Documents and Collections

Documents and Collections Guide to Twentiethcentury African American Resources 11 February 2004 the Cincinnati Historical Society I.ibrary,Cincinnati Museum Center. it Union Terminal , added a Guide to twentiethcentury African American Resources to its online catil(, g (http:// library .cincymuseum.org).African Americans have played a vital role in the history of Greater Cincinnati . Their struggles for freedom, equality,justice, opportunity and recognition have taken place and continue to take place in our streets,homes,churches,schools, governments ind work places. African Americans are woven ina) every fabric of Cincinliati's rich historical tapestry;however, their part in () ur region's history is too rarely told or heard. The Guide tc)twentiethcentury African American Resources at the Cincinnati Historical Society Library is a preliminary research tool to help students of history uncover the important roles played by African Americans in Greater Cincinnati's history. The Guide c overs selected twentiethcentury resources held by the Cincinnati Historical Socidf contain more resources on African Americans than was practical to incoiporate iii tlie Guide. For example , the LibrarY has extensive hc, ldings regarding African Americans in twentiethcentury Cincinnati and also his materials that discuss African American issues on the state or national level. The Guide is organized by subject categories, such as education, housing, and sports. Within these categories,the Guide provides basic int(, rmation . iliout tiumer( us iiidividuals . ind institutions 41Pf. ff ALI.EX Th:Mi•i.E AFRICAN M. E. (' III' R(' it. C„:·. 1!nia, lii. i, wd S, ith 19th century, sc, nic African Americans in Cinciniiati worshiped at the white Methodist Episcopal churches, but they were treated in a diseriniinatory inanner. Following one camp meeting,African Americans Rev. James Kiilg and Rev. Phillip Brodie decided they could no longer tolerate the prejudicial treatment they had received. In 1824, soon after hearing of the new African Methodist Episcopal church founded by Richard Allen in Philadelphia, King and Brodie founded Cincinnati's A.M.E. congregation . As the small grozip grew, it relocated to several different buildings near the African American district of Gth and Broadway. Some of the early 65 DOCUMENTS AND COLLECTIONS churches were called " I. ittle Red Church on the Green," " Old Lime H() use," " Bethel Creek," and Allen Chapel," named after A.M.E. founder,Rev. Richard Allen. Continued growth and increasing vandalism at Allen Chapel forced the congregation to seek yet another location. In 1870, the congregation bought the former Bene Israel Synagogue at 538 Broadway. The congregation named its new home Allen Temple. The first years there were financially difficult due to the money owed to the Bene Israel congregatic)11 ind to d. iniages ciused by a fire in 1874. Several charity groups formed to help ease these financial burdens. After satisfying the debts of the coltgregation , these groups formed the basis for subsequent social and welfare work. Allen Temple began the twentiethcentury with 800 members and continued to thrive. However,as the African American community began to migrate from the downtown area, the congregation m: ide several attempts to sell its building and move to a new location. Finally, in 1979, the Allen Temple congregation moved to Roselawn Baptist Church on Reading Road. In 1998,Allen Temple bought Swifton Commons Mall in Bond Hill and made plans to build a church center there. The congregation began to worship at this new location in 2000. The Cincinnati Historical Society Library collections include six printed works and the Allen Temple AME Church Special Photograph Collection,which includes photographs, slides and negatives of the renovation of Allen Temple in the 1970s. NAACP Cincinnati Chapter The Cincinnati branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP) was established in 1915 by 15 to 20 inaugural members. At the tiine, many Americans thought the organization was radical, and members were often afraid of losing their jobs if employers discovered their membership. The group had no office and met in members' homes. One ot its earliest successes was the elimination of the sepaJINCI % N,% TI BR/ INCH National Association fur The Advancilment of Colored People 3581 READING ROAD REV W HENDERSON, ,i Vi.* i.., BOARD Mfh, 805 Aizy orD M Berry Atbe 8(: h Dr...