Notes on Civil Rights Exhibit

[By Rickiah Wingfield Kim McClurg]

On Saturday, we visited For All the World to See, an exhibit on Civil Rights and Visual Culture at the International Center of Photography in Manhattan. The exhibit gave us the opportunity to witness certain aspects of the Civil Rights Movement. This was the first time some of us had seen video footage of Malcolm X speak and clips from the Amos and Andy Show. Those clips were only two small portions of what the exhibit offered.

Of the many exhibits on display, one in particular, captured a moment of history in a space of time that transported the viewer back to the Civil Rights Movement. The Death of Emmitt Till, at the age of fourteen by two white men, portrayed the length the South would go to in order to maintain their Jim Crow way of life; assumedly, Till had whistled at a white woman. The visual pictures of his face and body at his open-casketed funeral make the viewer catch their breath and cry for the lost child.
To hear of the travesties and horrors that occurred in the Civil Rights Movement is one part of a complicated dichotomy. To view it through the eyes of the media on television and to see it lived out in photography brings it to life. This unique real-life space in history will never be forgotten and reminds us not only of how far we have come, but how far we still have to go.

The photography museum revealed how one picture could start a movement and serve as a window to the past. –Cassaundra Sampson

The exhibits at the photography museum were extremely thought-provoking. –Jeanie Hollingsworth

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Notes on the Strand Bookstore

(AALCI Fellows Kimberly McClurg and Cherrelle Denwiddie check out the "black studies" section at the Strand)

[By Alysha Griffin and Cherrelle Denwiddie]

As part of our scholastic adventure to New York, we journeyed to an intellectual mecca. Located in a cozy area in Manhattan at the corner of 12th street and Broadway stands Strand Bookstore. The bookstore was a perfect source of inspiration for our burgeoning group of scholars. For many of us, the bookstore showed us the infinite possibilities of research and creativity.

For AALCI Fellow Kimberly McClurg, a history lover, the bookstore proved to be a treasure box. “Never have I seen such a diverse collection of books under one roof,” she said. “For readers and non-readers alike, it s a beautiful way to gain knowledge and interact with those who seek it.”

The bookstore boasts of having over eighteen miles of books in the three levels. While the vast amount of books is initially overwhelming, a visitor will soon become enveloped in the space.

The bookstore does have its deficiencies despite its wonder. For instance, if the Native American section is practically nonexistent, then the African-American section in the Strand bookstore is only a speck amongst other literatures that the Strand bookstore offers. Every black scholar should know that the Strand is great for a wide variety of literature, but not if you need that literary gem of black studies. However, Cassaundra Sampson, AACLI Fellow and playwright, said that the Strand’s books of plays are extremely “reasonable and affordable.”

If you’re looking for an experience to give you a bookgasm, the Strand is the place to be. As a book haven for diverse literatures, the Stand can’t be beat.

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Notes on the Brooklyn Museum

(Joycelyn Moody and AALCI Fellow Cassaundra Sampson discuss artifacts at Brooklyn Museum)

[By Jeanie Hollingsworth and Amber Wicks]

On Friday, June 25 the AALCI participants traveled to Brooklyn to visit the Brooklyn Museum. The five story museum houses several exhibits of remarkable art, but one we took special interest in was “The Arts of Africa” exhibit. This exploration of African culture captivates viewers with mating and spiritual dances, fertility and royal masks, and grand warrior staffs. All of these pieces of art serve a great purpose to their people, which is very interesting.


One display in particular, the Male Wadaabe Charm Dance, was the most intriguing. This short clip showed how traditions are continued and passed on among the Wadaabe men of Niger by presenting this dance over a span of about ten years. Each time, the men would dress up as women and try to be as alluring as possible by imitating the females in their tribe. The males performing would do all this in hopes of being chosen for marriage. This was particularly interesting in comparison to western culture where men usually select their mates.



(AALCI Fellow Alysha Griffin studying sculpture.)

Although the traditional art pieces of art were astonishing, a classmate Gwendolyn Denwiddie stated, “Africa has modern art that should be on display also.” Completely agreeing with this, we feel that the modern art would further show how traditions and beliefs in the different regions of Africa are carried on and effect everyday life. All in all, the art displayed in the Brooklyn Museum was compelling, and the array of exhibits will leave one mesmerized and more knowledgeable about Africa, its many cultures and peoples.

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Notes on Harlem

[by Cassaundra Sampson and Rickey Lowe]

The essence of the legendary Apollo can still be felt, standing on the outside looking up at the shining lights and standing on the imprinted legendary names on the ground. "When I was young I use to sneak out I watched the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, B.B king, I mean all the great stars,” noted a middle-aged African American reminiscing outside the historic building on 125th Street in Harlem. “I live in Atlanta now, but I make my trips out here every year."

The famous Apollo Theater, however, only represents one of the countless amazing aspects of Harlem. The fellows of the AALCI seemed to have been interested in the diversity that flooded the streets and the relationships between the many cultures. Alysha Griffin, an AALCI Fellow from Spellman said, "Sometimes we as African Americans feel isolated from the greater American society. But Harlem seems to be a place where black people and other people of color can gather as a community and exchange ideas and cultures.”

Harlem is a part of New York where various cultures are intertwined. The music alone from jazz and R&B being blasted on one end to Latino music on another truly shows the essential cultural experience of this section of Manhattan. The sights are definitely memorable and worth the experience. Hours after departure, nearly half of the Institute Fellows returned to explore the Harlem again, leading to more insight of why this famous neighborhood is considered so legendary in New York.

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NYC photos

A few photos from our group's movements around the city.

Fellows offer impressions of NYC