Dr. Leonard Jeffries speaks to supervisory staff at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (ANM) during the development of the exhibition, Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization. He discusses levels of analysis (factual level, conceptual level, theoretical level, and practical level) when studying and presenting history to others. He explains history is viewed through varying perspectives and talks about the Euro-American and African-Asiatic perspectives and value systems. Throughout the lecture, Jeffries talks about the history of slavery and the slave trade; African servitude versus Euro-American slavery; Euro-American abolitionists versus African abolitionists; Euro-American materialism and profit making; African history, traditions, and perspective; black history, and black experience. He explains misconceptions are made in the study and portrayal of history; and museums can either challenge these misconceptions or continue them. He stresses Africa has been called the dark continent, and this statement along with others presents black history and black experience in a negative context, which results in cultural genocide. Finally, Jeffries reviews and discusses the sections of the future ANM exhibit and explains the best ways to present topics of each section.
Presentation/lecture. Part of Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization Audiovisual Records. AV003271: Part 1, Levels of Analyses. AV003257: Part 2, America. Sound quality poor - static throughout both recordings. Dated: 19780605.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization - explores early African civilizations, the slave trade, the abolitionist movement and the founding of the first African republic, Liberia. Maps, graphics, and tapes depict the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhei, Kanem-Bornu and the Hausa States. Headdresses, masks, housepots, gold weights, taped music and musical instruments and door panels represent the cultures of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The journey into slavery is told in a diary of a ship's doctor, the account book of a slave trader and letters of a young passenger. Slave revolts are treated in documents, photographs and portraits. Photographs, books and other publications are included in a section on the Abolitionist movement. Additional documents and photographs tell the story of those who chose to return to Africa. The exibition was organized by the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum and held there from February 1979 - February 1980. Curated by Louise Daniel Hutchinson.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV003257
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Narrator David Eaton speaks of slavery and oppression; and freedom from slavery and fighting for the rights that come with it.
Narration. Part of Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization Audiovisual Records. AV003297, AV003300, and AV001371: same content. AV003297 and AV003300: undated. AV001371: dated 19791026.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization - explores early African civilizations, the slave trade, the abolitionist movement and the founding of the first African republic, Liberia. Maps, graphics, and tapes depict the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhei, Kanem-Bornu and the Hausa States. Headdresses, masks, housepots, gold weights, taped music and musical instruments and door panels represent the cultures of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The journey into slavery is told in a diary of a ship's doctor, the account book of a slave trader and letters of a young passenger. Slave revolts are treated in documents, photographs and portraits. Photographs, books and other publications are included in a section on the Abolitionist movement. Additional documents and photographs tell the story of those who chose to return to Africa. The exibition was organized by the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum and held there from February 1979 - February 1980. Curated by Louise Daniel Hutchinson.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV003300
ACMA AV001371
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Young boy recites story about life on a slave ship. Narrator speaks of the slave forts and castles, built by Europeans, along the coast of Africa during slave trade period; and their role in the transatlantic slave trade. He states the slave forts and castles, in Ghana and elsewhere, are being used as cultural centers, museums, and research laboratories today. He explains the Gambians and Alex Haley hope to turn James Island, where ancestors of Kunta Kinte Alex Haley lived, into a memorial to the ancestors.
Narration. Part of Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization Audiovisual Records. AV003363 and AV003380: same content. Transcribed from AV003363: Ron Coleman, Leonard Jeffreys. Transcribed from AV003380: Ron Hughes, Leonard Jeffreys. AV003499: slave forts and castles narration from 000504 - 001504 and 001711 - 002720 [also on recording: Narration about West African Slave Trade and Evolution of a Community Part III: Crime, Unemployment, Education]. Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization - explores early African civilizations, the slave trade, the abolitionist movement and the founding of the first African republic, Liberia. Maps, graphics, and tapes depict the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhei, Kanem-Bornu and the Hausa States. Headdresses, masks, housepots, gold weights, taped music and musical instruments and door panels represent the cultures of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The journey into slavery is told in a diary of a ship's doctor, the account book of a slave trader and letters of a young passenger. Slave revolts are treated in documents, photographs and portraits. Photographs, books and other publications are included in a section on the Abolitionist movement. Additional documents and photographs tell the story of those who chose to return to Africa. The exibition was organized by the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum and held there from February 1979 - February 1980. Curated by Louise Daniel Hutchinson.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV003380
ACMA AV003499
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset and based on contents of recording.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Narrator John Kinard introduces three writers and the reading of excerpts from their writings about the kingdoms of ancient Ghana, Mali, and Songhei. Focus on kings who governed ancient Ghana, Mali, and Songhei; their relationship with their people; and ceremonies and customs.
Narration. Part of Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization Audiovisual Records. AV003293, AV003379, and AV003359: same content. AV003293: dated 19790102. AV003379 and AV003359: undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization - explores early African civilizations, the slave trade, the abolitionist movement and the founding of the first African republic, Liberia. Maps, graphics, and tapes depict the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhei, Kanem-Bornu and the Hausa States. Headdresses, masks, housepots, gold weights, taped music and musical instruments and door panels represent the cultures of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The journey into slavery is told in a diary of a ship's doctor, the account book of a slave trader and letters of a young passenger. Slave revolts are treated in documents, photographs and portraits. Photographs, books and other publications are included in a section on the Abolitionist movement. Additional documents and photographs tell the story of those who chose to return to Africa. The exibition was organized by the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum and held there from February 1979 - February 1980. Curated by Louise Daniel Hutchinson.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV003379
ACMA AV003359
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Self guided tour highlighted the five areas of the exhibition 'Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization.' The five areas explored ancient African kingdoms, African artworks, slave forts and slavery on the west coast of Africa, the Middle Passage and slavery in the Caribbean, resistance to slavery in America, and back to Africa movements.
Exhibition tour. Related to exhibition 'Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization.' Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition - Out of Africa: From West African Kingdoms to Colonization - explores early African civilizations, the slave trade, the abolitionist movement and the founding of the first African republic, Liberia. Maps, graphics, and tapes depict the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhei, Kanem-Bornu and the Hausa States. Headdresses, masks, housepots, gold weights, taped music and musical instruments and door panels represent the cultures of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The journey into slavery is told in a diary of a ship's doctor, the account book of a slave trader and letters of a young passenger. Slave revolts are treated in documents, photographs and portraits. Photographs, books and other publications are included in a section on the Abolitionist movement. Additional documents and photographs tell the story of those who chose to return to Africa. The exibition was organized by the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum and held there from February 1979 - February 1980. Curated by Louise Daniel Hutchinson.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate access copies requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Jeff Donaldson papers, 1918-2005, bulk 1960s-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of the Jeff Donaldson papers was provided by the Walton Family Foundation.
