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African Americans in Tennessee (Special Collections)

This guide highlights primary sources and research materials in Special Collections related to the African American experience in East Tennessee from the late 18th century to present day.

Fisk University

1875 Ticket for a Fisk Jubilee Singers performance at the Masonic Hall.
1875 Ticket for a Fisk Jubilee Singers performance. Photograph from Volunteer Voices Digital Collections. 

The Story of the Jubilee Singers: With Their Songs. 1880 (ML400 .M34 1880b)

The Fisk University News. 1923-1924 (LC2851.F5 A2)

Report of the President of Fisk University. 1929-1939 (LC2851 .F494)

Progress at Fisk University: A Summary of Recent Years. 1930 (LC2851.F52 J6)

Fisk and the New Order, 1865-1935. 1935 (LC2851.F47 F5)

The Story of Music at Fisk University. 1938 (ML200.8 .N25 .F5 1938)

Knoxville College

A composite of Knoxville College student portraits.
Knoxville College Student Portraits from Volunteer Voices Digital Collection, provided by the Beck Cultural Exchange Center.

The Aurora (Student Newspaper). 1899-1976 (LC2851 .K5 A4)

Album of Knoxville College and Other Missions Among the Freedmen of the United Presbyterian Church. 1901 (BX8952 .A42 1901)

Knoxunior (Student Yearbook). 1923 (LC2851 .K5 K56)

Bulldog (Student Yearbook). 1984 (LC2851. K5 K56)

And There Was Light!: The 120-year History of Knoxville College, Knoxville Tennessee, 1875-1995. 1994 (LC2851.K5 B66 1994)

Secondary Schools

A group of African American students from Austin High School.
Austin High School, Knoxville, TN. From Volunteer Voices Digital Collections.

Austin East High School

The Echo (Knoxville Colored High School Yearbook). 1924, 1927 (LD7501.K56 E3)

School-Community Interaction at Austin East High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. 1971 (Thesis71.C768)

A Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the First Graduating Class of Austin-East High School, 1888-1988: A Photo Chronicle of Historic Achievement. 1988 (LD7501.K5 C45 1988)

Alumni of Austin High School Celebrate 120 Years of Memories, 1879-1999: A Photo Chronicle of Historic Events and Class Reunions. 1998 (LD7501.K5 A988 1998)

Other Schools

Annual Report of the Slater Training School. 1886 (LC2761 .A935)

Catalogue of Swift Memorial Institute. 1900-1901 (LC2852.R63 S92)

Annual Catalogue of the Swift Memorial Junior College of Tennessee. 1924-1925, 1933-1936 (LC2851 .S98)