Program in African American Culture Collection
name: label: Collector
content: Maltsby, Portia
label: Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Program in African American Culture
topic: label: Topic
content: Civil rights
label: Topic
content: African American history
label: Topic
content: African American religion
label: Topic
content: Gospel music
label: Topic
content: African Americans -- Music
label: Topic
content: Civil rights movements
label: Topic
content: Jazz
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection created by the Program in African Amerian Culture at the Smithsonian Institution from 1979-1986.
creator: label: Collector
content: Maltsby, Portia
label: Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Program in African American Culture
setName: label: See more items in
content: Program in African American Culture Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection primarily documents the activities of the National Museum of American History's Program in African American Culture (PAAC) dating from 1979 through 2004.  The Program in African American Culture (PAAC) created public programs documenting the black experience in the United States, as well as, other countries. Archival materials include photographs, programs, administrative files, magnetic tape, audiocassettes, U-matic and VHS video cassettes.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The Program in African American Culture (PAAC) is a Smithsonian Institution research and programming office located in the National Museum of American History that was created as an outgrowth of the African Diaspora component of the 1975 and 1976 Festival of American Folklife. Founding director, Bernice Johnson Reagon, developed the Program in Black Culture, as the PAAC was originally, as a center for researching and presenting topics of interest to the study of African American history and culture. Reagon is a song leader, composer, scholar, and social activist, who was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Freedom Singers in the Albany Movement in Georgia. The Program, which was transferred to the National Museum of American History in 1983, provided, and continues to provide, a forum for the presentation of traditional and historical forms of African American cultural expression. To accomplish this, Program in African American Culture (PAAC) staff conducted thorough research, which resulted in public programs including conferences, concerts, colloquia, and seminars on a wide range of topics.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 100 Cubic feet (309 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1850-2004, undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0408
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Audiocassettes
label: Type
content: Audiotapes
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into four series.


Series 1, Programs Files, 1979-2004, undated

Series 2, Research Files, 1850-1995, undated

Series 3, Administrative Files, 1850-1995, undated

Series 4, Interviews, Speaking Engagements and Performances, 1964-2000, undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed by Bryanna Bauer, intern, 2018; Stacey Coates, intern, 1992; Vicki Crawley, intern, 1990?; Kenya Doyle, intern, 2004; Julia S. Gibson, intern, 2019; Sarah Gould, intern, 1997; Ida Jones, archivist, 1997; Melissa Kaufman, intern, 2004; Danielle Snyder, intern, 2002; Justine Thomas, intern, 2018; Wendy A. Shay, archivist, 2004; and Vanessa Broussard- Simmons, archivist, 2019. Select audiovisual media items were digitized between 2020 and 2021.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Select audiovisual media items from this collection were digitized between 2020 and 2021.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Audiocassettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 1980-2000
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists primarily of administrative files, audio, video, and photographic documentation of the programs presented by the Program in African American Culture (PAAC) from 1979 through 2004. There is a substantial amount of material documenting research conducted by the Program in African American Culture (PAAC) for its programming. In addition, administrative paperwork relating to the day-to-day activities of the Program in African American Culture (PAAC) are also included in the materials. 

The collection is divided into four series.  Series one consists of the material created for each program and is arranged in chronological order.  Series two contains background materials and publications relating to subjects of program interest and is arranged in alphabetical order.  Series three includes correspondence, contracts, resumes of presenters and performers and other forms of administrative files. Series four are materials relating to Smithsonian Institution or outside programs and performances.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History


Duke Ellington Collection (NMAH.AC0301)


Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (NMAH.AC0415)


Eugene D. Smallwood Gospel Music Collection (NMAH.AC0456)


Wade in the Water Radio Series Collection (NMAH.AC0516)


Moses Moon Civil Rights Movement Audio Collection (NMAH.AC0556)


Bernice Reagon Johnson Collection of African American Sacred Music (NMAH.AC0653)


Edward and Gaye Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (NMAH.AC0704)


Ruth Koenig Mississippi Summer Collection (NMAH.AC0558)


Ed King Collection of Civil Rights Material (NMAH.AC0559)

Smithsonian Institution


Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections


Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1969 Festival of American Folklife (CFCH.SFF.1969)


Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, June 25-July 6, 1997 (CFCH.SFF.1997)


Diana Davies Photographs (CFCH.DAVIE)

Smithsonian Institution Archivesemph>


Oral History Interview with Bernice Reagon Johnson, 1986
(Accession 009612)


National Museum of American History, Program in African American Culture, 1982-2002 (Accession 05-116)


National Museum of American History, Program in African American Culture, 1983-2004 (Accession 06-002)


National Museum of American History, Program in African American Culture, 1972-1999 (Accession 08-107)


National Museum of American History, Program in African American Culture, 1975-2000 (Accession 12-102)


National Museum of American History, Program in African American Culture, 1976-1999 (Accession 12-358)


National Museum of American History, Program in African American Culture, 1980-1992, 1961 (Accession 96-147)


Duke Ellington Collection Records, circa 1985-1993 (Accession 98-129)


National Museum of American History, Program in Black American Culture, circa 1976-1987 (Accession 98-136)


Smithsonian Institution. Division of Performing Arts (Accession 84-012)