Penn School Papers and Penn Center of the Sea Islands
Dublin Core
Title
Penn School Papers and Penn Center of the Sea Islands
Subject
Penn School from 1862 to 1948 and Penn Center from 1951 to 2022
Description
Primary sources documenting Penn School and Penn Center
Creator
Penn Center Inc.
Source
Penn School Papers, 1862-2005 and undated (bulk 1862-1949);
Penn Center of the Sea Islands Records, 1942-2012
Penn Center of the Sea Islands Records, 1942-2012
Publisher
UNC Libraries: Wilson Special Collections Library
Date
1862-2022
Rights
Use of this item is controlled by Penn Center, Inc. Please do not contribute to the erasure of their story by using it without their permission. You can call 843-838-2432 or email info@penncenter.com to learn more about the history of St. Helena's Island
Collection Items
A brochure cover depicting three black girls and text.
A brochure cover depicting three black girls and text.
A Penn School postcard by Winold Reiss featuring a portrait of a young black man holding sugar cane.
A Penn School postcard by Winold Reiss featuring a portrait of a young black man holding sugar cane.
A photo of nine black and white Penn Center staff members.
As the first executive director of Penn Center, Courtney Siceloff (pictured sitting center), and his wife Elizabeth Siceloff, emphasized that the direction of the new Penn Center be guided St. Helena’s black population, as they “determine their needs…
A photo of eleven black children raising their fists.
A photo of eleven black children raising their fists.
A predominately black group of people sitting in a circle.
A predominately black group of people sitting in a circle.
![A green booklet entitled "Got Land Problems?"](https://exhibits.lib.unc.edu/files/square_thumbnails/bc4a80d102136576d35205dc4ba31c49.jpg "A green booklet entitled "Got Land Problems?"")
A photo of Emory Campbell wearing a grey suit, delivering a speech to a black and white church congregation.
Emory Campbell wearing a grey suit, delivering a speech to a black and white church congregation.
A typescript of Emory Campbell's Heritage Day remarks from 1981.
A typescript of Emory Campbell's Executive Director Heritage Day remarks from 1981.
A pamphlet page featuring a photo of black children saluting the American flag.
The history of the Penn School makes it hard to understand which position black Americans occupy in American society. When former slaves had an opportunity to openly learn about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they volunteered…
The Laura M. Towne Library in the 1960s, patrons reading and librarians working.
The Laura M. Towne Library in the 1960s; patrons are reading, while librarians Ethel Bailey and Wilhelmina Barnwell work.
A typescript about the Laura M. Towne Library typed by Agnes C. Sherman
A typescript about the Laura M. Towne Library typed by Agnes C. Sherman
A typescript outlining the opening of the York W. Bailey Museum
A typescript outlining the opening of the York W. Bailey Museum, typed by Jane W. Sapp and Agnes C. Sherman
A prominent wall with portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln under the title "Portraits and Promises"
![A prominent wall with portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln under the title "Portraits and Promises"](https://exhibits.lib.unc.edu/files/square_thumbnails/f6905d361638675b9d3aa0530edb284d.jpg "A prominent wall with portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln under the title "Portraits and Promises"")
A 1988 Sam Doyle art exhibit entitled "Portraits and Promises" at the York W. Bailey Museum at Penn Center.
A group of children saluting an American flag
The history of the Penn School makes it hard to understand which position black Americans occupy in American society. When former slaves had an opportunity to openly learn about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they volunteered…
Penn Normal Industrial and Agricultural fund-raising brochure page
Penn Normal Industrial and Agricultural fund-raising brochure page
A black and white photo of a group of black men wearing suits in front of a building.
A black and white photo of a group of black men wearing suits in front of the newly constructed Cope Industrial building on Penn School campus.
Two black young women cleaning the floor, one of the young women looking directly into the camera.
“They go to land-grant colleges, normal schools, and learn how to do the white man’s work with refinement: home economics to prepare his food; teacher education to instruct black children in obedience; music to soothe the weary master and entertain…
A cross-generational group of black people, interweaving their arms and holding hands.
A cross-generational group of black people, interweaving their arms and holding hands.
A scrapbook page containing two polaroid pictures and typed text below describing the pictures.
The museum also preserved the oral history narratives of Gullah and Geechee elders, enhancing the museum’s folklore holdings. The York W. Bailey Museum remains a vital cultural preservation space for Penn Center operators to curate and tell their own…
A black man wearing a suit and praying with his eyes closed, accompanied by three people behind him.
Rev. Ervin Greene praying during the 1994 Heritage Festival.
A black Deacon wearing a suit, accompanied by a choir behind him (I).
November 10, 1988 Heritage Singout
A black Deacon wearing a suit, accompanied by a choir behind him (II).
November 10, 1988 Heritage Singout