Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow explores the African American struggle for full citizenship and racial equality that unfolded in the 50 years following the Civil War.
The exhibition highlights the ways African Americans advocated for full inclusion in American democracy from 1865 through World War I. Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow was created by the New-York Historical Society in collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Atlanta History Center has enhanced the exhibition with a focus on local stories and artifacts.
The exhibition features art, historical artifacts, photographs, and specially-created media pieces that illustrate transformative events in the past and their continuing relevance today. Programming created specifically for Atlanta audiences includes performances, lectures, discussion, and exploratory activities for visitors of all ages.
Virtual Tour
We invite you to meet Black Atlantans who made history as educators, artists, legislators, soldiers, and more.
This virtual tour offers the full content of the exhibition at Atlanta History Center, and was created by New-York Historical Society.
Voting Matters
African Americans embraced their newly acquired citizenship and took seriously their long-denied rights and responsibilities. Black men voted in large numbers and ran for office. Men and women joined patriotic clubs and local branches of the Republican Party. Black participation in local elections and state constitutional conventions created the first interracial governments in the United States. This demonstration of black citizenship aroused deep hostility among those who had only a few years earlier held African Americans as slaves.
Samuel C. Jollie (active 1857)
Ballot box, ca. 1857
Glass, iron
New-York Historical Society, Gift of George H. Dean
Lead support for the exhibition provided by National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
Major support provided by the Ford Foundation and Crystal McCrary and Raymond J. McGuire.
Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Lead local sponsors are The Rich Foundation, Victoria and Howard Palefsky, and The Thalia and Michael C. Carlos Foundation.
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Story
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Projects & Initiatives
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Exhibition
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