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A Herstory on Lesbians

Authored by Nicole Loder

Image of Joan Nestle, Polly Thistlethwaite, and cat. Lesbian HERstoy Archive Collection. 1994.

Pictured are activist and writer, Joan Nestle, current Chief Librarian at the CUNY Graduate Center (Thistlethwaite 2014) Polly Thistlethwaite, and cat at the Lesbian HERstory Archives (LHA) in 1994 taken by the photo collection manager, Saskia Scheffer. I discovered this picture, with the help of an archivist, in a crammed filing cabinet, not too far from where the picture was taken. The cabinet was organized with an eclectic cataloging system, determined by the many archivists over the years. I was searching for content involving cats for an upcoming exhibit when we discovered this artifact. As I held this image, I wondered when the last time someone took notice of this seemingly insignificant photograph.
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Dr. Challis H. Dawson: Career and Talent

Authored by Debra L. Calvin-Smith

 

Dr. Challis H. Dawson, Kimberly, 1949.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bright watercolors of this painting depict Kimberly, a small neighborhood and bridge of Suffolk, Virginia. The bridge still connects the end of the peninsula where the Nansemond River wraps around it. Kimberly was a lively part of town with a variety of businesses, houses, and farms (Blair-Greene 2017). Continue reading →

Campus Community School’s Piece of History

Authored by Nancie Joseph

Historic Marker placed outside of Campus Community School stating the history of the building. Photo by Jennifer Boland

Introduction

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” the famous words of Neil Armstrong the day he walked on the moon. “Forty-six years ago, when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, he had a little piece of Delaware with him” (Bittle 2015). His space suit was made in the building that is now Campus Community School at 350 Pear Street in Dover, Delaware. This is the story of a building where space suits were once made, which is now filled with laughter and learning. Continue reading →

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Reverend Samson Occum: Forging a Bridge Across Cultures

Authored by Nicole Shaw

Your Watermarked Image

Mr. Buell’s sermon at the ordination of Mr. Occum. Acquired by Stony Brook University Special Collections from the Swann Auction Galleries in 2008.

Samson Occum was a well-respected minister in the late 18th century who worked tirelessly towards peace in his community. Believed to be the descendant of a Mohegan chief,1 he was credited as one of the first ordained Christian Indian ministers.2 Ordained in 1759, Occum spent the majority of his life working as a missionary among Indians. Regardless of receiving a stipend for his work, he spent a great deal of his life in poverty and endured much suffering at the hands of the English, while facing many betrayals and false promises. Despite these hardships, Occum continued his work to spread the Christian faith among his people. Known to preach in Montauk (Eastern Long Island), Occum blended Native American communities with Christianized Europeans and helped Native Americans assimilate to western culture. He also organized the creation of “Brothertown,” a settlement solely for Christian Indians.3 Although as a young man the only book he owned was the Bible, Occum became the first Native American to publish in English.4 To this day, Mr. Occum is honored with a wealth of recognition, particularly at Dartmouth College, which he helped raise funds to initiate. Continue reading →

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Reggae Sunsplash: A Historical Record of Live Reggae

Authored by Christopher Anderson

Watermarked image.

Reggae Sunsplash video collection. Photograph courtesy of Christopher Anderson.

From 1978 through 1998, Reggae Sunsplash was a major reggae festival which originated in Jamaica and subsequently reached international heights. Reggae Sunsplash became a celebrated event in Jamaica and “established the model for reggae concerts locally and internationally.”[1] The festival “attracted a global audience by showcasing all the legendary acts of the golden period of the music for an entire week.”[2] In addition to its local impact “Reggae Sunsplash received worldwide acclaim from the international media and this undoubtedly served to formalise reggae as an established musical artform.”[3] The festival reached beyond Jamaica with additional concerts held in numerous locations throughout the United States in the 1980’s and 1990’s. An attempt was made to revive Reggae Sunsplash with a festival taking place in 2006, however, no subsequent events have been held.[4] Continue reading →

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The Irish Catholic Colony of Keilyville, Virginia

Authored by Matthew A. Hamilton

Catholic Diocese of Richmond

A mid-19th Century Tabernacle, circa 1878. Courtesy of the Archives of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia.

The United States of America experienced a significant rush of immigrants between 1870 and the 1920s.[1] New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and other major cities could not healthily sustain such population growth. Jobs and food became scarce. Thus, immigrants sought refuge and a better life elsewhere. Continue reading →

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A Catholic Boycott of the 1936 Summer Olympics

Authored By Christopher K. Elford

Telegram written by Christian Leaders asking Father James Martin Gillis to join them in calling for a boycott of the 1936 Summer Olympic Games

Telegram written by Christian Leaders asking Father James Martin Gillis to join them in calling for a boycott of the 1936 Summer Olympic Games

Introduction

The telegram pictured was written by five prominent Christian leaders to Father James Martin Gillis in October, 1935.  In it Gillis is asked to join his name to the statement written by the authors.  The telegram belongs to the Paulist Fathers archives and serves to show the Christian perspective on what is traditionally thought as an exclusively Jewish subject. Continue reading →