Archives act as window into the past, documenting the long historical legacies of the times before them. They enable us, as society, to regard the past with curious eyes, maintaining a partial an objective judgement for the purposes of conducting a forum conducive to education and research.
Housed on the FAMU (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University) Campus, the Meek Eaton Black Archives houses one of ten archives in the United States dedicated to the research and preservation of African American history. Founded in 1976, the center opened its doors in the historic Carnegie Library, named so for Andrew Carnegie (whom donated $10,000), and has since served dualistically as a museum and archival repository. Its holdings are both extensive and unique (500,000 archival and 5,000 + museum artefacts), attributable to the support provided by public and private donors.
The Black Archives and the surrounding areas (FAMU, French Town) are designated as a National Historic District based on FAMU’s historic significance. FAMU stands as the only historically black university (HBC) in Florida’s University System and remains to be one of the top rated in the nation.
Current archival collections and holdings include:
- Afro American and Central Life Insurance Companies Collection
- Alonzo “Jake” Gaither – Black College Football Collection
- Benjamin and Dorothy Holmes – Black Church Collection
- Black Archives Obituary Collection
- Carrie Meek – African Americans in Congress Collection
- D.E. Williams – Negro Schools in Florida Photographic Collection
- Florida A&M University College of Law Collection
- Florida A&M University Hospital Collection
- Florida and Herbert Parker – Masters Golfing Tournament Newspaper Coverage Collection
- Florida’s Black Junior Colleges Collection
- Floy Britt – 4-H Collection
- Genevieve J. Wheeler – Black Home Economics Collection
- George W. Conoly – Florida A&M University Alumni Association and National Alumni Association Collection
- Gilbert Porter – Desegregation Files
- Joe Nash – African American Dance Collection
- John F. Matheus – Harlem Renaissance Collection
- Leedell Neyland – Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association
- Leedell Neyland and Gilbert Porter – Florida State Teachers Association Collection
- Martha Leffall– Leffall Family Memorial Collection
- National Negro Home Demonstration Agents Collection
- Official Rosewood Incident Papers
- Ruby Diamond – Music Collection
- S. Randolph Edmonds – Drama Collection
- William P. Foster – Marching Band Memorabilia
- Willie Ziegler White – Florida Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers Association
For more information about the Meek Eaton Black Archives visit: http://famu.edu/index.cfm?MEBA&Home