The ephemeral, or transitory, materials of print culture – newspapers, diaries, scrapbooks and more – are essential historical artifacts today as they often provide insights into what was left out of history books. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the materials of Black print culture were also instrumental in developing community and reflecting the Black experience.

In Black Expression in Black and White: A Quest for National Identity, visitors will learn how the editors, publishers, writers and creators of Black print materials drew on this sense of community to understand who they were as a culture, to fight for Black rights and to explore self expression through print mediums.The items on view include newspapers, scrapbooks, periodicals, books, manuscripts and more that underscore the impact of these print materials and the changes they generated. 

The exhibition is curated by Britney Henry, a doctoral candidate from UD’s Department of English. She is also an African American Public Humanities Initiatives Fellow (AAPHI) at UD.

The exhibition is on view February 6 - August 9, 2024, in the Lincoln Exhibition Case, which is located outside the Special Collections Gallery in Morris Library. It can be viewed during Morris Library’s operating hours. Admission is free.