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The Grand Rapids History & Special Collections Department contains many sources of information on local African-American history. References can be found in the card catalog under the following subject headings: Blacks, Afro-Americans, and Ethnic Groups, as well as under individual names such as Phillips, Paul, I., and Collins, Paul. After you have identified the material you wish to see, fill out a request form and give it to the librarian who will retrieve the material for you. In addition to books, the types of materials referenced in the card catalog include manuscript and photograph collections, short papers, and reports. Materials in The Grand Rapids History & Special Collections Department cannot be checked out. Manuscript Collections | Photographic Collections | Reports | Portrait & Biography Card Catalog | Indexes to Periodicals | Vertical Files | Oral Histories | Audio-Visual Collections Manuscript Collections [top] Manuscript collections contain personal papers, photos, etc. about a certain subject, person, or group. Examples of manuscript collections regarding African-American local history are:
Photographic Collections [top] The manuscript collections contain a number of photographs of local African-Americans. The master index to the photographs is located at the information desk. See such subject headings as Blacks, Baseball, and Bethel Pentecostal Church, and individual names in the name index. The staff will locate the photos for you. Copies of photographs can be made for a fee. Additional photographs may be found in the Robinson Studio Negative Collection. This is a large collection of photo negatives from a local studio. Photos of African-Americans are found under the heading African-Americans, as well as individual, business, and organization names using the index located at the information desk. Prints of these negatives are available for a fee. Reports [top] A Survey of the Negro Population of Grand Rapids, (Dept. of Research, National Urban League, ca 1920's). Located in the Blacks, Grand Rapids Vertical File. This study contains first-hand accounts of African American living and working conditions in Grand Rapids. Schreuder, Anne. Race and Residence in Kent and Ottawa Counties: A Comparison of 1970 and 1980 Census Date. (Social Research Center, Calvin College, ca 1983). M363.51 R114 Portrait and Biography Card Catalog and File [top] The Portrait and Biography Card Catalog is adjacent to the Local History Card Catalog. Cards are arranged by last name. Information on these cards may include references to relevant newspaper articles, date of death and reference to obituary, and whether a biography file exists on the individual. If you wish to look at newspaper references, note the date and page number of the article. The corresponding newspaper microfilm is located in the microfilm room, along with the microfilm reader with which you can view the film. If the card file indicates that a portrait and biography vertical file exists, fill out a request card and the librarian will retrieve the file for you. Examples of Portrait and Biography card catalog entries include:
Indexes to Periodicals [top] Lyden's File Index. This file contains references to a large number of newspaper articles used in the writing of The Story of Grand Rapids. It indexes newspaper articles from the Grand Rapids Press from the 1890's until 1956. Those relating to African-Americans can be found under the subject heading Ethnology, Negro. Each card states the title of the newspaper article and gives a date and page reference. The article itself can then be found on microfilm. This file index is located behind the information desk. Grand Rapids Press Index. More recent articles from the Grand Rapids Press are indexed under the subject heading African-Americans. These indexes are located in the bookshelves along the north wall of the Local History Room. Index to Business and Economic Conditions in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1945-1984. (Public History Services, c. 1993). This volume indexes articles from the Grand Rapids Press, Grand Rapids Magazine, and the Peninsular Club Magazine from 1945 until 1984. It provides insight into the business and economic conditions of Grand Rapids during that period and contains references to articles relating to Minority and Ethnic Groups. Michigan History Index. This index to Michigan History Magazine identifies articles relating to African-American history under a variety of subject headings, including slavery, abolitionists, and underground railroad. The index is located with the Michigan History Magazine on the bookshelves behind the information desk. Hathaway, Richard, ed., Ethnic Newspapers & Periodicals in Michigan: A Checklist. (Ann Arbor, Mich.: c. 1978). M071.74016 Et38. Relevant information can be found in the Table of Contents under Afro-American, then by Michigan city. Vertical Files [top] Vertical files are collections of various types of material about a certain subjects, groups or businesses that have been collected from a variety of sources. The index to the vertical files is located at the information desk. Examples of vertical files about local African-American history include Blacks, Grand Rapids and Blacks, Michigan. These files contain miscellaneous information including bibliographies of African-American history, news clippings, and information on the civil rights unrest of the late 1960's. An index to the oral history collection is located at the information desk. You may listen to the oral histories in the main reading room. Examples of oral histories relating to African-American local history include: Parks, Lyman (Nov. 19, 1985). "Recollections of former Mayor of Grand Rapids." (Box 1, Tape 3). Seaton, Les. "Grand Rapids Black Community in 1931." (Box 2, Tap 62a-c). Audio-Visual Collections [top] The index to the audio-visual collections is also located at the information desk. The staff will help you play or view these materials. Examples include: Poetry readings by Randy Brown. Audio tape of 1975 session at Library. (AV13, Vols. I & II.) William M. Glenn. Film footage of 1963 March on Washington. Trip to Europe. (AV33, 4 reels) |
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