very clear racial conception.

Continue reading “1902 SEGREGATED PULLMAN PORTER TRAIN BLUEPRINT”

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“STATES’ RIGHTS COUNCIL OF GEORGIA” (brochure and membership card)

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This brochure, titled “The Aims and Purposes of the STATES’ RIGHTS COUNCIL OF GEORGIA, INC.” states that it is “devoted to the maintenance of harmonious race relations in the State through preservation of the traditional establishment of segregation in both public and private places. It is the policy of the States’ Rights Council of Georgia, Inc., to stimulate cooperation on the part of both races to maintain the established pattern of life in the South and the integrity of both racial groups which have been living in harmony without outside dictation and interference for nearly 200 years.  The Council rejects Continue reading ““STATES’ RIGHTS COUNCIL OF GEORGIA” (brochure and membership card)”

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1926 BLACK-FACE (MINSTREL) CARTOON

DSC00687This racially stereotypical cartoon in the October 9, 1926 edition of the Columbus Dispatch, shows a personification of the sun seated above a stereotypical image of a black-faced character (minstrel-style).  This is approximately a quarter page drawing and is still on the full single sheet of the newspaper.

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Tennessee SEGREGATED Parks Brochure (late 30’s)

DSC08884Old brochure from the 1930’s promotes Tennessee’s State Parks and Recreational areas. This brochure was issued during the day of racial segregation.  Two parks on the list: Shelby Forest Park and Booker T. Washington State Park are designated “Negro”.  Both of these parks were listed as “under construction” and slated to open in 1940.

Brochure is in fine condition and measures approximately 16″ x 18″ when unfolded.  Brochure includes lots of photos and a map of the Tennessee Parks system.

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Continue reading “Tennessee SEGREGATED Parks Brochure (late 30’s)”

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1963 LIQUOR STORES TO CLOSE DURING INTEGRATION OF UNIVERSITY

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This May 30, 1963 edition of the Selma Times-Journal features interesting segregation, desegregation, and voters drive-related articles.  One title states “No Sales of Liquor, Negro Entry Day” (liquor stores are ordered closed on the day that African-Americans Vivian Malone and James Hood enter the all-white University of Alabama); another states “Church Fight Won By Anti-Mixers” (delegates to a Methodist conference name 3 pro-segregationists to represent them).  Finally, “Voters Drive Set for Birmingham” (Rev. Andrew Young gives details about a voter drive) Continue reading “1963 LIQUOR STORES TO CLOSE DURING INTEGRATION OF UNIVERSITY”

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1932 Insurance Policy “White or Colored?”

This is a one year Texas Standard Combined Fire and Windstorm Dwelling Policy, by American Indemnity Company, for Mrs. S.H. Harper on Kelsey Street in Austin, Texas. It was signed April 17th, 1932. The contract appears to cover a “Chicken House &Ga.” (garage?). The document asks whether both the owner and tenant are “White or Colored?” Continue reading “1932 Insurance Policy “White or Colored?””

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Fred Shuttlesworth AUTOGRAPH on Segregation FDC

Shuttlesworth-Signed-1st-Day-Cover-1-WMRev. Fred Shuttlesworth has signed this First Day Cover issued by the United States Postal Service.  Shuttlesworth was whipped with a chain for trying to enroll his children in a white school.  He advertised that he was going to do it and knew he was going to suffer for it (his wife was also stabbed during the effort).  His home was bombed with 16 sticks of dynamite by the KKK and he miraculously survived.  Shuttlesworth invited Martin Luther King to Birmingham resulting in the climax of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement.  As a result, the 1964 Civil Rights Act can be attributed initially to Shuttlesworth’s efforts. Continue reading “Fred Shuttlesworth AUTOGRAPH on Segregation FDC”

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1954 BULL CONNOR LEAD PAPERWEIGHT

DSC08633   DSC08632 “CONNOR FOR GOVERNOR” lead paperweight shaped like a bull. Bull Connor, one of the 3 most famous segregationists, became a symbol of the fight against integration for using fire hoses and police attack dogs against unarmed, nonviolent protest marchers.  Birmingham, Alabama’s  famous Police Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor ran (unsuccessfully) for governor of Alabama and gave away these lead paperweights shaped like a bull. Continue reading “1954 BULL CONNOR LEAD PAPERWEIGHT”

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1956 Negroes Don’t Want Integration (Bull Connor/Citizens Council)

IMG_5605This letter to the editor from April 1, 1956 is from H.B. (Ben) Inzer who attended a  meeting called to form a white Citizens Council.  He describes Bull Connor as “wonderful” and describes Connor’s talk on segregation as “inspiring”.  Inzer (the writer) says, “Through talking to many Negroes here in Margaret, Ala., I am fully convinced that it is not the Negroes of Alabama who want integration, but they are being pushed by the agents of the Communists.”

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“Black In Selma”–Autographed and Inscribed

DSC09431Autobiography of J.L. Chestnut, one of the most interesting heroes of the Civil Rights Movement I have ever met (now deceased).  Mr. Chestnut has an amazing testimony of the Civil Rights Movement from the perspective of being a black lawyer in Selma, Alabama.  The anecdotes of what he witnessed (including the brutality of those beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge during “Bloody Sunday”) during the Civil Rights Movement makes this a must-have narrative in documenting the struggle. 

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Continue reading ““Black In Selma”–Autographed and Inscribed”

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1963 RALLY “TO STOP ALL RACE-MIXING”

DSC08748 DSC08745This June 9, 1963 edition of The Montgomery Advertiser has a cover story of “Wallace Plans Call for 500 Guardsmen”.  Other cover articles include “JFK Woos Far West Negro Vote” and “Southerner Gives Threat of Filibuster”.  Of particular interest on the front page is this announcement: “States Rights Party Slates Rally Tonight” where they will “outline a plan of action to stop all race-mixing in Alabama and win the struggle for the survival of our great white race.”  The speakers, Dr. Edward R. Fields and J.B. Stoner are infamous white supremists. Continue reading “1963 RALLY “TO STOP ALL RACE-MIXING””

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1963 PASTOR WANTING TO DESEGREGATE CHURCH RESIGNS

DSC08751This June 14, 1963 edition of The Montgomery Advertiser has cover stories relating to Civil Rights.  One reads “Pastor Resigns Over Race Issue“.  This article is about a Pastor “who recommended that his church admit Negroes to worship”.  Most of the Deacons disagreed and the Pastor resigned “rather than tear up the church.” Continue reading “1963 PASTOR WANTING TO DESEGREGATE CHURCH RESIGNS”

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1963 “JUDGE REFUSES TO ORDER BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS MIX”

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This May 28, 1963 edition of The Selma Times-Journal shows the headline “JUDGE REFUSES TO ORDER BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL MIX“.  Another article just below the headline reads “Jackson next for mass effort by Negro leaders“.  Includes a very interesting Op/Ed piece titled “Uncle Tom, 1963 Model” which accuses Martin Luther King of “provoking violence” and states “…Dr. King is risking the worst interracial violence of modern times.” Continue reading “1963 “JUDGE REFUSES TO ORDER BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS MIX””

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1962 RIOTS AS NEGRO DESEGREGATES MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY

news1Western Edition of the New York Times.  Headline: “NEGRO AT MISSISSIPPI U. AS BARNET YIELDS; 3 SHOT AS MARSHALS COMBAT STUDENT RIOTS; KENNEDY, IN APPEAL, INVOKES STATE’S HONOR”.

This turbulent Civil Rights history is perfectly preserved in these headline articles.

Click HERE for 3 James Meredith signatures.

Click HERE for 1st edition of Meredith’s autobiography.

news2 Continue reading “1962 RIOTS AS NEGRO DESEGREGATES MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY”

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3 CIVIL RIGHTS MAGAZINES

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This is the August 21, 1967 edition of Newsweek (with the cover story “The Black Mood“) and the March 5, 1965 edition of LIFE Magazine (with the cover story “A Monument to Negro Upheaval” about the death of Malcolm X and the “Resulting Vengeful Gang War”).  Also included is the August 22, 1966 edition of Newsweek with cover story “Black and White: A Major Survey of U.S. Racial Attitudes Today“; this issue addresses the racial turbulence that defined 1966.

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1st Ed. “Psalms From Prison” SIGNED by Benjamin Chavis, INSCRIBED to Walter Fauntroy

DSC08674This 1983 1st Edition Hardback copy of “Psalms From Prison” by Benjamin E. Chavis Jr. is in MINT condition.  The book is signed and inscribed to Walter Fauntroy who was the first non-voting member of Congress from Washington, D.C. and has been a highly active Civil Rights leader.

DSC08671 Continue reading “1st Ed. “Psalms From Prison” SIGNED by Benjamin Chavis, INSCRIBED to Walter Fauntroy”

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1962 Segregationist Campaign Materials (Alabama)

DSC06731“Elect Ryan deGraffenried, Governor” brochure, political card, and support letter.  All are in VG condition with the brochure having a small bend to the lower corner and the support letter (with the quote “Leadership-Education-Segregation“) having a 1” tear on the top and light soiling on the very bottom.

The letter from which these came was opened on the left-hand side, and deGraffenreid’s photo is shown on all four items.
DSC06738 Continue reading “1962 Segregationist Campaign Materials (Alabama)”

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1965 KLAN TRIAL (LIFE MAGAZINE)

DSC06713This is the complete Life Magazine from May 21, 1965 with the cover story “Courtroom pictures of the Klan Murder Trial: Defense Lawyer Matt Murphy’s victory sign”. Matt Murphy was the Klan attorney.

The following, about the trial (but not in the magazine), is VERY interesting…

Twice frustrated in attempts to convict Collie Leroy Wilkins for the murder of Viola Liuzzo, federal prosecutors successfully prosecuted Wilkins with an 1870 law for depriving Liuzzo of her civil rights.

On March 25, 1965, thousands of civil rights marchers converged on the Alabama state capitol in Montgomery, demanding an end to obstacles to black voter registration. The day of speeches ended Continue reading “1965 KLAN TRIAL (LIFE MAGAZINE)”

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BOMBING in Birmingham–1963 Newsweek, Near MINT

DSC08563Cleanest copy you will ever see of the September 30, 1963 Newsweek with the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on the cover.  Inside is an excellent article with great photographs entitled “Birmingham: My God, you’re not even safe in church!”  A great time capsule.

Beside the magazine’s fantastic condition, it DOES NOT HAVE A MAILING LABEL.  It is as if it is fresh off the newsstand.

DSC08564 Continue reading “BOMBING in Birmingham–1963 Newsweek, Near MINT”

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1963 LIFE MAG (MEDGAR EVERS FUNERAL)

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Heartbreaking Life Magazine from the funeral of Medgar Evers, June 28, 1963.  Magazine is in fantastic condition.
Medgar Wiley Evers (July 2, 1925 – June 12, 1963) was an African-American civil rights activist from Mississippi involved in efforts to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi. After returning from overseas military service in World War II and completing his secondary education, he became active in the civil rights movement. He became a field secretary for the NAACP.  Evers was assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens’ Council. As a veteran, Evers was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His murder and the resulting trials inspired civil rights protests, as well as numerous works of art, music, and film.Medgar_Evers Continue reading “1963 LIFE MAG (MEDGAR EVERS FUNERAL)”

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WHITE/COLORED SEGREGATED CLASSIFIED ADS (#1)

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This May 28, 1963 edition of the Selma Times-Journal and September 11, 1964 edition of The Columbus Georgia Ledger contain multiple segregation era advertisements. Among them: “WHITE woman to do baby sitting in my home daily“.  The other reads “WANTED: Settled colored woman for general house work on Florida coast.  Summer months.  Call 2-1332.”

Continue reading “WHITE/COLORED SEGREGATED CLASSIFIED ADS (#1)”

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Mississippi Summer-1964 Newsweek, Near MINT Condition

DSC08544Cleanest copy you will ever see of the July 13, 1964 Newsweek with “Mississippi Summer 1964” on the cover.  Inside is an excellent article with great photos.  Inside, “Troubled State, Troubled Time.”  A great time capsule.  You’ll find coverage of the voting drive, the murder of Schwermer, Chaney, and Goodman, the police, civil rights, and more.

Besides the magazine’s fantastic condition, it DOES NOT HAVE a mailing label.   It’s as if it is fresh off the newsstand after exactly 50 years. Continue reading “Mississippi Summer-1964 Newsweek, Near MINT Condition”

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1868 “Would You Marry Your Daughter to a Nigger?”

DSC08878A Thomas Nast political print from Harper’s Weekly, July 11, 1868.  This is large (see the wristwatch in the photo to see the size).  Caption under photo says “Would You Marry Your Daughter to a Nigger?”  It is a magazine edition and in VG condition.  The original print is matted in black.  It shows the Democratic Party being wed to a black man with the Press looking on.

DSC08880 Continue reading “1868 “Would You Marry Your Daughter to a Nigger?””

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A HANDBOOK FOR INTEGRATED SCHOOLING, 1976

DSC08925A Handbook for Integrated Schooling issued by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1976, PB, 88 pages.

This handbook was issued to educators in RI by the Office for Civil Rights in Education.  The handbook includes: Objectives of Integrated Education, Characteristics of Effective Integrated Schools, Multi-Ethnic Teaching, The Goal of Equity and much more.  Very good condition.

DSC08926 Continue reading “A HANDBOOK FOR INTEGRATED SCHOOLING, 1976”

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1959 Segregationist Candidate for Senate

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This is a mailer from J.D. Stietenroth, a Mississippi segregationist candidate for Senate, Hinds County. The letter is sent to “Hinds County Permit Department” in Jackson, Mississippi. It is an open letter to Mayor Allen Thompson about electric rates. In the letter he accuses the power company of inappropriate spending on, among other things, whiskey (during a time when Mississippi was a dry state). Continue reading “1959 Segregationist Candidate for Senate”

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1936 “SCOTTSBORO, THE FIREBRAND OF COMMUNISM”

DSC08931Scottsboro The Firebrand of Communism by Files Crenshaw, Jr., and Kenneth A. Miller.  This is a very racist account of a famous trial known as the “Scottsboro Nine”–Nine blacks accused of attacking and raping 2 white women on March 25, 1931 on a freight train in Scottsboro Alabama (Jackson County).  Of course the men were railroaded (see explanation below).  The women, years later, recanted their story.

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Continue reading “1936 “SCOTTSBORO, THE FIREBRAND OF COMMUNISM””

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RACIST POSTCARD (SOUTH AFRICA)

DSC06415 DSC06416This is a racist postcard from South Africa.  It says “K was a Kaffir afraid of the sun”.  In South Africa today, the term is regarded as highly racially offensive, in the same way as “nigger” in the United States and other English-speaking countries. It is seldom used as an isolated insult, but rather is used systematically by openly racist individuals when talking about black people, and as such was very common in the apartheid era. Use of the word has been actionable in South African courts since at least 1976 under the offense of crimen injuria: “the unlawful, intentional and serious violation of the dignity of another”.

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1966 “SEX AND CIVIL RIGHTS” (SELMA)

DSC08854 DSC08856Written by Albert C. Persons, this is a very biased/racist account of the Civil Rights events that occurred in Selma, Alabama in 1965.  The booklet is titled “The True Selma Story” with the subtitle “Sex and Civil Rights“.  It was published in 1966. The author states “The greatest obstacle in the Negro’s search for “Freedom” is the Negro himself and the leaders he has chosen to follow.”  Publication includes “unsavory police and court records of the leaders of the civil rights movement.”  Continue reading “1966 “SEX AND CIVIL RIGHTS” (SELMA)”