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Credit Where Credit is Due: Community Building, Black Work and White Patronage

Sat, Oct 8, 10:00 to 11:45am, Richmond Marriott Hotel, Richmond Marriott Hotel Madison

Session Submission Type: Panel Session

Abstract

White patrons are often touted as organizers and sometimes saviors of twentieth century African American communities. While many of the developments in urban and rural black America can be attributed to philanthropists like Julius Rosenwald, Andrew Carnegie and others much of the work and organization and often the ideas came from within black community. Local leaders and community builders, whose names are lesser and in some cases completely unknown, imagined black spaces and worked to make them real. This work is often overlooked or glossed over in celebration of the efforts of the patron. This phenomenon is seen in early 20th century Southern rural towns, northern urban communities, the development of HBCUs and later in the establishment of programs within those colleges and universities.

The panel explores the contribution of black community in its own development, highlighting the daily efforts of the less glamorous work. It will address the early 20th century plans for racial uplift to the 1960s establishment of a Howard University team in a sport in which blacks were underrepresented. The panel will demonstrate how average citizens worked to create their own space, their own hallowed grounds throughout the community.


Lopez D. Matthews, Jr. PhD- Oliver Otis Howard and the Development of Black Education at Howard University

Anton D. House- Self- Help v. Self-Reliance: Institution Building in the late 19th century

Kenvi C. Phillips, PhD- Jesse E. Moorland and the Colored Y Campaign

Sonja N. Woods- Howland, Ware, Stuart Law and the Makings of Howard University Crew

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Individual Presentations

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