The Center for Black Music Research Collection contains materials reflecting many areas of black music including composers, ethnomusicologists, music researchers, music journalists, scores, published music, and audiovisual collections across all genres. These collection guides, or finding aids, provide access to information about held archival special collections. Each guide describes the organization and scope of a collection and offers content information, allowing researchers to discover relevant information.
Many musical works listed in these collection guides are handwritten; those listed with a publisher's name are printed. Please check the guides for more information
Additional collection guides will be added as they are completed.
To make inquiries or ask questions, please contact archives@colum.edu
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Guide to the Robert A. Harris Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Robert Allen Harris is a composer, conductor of choral music, and choir clinician. The collection reflects his work as a choir director and professor as well as his published and unpublished compositions, primarily of choral music, recordings, and works from other composers are also present.
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Guide to the Society of Black Composers Records
Columbia College Chicago
The Society of Black Composers was founded by a group of composers in the New York City area in 1968 and ceased operation in 1973. The collection houses the organizational records of the Society.
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Guide to the Sue Cassidy Clark Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Sue Cassidy Clark is a music journalist and photographer who specialized in soul, gospel, and rock music in the late 1960s and early 1970s and the collection contains her recorded interviews, interview transcripts, and other research materials for her interviews of the musical pioneers she interviewed.
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Guide to the Talib Rasul Hakim Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Talib Rasul Hakim was born Stephen Alexander Chambers and was an educator, musician, and composer. This collection contains his early scores and notes on the performance of his compositions will prove invaluable to performers and scholars.
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Guide to the Theodore Charles Stone Collection
Columbia College Chicago
Theodore Charles Stone was a Chicago-based opera singer and journalist who served as president of both the National Association of Negro Musicians and Chicago Music Association. The collection provides insight into the African American operatic music scene throughout the 20th century.