Stephen B. Luce Library Celebrates Black History Month

Carl Frederick Burnett,
First African-American Graduate
of Maritime College

In celebration of Black History month, the Stephen B. Luce Library honors notable African-Americans in maritime history with an exhibit of photographs, books and a digital display.

The virtual exhibit can be viewed from the library’s web portal, including:

• An online slideshow presentation on black maritime history, which features information on the first African-Americans to graduate from Maritime College in addition to maritime ties of major American figures such as Frederick Douglass and Marcus Garvey
• Recommended readings from our collection
  
• Great online resources for black maritime history research, including great links from the Library of Congress and the American Merchant Marine at War

The physical exhibit will be on display throughout February in the Library’s foyer area:

• A slideshow presentation on black maritime history
• A display case featuring archival photographs, yearbooks, and biographical information on notable African-American Maritime College alums, Carl Frederick Burnett and Walter Womack Branford. Additional photographs highlight an exchange program with Liberia in 1961, during which four Liberian students were sponsored by the African American Institute to attend Maritime College and study Marine Transportation for one year
• A selection of books from our collection highlighting prominent African-Americans in maritime and military history.

Walter Womack Bradford,
Second African-American
Graduate of Maritime College

The display gives the Library an opportunity to highlight aspects of both our circulating collection and our Archives. Though the books on display can be found through a simple Sextant Catalog search, several of the historic photographs required quite a bit of sleuthing. This is particularly true of the rarely-seen photos featuring several Liberian students who attended Maritime College in 1961 in partnership with the African-American Institute. After the photographs were discovered serendipitously in the Luce Library Archives, librarians uncovered background information on the mysterious pictures by cross-referencing the approximate date of their attendance with yearbooks and old Porthole editions.

The photos on display give a glimpse into black history and also illustrate Maritime College’s role in seeking to connect the international and multicultural maritime community.