Academic robe worn by Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole at Bennett College
date: label: Date
content: 2003
name: label: Designed by
content: Barbara Nicholson, American
label: Worn by
content: Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, American, born 1936
label: Subject of
content: Bennett College, American, founded 1873
notes: label: Description
content: An academic robe in blue and gold from Bennett College worn by Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole with custom designs by Barbara Nicholson. The robe is made from a blue synthetic fabric with the hem and the central front opening trimmed in a wide blue, gold, and black woven striped tape. There are three (3) stripes of a black, gold, and blue woven tape with a scrollwork design on each sleeve. Adinkra symbols are hand painted in gold at the center front neck, on each cuff, and four (4) around the bottom. Excerpts from poems by Maya Angelou are also hand painted in gold around the bottom of the robe. The robe closes at the center front with a metal zipper trimmed with a gold tassel at the top and bottom of the zipper. The cuffs close with blue Velcro. A cowrie shell is hand sewn at the upper seam of the proper left cuff above the gold painted symbol. Two (2) additional cowrie shells are hand sewn along the center back pleat of the robe. A blue twisted cord extends from the center back neck and loops around a blue plastic button to secure an academic hood to the robe.
place: label: Place used
content: Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America
label: Cultural Place
content: Ghana, West Africa, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: African diaspora
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Education
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
label: Topic
content: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Johnnetta Betsch Cole
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.209.4
objectType: label: Type
content: robes
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: synthetic fiber, cowrie shells, paint, metal zipper, tassels, and Velcro (TM)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (flat): 56 1/2 × 39 1/2 in. (143.5 × 100.3 cm)