The Amistad Research Center's civil rights holdings are unique in breadth and scope. The collections listed below contain invaluable information obtained from civil rights organizations, activists, politicians and scholars who were deeply committed to the Movement. This project gives researchers access to original sources linking some of the most significant civil rights organizations and the individuals closest to them.

Valuable holdings relating to the Modern Civil Rights Movement may be found scattered among several repositories. Clearly, the archives of colleges and universities, particularly those most closely associated with the Civil Rights Movement, will contain key organizational and legal documents and the papers of some major figures and/or events. However, the Amistad Research Center has a solid reputation among researchers for being a starting point for matters related to African American civil rights.

NEH Civil Rights Collections
Inez Adams Papers, 1914-1966. 3.5 linear feet. Dr. Inez Adams a professor of anthropology at Fisk University's, Department of Social Sciences (1949-1962), examined school desegregation and civil rights in the southern states from 1954-1958. She conducted surveys and interviews to document the development of social changes and local desegregation efforts in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia. She was in a unique position as a Caucasian to document white southern views of the Civil Rights movement. The papers document her professional life as a cultural anthropologist. The bulk of the collection dates from 1949 to 1962 and is rich with information gathered during the civil rights protests of the 1950s and early 1960s. The collection contains interview transcripts, poetry, research materials, correspondence and writings by Dr. Adams.

Carl M. Levin Papers, 1965-1977. 9 linear feet. Carl M. Levin a 1959 graduate of Harvard Law School became a member of the Detroit City Council in 1969 and served as President from 1974 to 1977. The bulk of the papers span the period when he served as a councilman. The records cover a broad range of projects and topics managed by the Detroit City Council including urban renewal and education. The collection, also includes court records for cases involving the council. The papers consist of research materials, correspondence, legal briefs, photographs, reports, architectural drawings and news clippings.

Nicholas Hood II Papers, 1941-1990. 37 linear feet. Reverend Nicholas Hood II was a graduate of Yale University Divinity School (1949) and pastor for the Central Congregational Church in New Orleans, Louisiana (1949-1958) and the Plymouth Congregational Church in Detroit, Michigan (1958-1984). He was active in the Civil Rights movement in Louisiana and active in promoting urban renewal programs as a member of the Detroit Common Council (1965-1989). The papers document his education and professional career and consist of records generated during his tenure as a city official and cleric.