“I Shall Not Be Moved”: Black Student Life at Tulane, 1963-2023

Tulane University Special Collections announces a new exhibition: “I Shall Not Be Moved”: Black Student Life at Tulane, 1963-2023

On view from April 20, 2023 – September 22, 2023

In July 2020, Tulane’s Black Student Union released a list of demands and expectations calling for an “Institutional revolution.” It was a call that referenced and echoed the demands released in 1968 by tBSU’s predecessors, the Afro-American Congress of Tulane. Among ACT’s many “orders of discourse” were a call for the establishment of an academic program focused on Black history and culture, and for the library to increase representations of Black American voices and experiences among its collections and resources.

In light of these calls for action, Tulane University Special Collections is pleased to partner with tBSU to mount a new exhibition that highlights and contextualizes Black student life at Tulane. “I Shall Not Be Moved”: Black Student Life at Tulane, 1963-2023 seeks to activate the historical record by inviting conversation between tBSU’s past and present. Featuring materials from Tulane University Archives and the Rare Books collection, the items on display were selected by tBSU’s Executive Board with the assistance of TUSC archivists and librarians. The exhibition’s title, chosen by tBSU, quotes Maya Angelou’s 1990 poem, “Our Grandmothers,” which celebrates the power and agency of her Black ancestors and community. The poem is featured in a limited-edition folio illustrated by the artist and educator John Biggers; the folio will be on view during the exhibition.

“I Shall Not Be Moved”: Black Student Life at Tulane, 1963-2023 opens April 20, 2023, with a public reception from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Tulane University Special Collections 2nd Floor Gallery, 6801 Freret Street, Jones Hall, on Tulane University’s Uptown campus. The exhibition will remain on view through September 22, 2023, from 10:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday. Admission is free and open to the public.

Special thanks to Tulane University Archivist Ann Case, Head of Research Services and Rare Books Curator Agnieszka Czeblakow, Special Collections Library Associate Faye Daigle, and Coordinator for Exhibits and Outreach Kevin Williams for their work to facilitate and mount this exhibition.

For more information contact: Kevin Williams, Coordinator for Exhibits & Outreach, Tulane University Special Collections (504) 247-1836 kevinw@tulane.edu

Published: 4/7/2023