20th Century African American Resources - Civil Rights & Race Relations

Civil Rights and Race Relations

Cincinnati Human Relations Commission
The goal of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission is to help promote equal opportunities for members of all racial, religious, ethnic and economic groups in Cincinnati. It was preceeded by the Mayor's Friendly Relations Committee, which was established in 1943. More information

College Hill Forum
Mss 670
The College Hill Forum was organized in 1967 in response to the increasing number of African Americans moving into the community. The Forum worked to promote a community spirit in College Hill and to develop mutual respect among the residents. The group addressed such issues as education, housing, recreation, city-community relations, and the Colerain expressway. For more information, a register to the Forum's records is available in the Library. Request this

Every Voice Counts! : A Poetry Anthology for Youth
Edited by the Arts Consortium of Cincinnati
Pamphlet 811 A792
The Arts Consortium was established in 1972 in Cincinnati's West End as a nonprofit organization offering instruction in art, music, dance and drama. This volume is a compilation of poems by Cincinnati youths following the shooting death of Timothy Thomas in 2001. The poems reflect on his death and on the state of race relations in Cincinnati. View catalog record Request this

Fellowship House
Mss 932
The Fellowship House of Cincinnati was organized in the 1940s with the goal of developing projects and activities for people of all races and creeds to help them grow in understanding and appreciation for each other. The Fellowship House was one of the first organizations to start programs to include all races. Some of its activities included doll talks, plays, awards dinners and theater parties. The Fellowship House collection contains minutes and other records from 1950 to 1969. An inventory for this collection is available in the Library. Request this

NAACP Cincinnati Chapter
The Cincinnati branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was established in 1915 with only 15 to 20 members. In its nearly 90-year history, the organization has worked tirelessly to realize racial equality. More information

Poor People's March
By Esther H. M. Power
Mss VF 665
Before his assassination on April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, was working on organizing a "Poor People's March on Washington" later that spring. The march arrived in Cincinnati on May 10th, and Christ Church offered to provide the marchers with dinner and a meeting place. Esther Power, who was one of the volunteers at Christ Church, recorded her remembrances of that day. Request this

Race and the City: Work, Community, and Protest in Cincinnati, 1820-1970
Edited by Henry Louis Taylor, Jr.
General 977.14 R118
This book examines the experiences of African Americans in Cincinnati from 1821 to 1970, including the efforts by the Mayor's Friendly Relations Committee and the Urban League to improve race relations. View catalog record Request this

Race in Cincinnati
By Stephen J. Simurda
Pamphlets f305.896 S614
Race in Cincinnati studies attitudes toward racism in Cincinnati in 1994. It analyses data gathered from a survey of individuals who either live or work in the city and from the discussions of four focus groups. A copy of the survey is included. View catalog record Request this

River Jordan: African American Urban Life in the Ohio Valley
By Joe William Trotter
General 977.00496 T858
This book by Joe Trotter examines African American life in four Ohio Valley cities: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville and Evansville. It covers the time period from the American Revolution to the mid-twentieth century. View catalog record Request this

Toward Interracial Cooperation
By the National Interracial Conference
General 155.82 N277
This 1925 conference on race relations was held in Cincinnati and was attended by 200 people, divided equally between the races. Rather than being just a report or a summary, this is a transcript of the discussions that were held with a summary of suggestions and recommendations at the end of the volume. View catalog record Request this

Urban League of Greater Cincinnati
The National Urban League was founded as the Committee on Urban Conditions Among Negroes on September 29, 1910 in New York City. A local chapter was not formed in Cincinnati until 1948. From 1917 to 1948, similar agencies assisted African Americans in the community. More information

Woman's City Club: A Pioneer in Race Relations
By Andrea Tuttle Kornbluh in Queen City Heritage, Vol. 44, No. 2, Summer 1986
General f906 H673
This essay focuses on the Woman's City Club during the years 1919 to 1964 and on their work to establish "communication between leaders of the black and white communities" as well as their later efforts at racial integration. Request this

Leaders of the African American Community
Many leaders in the African American community were pioneers in the areas of civil rights and race relations. Please see our Community Leaders page for more information about these individuals.