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Leandre Jackson photographs of Black student life at Swarthmore College

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Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Leandre Jackson, a professional photographer, graduated from Swarthmore College in 1975 and served as Director of Swarthmore's Black Cultural Center 1975-1977 (full time from 1975-1976 and part time from 1976-1977. This collection consist of photographs taken by Leandre Jackson and displayed in a February 2015 exhibition at the Swarthmore College Library entitled "Proof of Black Life."

Introduction to the Exhibition, by Allison Dorsey, Professor of History at Swarthmore College: "It was as if blacks were invisible"—Swarthmore Alumna. Proof of life makes the "invisible" visible and bears witness to black student life at Swarthmore College beyond the 1968-1972 black student protests. Jackson's photographs stand as evidence of the rich community life black students created for themselves. These images capture black students engaged in the academic, social, and sport life of the College. The photographs also reveal intimate moments of connections among black students as they studied together, ate together, created dance and music together. These photographs were selected from a vast collection of images for their historic value, their beauty, and their warmth. Together, the exhibit reframes the conversation about the past. It was not so much that black students were invisible as it was that many others at the college experienced a failure of sight."

This collection consists of digital prints of photographs by Leandre Jackson. The original negatives and/or prints were retained by Jackson. Most of the photographs date from from the 1970s, when Leandre Jackson was a student at Swarthmore (1970-1975) and Director of the Black Cultural Center (1977). There are also some photographs of reunions in the 1990s. The photographs depict the lives of African and African American students at Swarthmore College, including the Black Cultural Center (BCC), Swarthmore African American Student Society (SASS), Gospel Choir, and more.

Three enlargements have been removed to oversize "Student Life." The framed prints used in the exhibition were given to the Black Cultural Center.

Publisher
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Author
Zoe Peyton Jones
Finding Aid Date
2018
Access Restrictions

This collection is available for research use.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is retained by Leandre Jackson. SWARTHMORE COLLEGE is free to enter into separate license agreements with third parties interested in using the photographs as long as a photo credit is attached to each image and all third parties are informed that the original copyright for the image remains with the photographer and copyright owner LEANDRE JACKSON.

Collection Inventory

0001. Members of SASS in front of BCC.
Box 1 Folder 1
0002. Members of SASS on lawn in front of BCC.
Box 1 Folder 1
0003A. Black Alumni Reunion Photo [alternate pose] BCC 1995.
Box 1 Folder 1
0003B. Black Alumni Reunion Photo in front of BCC 1995.
Box 1 Folder 1
0004. James Batton '72 at his home with his brother.
Box 1 Folder 1
0005. James Batton '72 at his home with his brother and friends.
Box 1 Folder 1
0006. Bill Collins '74.
Box 1 Folder 1
0007. Audrey Dean '75, Glen Porter '73.
Box 1 Folder 1
0008. Cynthia Jetter '74 and daughters at Alumni Reunion weekend at BCC.
Box 1 Folder 1
0009. Randy Connell '76 and father at graduation.
Box 1 Folder 1
0010. Unlabeled, Graduation.
Box 1 Folder 1
0011. Carolyn Mitchell '74 with Andrea Young '75.
Box 1 Folder 2
0012. Carolyn Mitchell '74 performing at Lang.
Box 1 Folder 2
0013. Carolyn Mitchell '74 performing at Lang.
Box 1 Folder 2
0014. Unlabeled, Portrait.
Box 1 Folder 2
0015. Pres. Friend awards diploma.
Box 1 Folder 2
0016. Pool Game at Sharples.
Box 1 Folder 2
0017. Unlabeled, Portrait.
Box 1 Folder 2
0018. Watching TV at BCC.
Box 1 Folder 2
0020. Unlabeled, Portrait.
Box 1 Folder 2
0021. Studying at front desk at Sharples.
Box 1 Folder 3
0022. Study session at Sharples.
Box 1 Folder 3
0023. Unlabeled, Small group.
Box 1 Folder 3
0024. Unlabeled, Class in Lang.
Box 1 Folder 3
0026. Dance Rehearsal.
Box 1 Folder 3
0027. Dance Rehearsal, double exposure.
Box 1 Folder 3
0028. Dance Rehearsal.
Box 1 Folder 3
0029. Dance Rehearsal [William Kirk '74, Celeste Alston '75].
Box 1 Folder 3
0030. Dance Ensemble 1974.
Box 1 Folder 3
0031. Dance Ensemble 1975.
Box 1 Folder 4
0032. Dance Ensemble 1975.
Box 1 Folder 4
0033. Dance Ensemble 1971.
Box 1 Folder 4
0034. William Kirk '74.
Box 1 Folder 4
0035. Diana Finch '75.
Box 1 Folder 4
0036. Chris Edley '73.
Box 1 Folder 4
0037. Sherry Bellamy '74, Michelle Palmer '74.
Box 1 Folder 4
0038. Sherry Bellamy '74.
Box 1 Folder 4
0039. Sherry Bellamy '74.
Box 1 Folder 4
0040. Angela Mercer '73 [double exposure].
Box 1 Folder 4
0041. Unlabeled, Soccer Game.
Box 1 Folder 5
0042. Unlabeled, Soccer Game.
Box 1 Folder 5
0043. Unlabeled, Soccer Game.
Box 1 Folder 5
0044. Unlabeled, Soccer Game.
Box 1 Folder 5
0045. Unlabeled, Basketball Game.
Box 1 Folder 5
0046. Unlabeled, Basketball Game.
Box 1 Folder 5
0047. Unlabeled, Basketball in Fieldhouse.
Box 1 Folder 5
0048. Unlabeled, Couple's Portrait.
Box 1 Folder 5
0049. Unlabeled, Students in Sharples.
Box 1 Folder 5
0050. Unlabeled, Students.
Box 1 Folder 5
0051. Gospel Choir Concert.
Box 1 Folder 6
0052. Vaneese Thomas '74 leading Gospel Choir Concert.
Box 1 Folder 6
0053. Gospel Choir at Alumni Weekend.
Box 1 Folder 6
0054. Dance Ensemble 1976.
Box 1 Folder 6
0055. Unlabeled, Soccer and Onlookers.
Box 1 Folder 6
0056. Unlabeled, Students playing Baseball.
Box 1 Folder 6
0057. Nancy Kilson, Bill Collins.
Box 1 Folder 6
0058. Gospel Choir circa 1973.
Box 1 Folder 6
0059. Graduation Ceremony 1976.
Box 1 Folder 6
0060. Unlabeled, Singer (Possibly Alumni Weekend 1995).
Box 1 Folder 6
0061. Unlabeled, Singer (Possibly Alumni Weekend 1995).
Box 1 Folder 7
0062. Unlabeled, Singer (Possibly Alumni Weekend 1995).
Box 1 Folder 7
0063. Unlabeled, (Possibly Alumni Weekend 1995).
Box 1 Folder 7
0064. Unlabeled, Singer (Possibly Alumni Weekend 1995).
Box 1 Folder 7
0065. Alumni Weekend 1995.
Box 1 Folder 7
0066. Alumni Weekend 1995.
Box 1 Folder 7
0067. Alumni Weekend 1995.
Box 1 Folder 7
0068. Alumni Weekend 1995.
Box 1 Folder 7
0069. Alumni Weekend 1995.
Box 1 Folder 7
Copy of 0048, Couple's Portrait.
Box 1 Folder 8
Prof. Thomas Blackburn.
Box 1 Folder 8
Pool Game.
Box 1 Folder 8
Portrait.
Box 1 Folder 8
Group standing in hallway.
Box 1 Folder 8
Classroom.
Box 1 Folder 8
Students studying.
Box 1 Folder 8
Dance/Theatre.
Box 1 Folder 8
On card stock; Portrait, Piano at Lang.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Outdoors.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Copy of 0036, Chris Edley '73.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Studying.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Fieldwork.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Studying.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Outdoors.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Lounge.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Typing.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Walking, Parrish Beach.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Keyboard.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Portrait, Outdoors.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Copy of 0020, Reading in Library.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Copy of 0034, William Kirk '74.
Box 1 Folder 9
On card stock; Students studying in Lounge.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Students playing Jacks.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Students playing Pool.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Students, Games in lounge.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Students, Games in lounge.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Students, Jump rope, Volleyball.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Students watching TV.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Students' Discussion.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Group meeting.
Box 1 Folder 10
On card stock; Individual dancer.
Box 1 Folder 11
On card stock; Individual dancer.
Box 1 Folder 11
On card stock; Individual dancer.
Box 1 Folder 11
On card stock; Dance class.
Box 1 Folder 11
On card stock; Dance rehearsal.
Box 1 Folder 11
On card stock; Misc. books.
Box 1 Folder 11
On card stock; Professor and class.
Box 1 Folder 11
On card stock; Professor and class.
Box 1 Folder 11
CD: "POSTERS" - probably the photographs enlarged for framing.
Duplicate of image 0002; SASS members in front of BCC.
Duplicate of image 0054; Swarthmore College Black Dance Troup.
Duplicate of image 0033; Swarthmore College Black Dance Troup (circa 1970) "The Originals".

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