University of Kwazulu-Natal

The African American Odyssey A Quest For Full Citizenship

Bonisiwe Shabane
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the african american odyssey a quest for full citizenship

The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship explores black America's quest for equality from the early national period through the twentieth century. It showcases the incomparable African American collections of the Library of Congress by displaying more than 240 items, including books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, and plays in the largest black history exhibit... The Library's materials, gathered over the two hundred years of its existence, tell the story of the African American experience through nine chronological periods. These periods document the courage and determination of blacks in adverse circumstances who overcame immense odds to fully participate in all aspects of American society: Slavery—The Peculiar Institution traces the slave trade and explores the methods enslaved Africans used to resist their enslavement; strategies varied, but the goal remained unchanged: freedom and equality. Free Blacks in the Antebellum Period presents the commentary of blacks in both the North and South who spoke out on the injustice of slavery, and illuminates the role of the church, and the...

Abolition, Antislavery Movements, and the Rise of the Sectional Controversy examines the role of black and white abolitionists and antislavery societies in the continuing debate over slavery during the first half of the nineteenth... The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship showcases the African American collections of the Library of Congress, with more than 240 items, including books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, plays, films,... This online exhibit is divided into 9 sections… A stunning exhibit on the African American experience in American history has been divided into 9 sections: Slavery, Free Blacks, Abolition, The Civil War, Reconstruction, Booker T. Washington, World I, New Deal and WWII, and Civil Rights. Resource Link: https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african-american-odyssey/ ( Link may be down.

We are checking into it. ) The post-war era marked a period of unprecedented energy against the second class citizenship accorded to African Americans in many parts of the nation. Resistance to racial segregation and discrimination with strategies such as civil disobedience, nonviolent resistance, marches, protests, boycotts, “freedom rides,” and rallies received national attention as newspaper, radio, and television reporters and cameramen documented the... There were also continuing efforts to legally challenge segregation through the courts. Success crowned these efforts: the Brown decision in 1954, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act in 1965 helped bring about the demise of the entangling web of legislation that...

One hundred years after the Civil War, blacks and their white allies still pursued the battle for equal rights in every area of American life. While there is more to achieve in ending discrimination, major milestones in civil rights laws are on the books for the purpose of regulating equal access to public accommodations, equal justice before the law,... African Americans have had unprecedented openings in many fields of learning and in the arts. The black struggle for civil rights also inspired other liberation and rights movements, including those of Native Americans, Latinos, and women, and African Americans have lent their support to liberation struggles in Africa. Few other institutions can present the African American mosaic of life and culture as completely as the Library of Congress. The Library's photographs, film footage, newspapers, magazines, manuscripts, and music holdings chronicle this period better than any other collection in existence.

In addition to the NAACP and NUL papers, the Library also holds papers of civil rights activists such as Thurgood Marshall, Roy Wilkins, Patricia Roberts Harris, A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Mary Church Terrell, Robert Terrell, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and others. Although the quest may not be fully realized, the Library's collections document the relentless and significant process of pursuing full equality. On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman issued two executive orders. One instituted fair employment practices in the civilian agencies of the federal government; the other provided for “equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion,or national origin.” This was a major victory for civil rights advocates in the quest for full citizenship.

The exhibition The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship, showcases the incomparable African American collections of the Library of Congress. Displaying more than 240 items, including books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, plays, films, and recordings, this is the largest black history exhibit ever held at the Library, and the first exhibition of... The major presentation in the Jefferson Building, The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship, explored black America's quest for equality from the early national period through the twentieth century. The Library's materials, gathered over the two hundred years of its existence, tell the story of the African American experience through nine chronological periods that document the courage and determination of blacks, faced with... The exhibit includes the work of abolitionists in the first half of the nineteenth century, depictions of the long journey following the Civil War towards equality in employment, education and politics, strategies used to... The items in this exhibit attest to the drama and achievement of this remarkable story.

Although they give a comprehensive, rich picture of more than 200 years of African American struggle and achievement, they represent only a rivulet of the collections the Library of Congress holds in this essential... About | Press | Jobs | Donate Inspector General | Legal | Accessibility | External Link Disclaimer | USA.gov A comprehensive guide consisting of over 240 primary source items detailing African American history. More than 240 items dealing with African-American history from collections of the Library of Congress, including books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, plays, films, and recordings. The exhibition explores black America's quest for political, social, and economic equality from slavery through the mid-20th century. Organized into nine chronological periods covering the following topics: slavery; free blacks in the antebellum period; antislavery movements; the Civil War and African-American participation in the military; Reconstruction political struggles, black exodus from the...

Washington era" of progress in the creation of educational and political institutions during a period of violent backlash; World War I and the postwar period, including the rise of the Harlem Renaissance; the Depression,... Each section includes a 500-word overview and annotations of 100 words in length for each object displayed. In addition to documenting the struggle for freedom and civil rights, the exhibit includes celebratory material on contributions of artists, writers, performers, and sports figures. Valuable for students and teachers looking for a well-written and documented guide for exploring African-American history.

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The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship explores black America's quest for equality from the early national period through the twentieth century. It showcases the incomparable African American collections of the Library of Congress by displaying more than 240 items, including books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, and plays in the largest black history e...

Abolition, Antislavery Movements, And The Rise Of The Sectional Controversy

Abolition, Antislavery Movements, and the Rise of the Sectional Controversy examines the role of black and white abolitionists and antislavery societies in the continuing debate over slavery during the first half of the nineteenth... The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship showcases the African American collections of the Library of Congress, with more than 240 items, including ...

We Are Checking Into It. ) The Post-war Era Marked

We are checking into it. ) The post-war era marked a period of unprecedented energy against the second class citizenship accorded to African Americans in many parts of the nation. Resistance to racial segregation and discrimination with strategies such as civil disobedience, nonviolent resistance, marches, protests, boycotts, “freedom rides,” and rallies received national attention as newspaper, r...

One Hundred Years After The Civil War, Blacks And Their

One hundred years after the Civil War, blacks and their white allies still pursued the battle for equal rights in every area of American life. While there is more to achieve in ending discrimination, major milestones in civil rights laws are on the books for the purpose of regulating equal access to public accommodations, equal justice before the law,... African Americans have had unprecedented op...

In Addition To The NAACP And NUL Papers, The Library

In addition to the NAACP and NUL papers, the Library also holds papers of civil rights activists such as Thurgood Marshall, Roy Wilkins, Patricia Roberts Harris, A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Mary Church Terrell, Robert Terrell, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and others. Although the quest may not be fully realized, the Library's collections document the relentless and significant process of pursuin...