Picture That
Civil Rights Era Photo Exhibition Comes To BSU
Protesting Jim Crow admissions policy at Ford’s Theatre.
Among protesters are activist Paul Robeson (second left) and Dr. John Emory Toussaint Camper (middle), noted physician, veteran of WWI, and founding member of the NAACP.
Photographs are a window through which we can view the Civil Rights Era and glimpse a piece of African American history and the fight to end racial inequality
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) has acquired and are displaying “Paul Henderson: Photographs from the Civil Rights Era” exhibition from Feb. 4 – May 22 at Bowie State University, the state’s oldest HBCU (Historically Black College and University). Henderson worked as a staff photographer for the Baltimore Afro-American. BSU will host the exhibit which features 16 framed prints on display of people, important events and prominent historical figures spanning Henderson’s 36-year career. In addition, 23 binders from the entire collection will be housed at the Bowie State Library. Those binders can be viewed by the public in the library, but will not be on display in the Student Center, lobby.
Why visit the “Paul Henderson: Photographs of the Civil Rights Era” exhibit? The exhibition provides an opportunity for the public to assist the Maryland Historical Society in identifying people, places and events pictured in the collection. Smartphone users are encouraged to use QR codes printed on exhibit labels to complete a survey, where they can submit names and other information. Print identification forms will also be available.
You may be able to identify photographs like Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, or even Mahalia Jackson but, the exhibit also features images which subjects are unidentified. By visiting the exhibit, visitors may be able to identify the people, places, and/or events that haven’t been identified yet. You may even find a relation to some of the collection.
To attend and experience the exhibition, visit Bowie State University’s Student Center Lobby.
