From 1920 to 1935 African American families, many with little to no education, built over 5,000 schools throughout the southern States and drove over 5 million children through the doors of the school and out into the world to become teachers, doctors, lawyers, scientist, business people and military leaders. It was a crusade the rivaled any crusade in Human history.
By the 21st century it was little remembered the enormous faith these families had in themselves and their children in the face of racism, poverty, ignorance and government indifference to their plight decades after the end of slavery. Despite the humble origins of this movement would the American dream of equal justice for all that drove the Civil Rights movement would have been realized?
In this section you can find historical and cultural resources that are a testament to their struggle.
The legacy of The Long Black Line is captured through these Societies, Museums, and Libraries that preserve and tell its story.
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Celebrating all that makes Texas distinctive. The State of Texas carries a rich heritage, unmatched elsewhere in the United States. This heritage--that makes Texas distinctive and Texans proud--must be carefully preserved, shared and commemorated. The TCU Center for Texas Studies aims to do all three. |
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The mission of the TIPHC is to collect, preserve, study,
and make available research information, records, documents,
artifacts, and other items relating to Texas history and
culture.
The Institute places special emphasis on collecting,
preserving, and studying the role and contributions of
African Americans in Texas history and culture. This is
an important mission because the documents, artifacts,
and resources collected by the Institute will serve as
the primary source materials for research on the black
experience in Texas.
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The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is the
state agency for historic preservation. THC staff consults
with citizens and organizations to preserve Texas' architectural,
archeological and cultural landmarks. The agency is recognized
nationally for its preservation programs.
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The University Museum is the realization of
a dream that began with the very first administration of
Texas Southern University and was kept alive by dedicated
faculty of the Fine Arts Department. In 1949, President
R. O'Hare Lanier promoted the idea of a "museum of
Negro arts and history." Dr. John T. Biggers, Carroll
Harris Simms and other art faculty promoted the concept
in their teaching philosophy by systematically developing
over four decades a unique collection of African and African
American art with a major focus on the work of TSU art majors.
Fifty-one years after Dr. Lanier's initial proposal the
University Museum officially opened its doors. April 12,
2000 was a day filled with inspiration, reflections and
reunion, and the anticipation of even greater dreams fulfilled
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As the local history collection of the Austin
Public Library, the Austin History Center provides the public
with information about the history, current events, and
activities of Austin and Travis County. We collect and preserve
information about local governments, businesses, residents,
institutions, and neighborhoods so that generations to come
will have access to our history.
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The Schomburg Center for Research in Black
Culture is one of the world's leading research facilities
devoted to the preservation of materials on the global African
and African diasporan experiences. A focal point of Harlem's
cultural life, the Center also functions as the national
research library in the field, providing free access to
its wide-ranging noncirculating collections. It also sponsors
programs and events that illuminate and illustrate the richness
of black history and culture.
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The University of Chicago Library is home
to one of the largest and richest research collections in
the world. The Library supports study and teaching at the
University by building and creating information resources
and providing services that enhance their usefulness, accessibility,
and availability over time. Central to our mission is the
excellence in collections we develop, the excellence in
information we provide, the excellence in services we offer,
and the excellence in environments we create.
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The Fisk University John Hope and Aurelia
E. Franklin Library is the academic hub of the university,
working to support the academic programs by providing books,
electronic resources, and other materials. The present building
was completed in 1969 and opened in January 1970. It houses
over 200,000 volumes. Special Collections is a major national
resource for the study of the African-American experience.
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation
formed the Rosenwald Schools Initiative, calling together
a task force of men and women with personal and professional
expertise to devise a plan for the preservation of Rosenwald
schools across the regions. That plan includes forming a
national network of Rosenwald School preservation activists,
and developing the tools—educational materials, networking
and educational opportunities, and funding sources—for
those activists to use in order to be successful.
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