#TheDailyRecord the Forcean at Wilberforce University

It is evident from the cover of this 1973 edition of the Forcean that students were committed to capturing the spirit of the times.  An interesting thing to take notice of in this 1973 volume where most of the persons pictured are rocking larger than life afros, is how they are photographed. The photographer must have been forced to zoom out farther than traditional portraits to capture the full hairstyle. The Ransom archive has a small run of Wilberforce University and Central State University yearbooks.

#TheDailyRecord Payne Asks "What Ought to be the Character of a Theological Seminary?"

Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne asked “What Ought to be the Character of a Theological Seminary?” Read his answer on page 11 of The Payne Theological Seminary Catalogue 1893-1894 https://archive.org/details/paynetheological00unse_3 

 

#TheDailyRecord February 5, 2016

In this October 1909 edition of The AME Church Review, Mr. W.C. Bolivar shows documents the history of the convention movement where free and fugitive Blacks came to together in state, national and religious conventions to strategize about racial uplift. Read "Early Conventions and Their Influence on Promoting Social Efficiency among Negroes" on pg. 159 https://archive.org/details/amechurchreviewo00keal 

Read more about Colored Conventions here: http://coloredconventions.org/conventions

#TheDailyRecord February 4, 2016

Early AME ministers were better travelled than you think. See for yourself  (pictures of a number of programs showing preaching schedules for George A. Singleton: Sonya) Learn more about African American travel in this interactive exhibit about The Green Book, a travel guide published between 1936 and 1966 that listed hotels, restaurants, bars, gas stations, etc. where Black travelers were welcome. http://publicdomain.nypl.org/greenbook-map/

#TheDailyRecord February 3, 2016

Bishop Reverdy C. Ransom 

Cover of printed Eulogy

There is a rich tradition of eulogizing our African American heroes by delivering powerful, expressive sermons about their impact. A good eulogy will make you cry, laugh, and shout hallelujah. Think of Today Bishop Joseph A. Gomez marked the passing of the Great Prevailer Reverdy C. Ransom with these moving words: https://archive.org/details/eulogyforgreatpr00gome

Photograph of Bisho Gomez as seen on book cover
In Darkness with God: The Life of Joseph Gomez, a Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church 

#TheDailyRecord February 2, 2016

The 1880 publication, The Life, Experience, and Gospel Labors of the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen, to which is annexed the rise and progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Containing a narrative of yellow fever in the year of our Lord 1793. With an address to the people of color in the United States, offers an autobiographical reflection of Richard Allen, the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the denomination’s first Bishop. Richard Allen’s legacy will be celebrated along with Mother Bethel AME’s bicentennial year today in the latest of the release of the U.S. Postal Service’s Black Heritage Commemorative Series with a stamp barring his image.

Read the digitized version of Richard Allen’s autobiography here: https://archive.org/details/lifeexperiencego1880alle

To purchase the Commemorative Stamp visit:                   https://about.usps.com/postalbulletin/2016/pb22433/html/info_011.htm

In Celebration of Black History Month: The DailyRecord at Payne Theological Seminary #TheDailyRecord

In celebration of Black History Month, The Ransom Library at Payne Theological Seminary is pulling items from the archive. These glimpses into the unique collection at Payne will henceforth be filed as "The Daily Record" #thedailyrecord

February 1, 2016

Epic Scrapbooking! Ethie Ruth Singleton wife of George A. Singleton, long time editor of A.M.E. Church Review and elected editor of the denomination journal (Singleton Special Collection housed at Ransom Library) was a mean scrap- booker and historian in her own right. The Wilberforce Alum can be seen in this circa 1918 sepia toned photo, where she is leaning on a windowsill. The back of the photo reads “Ettie R. Singleton, a student at Wilberforce University”. Between the black felt paper pages of Mrs. Singletons’ scrapbooks we find incredibly well staged and candid photographs of Wilberforce University students, postcards from members of the Singleton family, and collages of unidentified people the Singleton met throughout their many years of travel and work in the AME Church. Some photographs appear to be captioned with white text before their development. We think black ink was used on the negatives.

                                      

George A. Singleton pictured in Upper Left 

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Epic Scrapbook page

Ettie at Wilberforce University