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Donate to the Registry, |
December 18
The collection was first donated on this date in 1914. The holdings of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (MSRC) chronicle the experiences of people of African descent in Africa, the Americas, and other parts of the world from the sixteenth century through the present. It is composed of two divisions: Library and Manuscript. The Library Division houses more than 175,000 books, periodicals, and microforms in numerous languages. Literature includes rare works by early Black writers from David Walker and Phillis Wheatley, to Richard Wright, and Alice Walker. The Manuscript Division is a collection of primary source materials divided into four departments: manuscripts, music, oral history, and prints and photographs. The department contains the correspondences, writings, and memorabilia of more than 160 African-American people and organizations. The MSRC is named for its two benefactors, Jesse E. Moorland, and Arthur B. Spingarn. Moorland was a minister, YMCA executive, and collector of materials about African-American culture and history, with an emphasis on the history of slavery. Arthur B. Spingarn was a Jewish lawyer, NAACP officer, and collector of books by Black authors. A European American, he began collecting books by Black authors in response to White scholars' claim that people of African descent would continue to be viewed as inferior until the day a Black man could read a book by a Black author. The books he accumulated explored topics in every academic field of study and were written in all major African and European languages. The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center has become one of the most valuable resources for the study of the Black experience. Reference: Howard University Manuscript Division, Founders Library 500 Howard Place, NW Washington, DC 20059 202-806-7479 FAX: 202-806-6405
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The African American Registry®, The African American Registry® Copyright 2005, 2006
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