Primary source materials about activism and advocacy in the African American community document the work and lives of prominent community leaders and change-makers, many of whom were active during the civil rights movement. Collections in this subject area document efforts to address voter oppression, school desegregation, fair housing, economic justice, and job discrimination and include the papers of labor activists, anti-war activists, journalists, investigators, politicians, and a civil rights attorney.
Albert (“Al”) Davis’ involvement with the Tampa chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Hillsborough County School Board are documented in this collection.
Dates: 1960-2011
Extent: 47 boxes
This collection contains the personal papers Ellen Haynes Green and documents Green’s life and accomplishments as a civil rights leader, most notably as President of the Tampa chapter of the NAACP.
Dates: 1915-2006 (bulk: 1957-1992)
Extent: 0.50 linear feet (1 box)
The Harold Nathaniel Reddick Collection contains correspondence, interviews, awards, and documents pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement and the Tampa chapter of the NAACP.
Dates: 1955 – 1991
Extent: 1 box
The papers of community organizer and activist Otis R. Anthony include audio cassettes and compact discs, oral history transcripts, and biographical and historical essays conducted and written by Anthony.
Dates: 1977-2009
Extent: 1 box
Click here to access the collection’s finding aid »
Click here to access the Otis R. Anthony African Americans in Florida Oral History Project »
The Robert and Helen Saunders Collection contains historically significant materials dealing with Civil Rights. Although the collection primarily centers on Tampa, Florida, materials relating to the Federal government’s efforts to deal with poverty through the Economic Opportunities Act also are included.
Dates: 1950 – 2001
Extent: 46 linear feet (77 boxes)
The Ruth Perry papers include letters, documents, and articles pertaining to the Johns Committee as compiled by the NAACP’s Miami branch.
Dates: 1951 – 1968
Extent: 1 box
Fowler’s and Lawson’s papers document Tampa’s Bi-Racial Committee, the city’s Commission on Community Relations, as well as the numerous issues faced by Tampa’s African American population in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Dates: 1960 – 1974
Extent: 3 linear feet (6 boxes)
Winifred S. Foster’s commitment to social justice and civil liberties, as well as her interest in and work with state and local political organizations, is chronicled in clippings, newsletters, correspondence, ephemera, and related materials.
Dates: 1964-2004
Extent: 7 boxes
