The American Negro Exhibit was created by W.E.B. Dubois and first appeared in the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle, where it received seventeen awards. It presented a collection of materials to illustrate the progress of the Negro race in the United States since emancipation from slavery in 1863.

The African American citizens of Buffalo, including the prominent advocate Mary Talbert, called for a similar exhibition at the Pan American devoted to the advancement of Black people. The aim of the exhibit was to show the history, present condition, literature, and education of the freedman. There were about 65 statistical charts, 600 charts of photographs and miscellaneous material, 300 books by negro authors and a series of 9 models which typified the evolution of the negro from emancipation to the present time. The negro exhibit was to show the actual status of the colored people and prove their value as laborers, producers, and citizens.

Article courtesy of the Buffalo Historical Society


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