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Segregation and desegregation efforts in Florida press photographs

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 414 small

Scope and Contents

The collection of press photographs of desegregation and segregation efforts in Florida consists of photographs used in newspaper articles chronicling Civil Rights struggles between 1958 and 1964. The majority of the photographs depict attempts to desegregate public beaches and movie theaters in the city of St. Petersburg, as well as backlash against those attempts.

Dates

  • Creation: 1958-1964

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the author of the items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright laws. For photocopy and duplication requests, please contact MSU Libraries Special Collections.

Biographical / Historical

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, many young African American Floridians protested the segregation of public places like the beaches and movie theaters pictured in this collection. While the NAACP was involved in some of the protests, many acts of civil disobedience were committed by individuals and were not coordinated by the NAACP. Demonstrations in other cities (such as Chicago, pictured in this collection) were held in support of the desegregation efforts, while in Floridians who favored segregation organized counter-demonstrations.

Newspaper photographers documented the demonstrations, and many of their photographs were printed alongside articles in newspapers including the St. Petersburg Times and the Chicago Sun-Times. St. Petersburg Times photographers whose work is included in this collection are: Paul White, Weaver Tripp, Johnnie Evans, and Larry Alspaugh. Other photographers include Ralph Arvidson and Emmette Jackson.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically by year.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was acquired from Eureka Books in Eureka, California, in August 2014.

Processing Information

This collection has been processed by Sarah McLusky, 2015.

Sources consulted during the creation of the historical note include:

Eureka Books, “[Department of Everyday Heroism] Photographs of Anti-Segregation Efforts in Florida” entry 53 in “Freedom is a constant struggle…” Catalog 30: Social Movements (Eureka, California: April 2014), p. 26 ( http://eurekabooksellers.com/catalogs/cat30.pdf ).

Title
Finding aid for the Segregation and desegregation efforts in Florida press photographs
Status
4 Published And Cataloged
Author
Sarah McLusky
Date
July 2015
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections Repository

Contact:
MSU Libraries
366 W. Circle Drive
East Lansing MI 48823 USA