Years of Hardship: Colonialism in the Horn of Africa 1935-1941
The mid-twentieth century was the apex of colonial rule in world history. In the 1930s, more than three-quarters of the world was divided between the various European empires, and most Africans and Asians lived under some form of foreign domination.
A pivotal moment of this era was the Italian occupation of Ethiopia. In 1935, the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) launched the invasion of Ethiopia, then one of only two independent countries in Africa, and the following year, he announced the establishment of a new colony called Africa Orientale Italiana (AOI), merging Ethiopia with the existing Italian colonies of Eritrea and Somalia. Meanwhile, Emperor Haylä Sellasé (1892-1975) and his government went into exile in Palestine and Britain, where they coordinated the international and guerilla anticolonial resistance until the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941. The events of these “Years of Hardship,” as they were later called in Ethiopia, shaped the lives of millions of people, and they continue to reverberate in our contemporary world.
This exhibit examines the rise and fall of Italian colonialism in the Horn of Africa through the lives of individual Ethiopians, Eritreans, and Italians, drawing upon the materials from the Robert L. Hess Collection.
The Young Women’s Christian Association of Brooklyn was formed in December 1887 when a group of 30 women, inspired by associations in Baltimore, Boston, and New York City, voted to establish an organization for the empowerment of young women.
The goals of these associations were to help and support women in a changing industrial world. Women needed jobs, and training in order to get them. Along with its wide variety of classes and affordable housing options, the YWCA provided a space for women and girls to meet and socialize. One of the first endeavors for the brand-new organization was an Employment Bureau through which the young women could find jobs to match their new skills. Shortly after they established the Employment Bureau, the Brooklyn YWCA opened the United States’ first school of practical nursing (1890).
After opening an African American branch in 1903, and an International Institute in 1919, Brooklyn was the first YWCA in the country to fully integrate its programs and residences, in 1943. In the 1970’s the Young Women’s Christian Association of Brooklyn became a secular organization, and changed its name to the YWCA of Brooklyn. Through its continually evolving programs and services, the YWCA continues to strive toward achieving social justice and the goals of its current slogan: “Eliminating Racism, Empowering Women.”
Today, the YWCA Brooklyn furthers its mission by providing over 300 safe, permanent, affordable homes for low-income and formerly homeless women, most of whom are survivors of gender-based violence; a college access program serving low-income girls of color; education, employment readiness and legal assistance for immigrant women; social justice advocacy; and a community center that is a nexus for over 100 progressive grassroots organizations to come together as one vibrant community driving civic engagement, responsible development, gender and racial justice, economic equity, education, and activism. To learn more about the Brooklyn YWCA, visit http://www.ywcabklyn.org.
Ethiopia and Beyond: Recent Additions to the Hess Collection
Robert L. Hess was a noted scholar of Ethiopian History who served as president of Brooklyn College from 1979 to 1992. In 1993, the Robert L. Hess Collection in African and Ethiopian history was deeded to the Brooklyn College Library by the late-President Hess’s widow, Frances A. Hess. Mrs. Hess has endowed a fund which allows the college to both care for and add to Dr. Hess’ Collection. The Hess Collection on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa currently contains more than 5,000 volumes.
The link above directs to an online exhibit featuring a sample of the recent additions and donations to Dr. Hess’ collection. It is composed of artifacts that were donated from the Hess family to the Brooklyn College Archives, in 2016, featuring baskets, paintings, and other artifacts related to the culture and religions of Ethiopia.
Acclaimed Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso had severe eye problems. At the age of nineteen, after many operations for detached retinas in both eyes, young Alicia received a prognosis that changed her life: she would never again be able to dance. In the months she lied motionless in bed, the ballerina rehearsed in her head and with her fingertips. Every day she danced with her hands, working on Giselle.
Her vision was permanently damaged, and she had to learn how to walk and see again. It was a long recovery time, but Alonso was able to go back to dancing, first as an instructor. In a turn of events, Alicia was invited to perform Giselle at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, even though she had only rehearsed that ballet in her mind.
The life of this courageous dancer is portrayed in Beatrice Siegel's book: Alicia Alonso, the Story of a Ballerina. Both the book and the writer's papers are housed in the Brooklyn College Archives and Special Collections. This exhibit features research materials assembled by Beatrice Siegel while she was writing Alicia's biography.
Flatbush and the Junction: A Pictorial Journey
Flatbush and Flatlands, which were originally settled by the Dutch, were two of the six original towns that make up the modern borough of Brooklyn. Dutch settlers acquired the land from the Lenape Indians. In 1636 Flatlands, then called new Amersfoordt (after a town in Holland), was sold to Governor Wouter Van Twiller, who divided the land among himself, Andries Hudde, Wolphet Gerritsen, and Jacobus van Corlear. In 1652, Governor Peter Stuyvesant authorized the establishment of the town of Midwout (now Flatbush). The Lenape tribe that lived in Canarsee was not pleased, and demanded payment. After some resistance, the Governor relented and the tribe was paid. One of the earliest residents of Midwout was indentured servant Jan Aertsen Van-der-bilt, great-great-great-grandfather of "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Flatlands is a quiet neighborhood today, and its outlines can be seen on the 1873 and 1890 maps, just south and east of Flatbush. The boundaries of Flatbush today vary depending on who's describing them, but it roughly begins at Parkside and Ocean Avenues at the southwest entrance of Prospect Park, includes some of Coney Island Avenue on the west, and spans east to Nostrand Avenue, while Avenue H marks part of its southern edge. The path of Flatbush Avenue follows an old Native American trail.
The towns remainded agricultural into the 19th century. The area was rich farmland, and colonists grew vegetables and tobacco, as well as raising livestock. Jamaica Bay was a rich source of clams. The coming of the railroad to Flatbush in 1878, and horsecar service to Flatlands in 1875 encouraged development in both areas. More growth occurred with the annexation of both towns into greater Brooklyn - Flatbush in 1894 and Flatlands in 1896. Farmland became housing developments such as Vanderveer Park.
The opening of the Brooklyn College campus in fall 1937 marked yet another change for the Flatbush and Flatlands neighborhoods, which continue to evolve today, as seen in the photographs in this exhibit. Many of the images are courtesy of the BRIAN MERLIS Collection/oldNYCphotos.com. More images of the area and the campus can be found in the Archives, along with many books about the history of this area and Brooklyn in general.
Magisterial Feminae, 1930 -1980
This exhibition focuses on the contributions made by the Magisterial Feminae—female professors who taught premodernity in various disciplines between 1930-1980 C.E. at Brooklyn College. The Feminae presented here includes faculty from multiple departments: Classics, Art, English, Government, History, or Modern Languages and Literatures. This exhibition contains four major threads: the history and academic achievements of premodernist women faculty, the history of the Latin/Greek Institute, discrimination faced by women in the academy, and Humanities at Brooklyn College. More information on this exhibit can be found here.
Ethiopia and the West: Highlights from the Robert L. Hess Collection
Located in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia has a rich history as well as one of the world's oldest literary traditions. This exhibit explores this history and literature, taking its inspiration from the title of a book by the mid-twentieth century Ethiopian poet, playwright, and historian Käbbädä Mika'él. In it, Käbbädä Mika'él examined Ethiopia's role in world history from the classical era through the turbulent twentieth century, paying particular attention to the complex modern relationship between Ethiopia and Europe. The exhibit considers these themes by focusing on the Amharic and Ge'ez literary heritage of Ethiopia, the development of European orientalist scholarship devoted to Ethiopia, the struggle between Italy and Ethiopia the League of Nations (1934-35), and the Italian colonization of Ethiopia (1935-41).
Drawn primarily from the Robert L. Hess Collection on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, the exhibit also features a painting from the Stuart Schaar Collection. The manuscript and photographic materials in the Hess collection are contemporary records of the Italian invasion and occupation of Ethiopia.
The Young Women’s Christian Association of Brooklyn was formed in December 1887 when a group of 30 women, inspired by associations in Baltimore, Boston, and New York City, voted to establish an organization for the empowerment of young women. Mrs. Harriet Judson served as the first President of the Association, from 1888-1922.
The goals of these associations were to help and support women in a changing industrial world. Women needed jobs, and training in order to get them. Along with its wide variety of classes and affordable housing options, the YWCA provided a space for women and girls to meet and socialize. One of the first endeavors for the brand-new organization was an Employment Bureau through which the young women could find jobs to match their new skills. Shortly after they established the Employment Bureau, the Brooklyn YWCA opened the United States’ first school of practical nursing (1890).
After opening an African American branch in 1903, and an International Institute in 1919, Brooklyn was the first YWCA in the country to fully integrate its programs and residences, in 1943. In the 1970’s the Young Women’s Christian Association of Brooklyn became a secular organization, and changed its name to the YWCA of Brooklyn. Through its continually evolving programs and services, the YWCA continues to strive toward achieving social justice and the goals of its current slogan: “Eliminating Racism, Empowering Women.”
Today, the YWCA Brooklyn furthers its mission by providing over 300 safe, permanent, affordable homes for low-income and formerly homeless women, most of whom are survivors of gender-based violence; a college access program serving low-income girls of color; education, employment readiness and legal assistance for immigrant women; social justice advocacy; and a community center that is a nexus for over 100 progressive grassroots organizations to come together as one vibrant community driving civic engagement, responsible development, gender and racial justice, economic equity, education, and activism. To learn more about the Brooklyn YWCA, visit http://www.ywcabklyn.org.
The items in this exhibit are from the YWCA of Brooklyn collection, which was processed by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Fall 2018: Flatbush and the Junction – A Pictorial Journey 
​Flatbush and Flatlands, which were originally settled by the Dutch, were two of the six original towns that make up the modern borough of Brooklyn. Dutch settlers acquired the land from the Canarsee Indians. In 1636 Flatlands, then called New Amersfoordt (after a town in Holland), was sold to Governor Wouter Van Twiller, who divided the land amongst himself, Andries Hudde, Wolphert Gerritsen and Jacobus van Corlear. In 1652, Governor Peter Stuyvesant authorized the establishment of the town of Midwout (now Flatbush). The Canarsee tribe was not pleased, and demanded payment. After some resistance, the Governor relented and the tribe was paid. One of the earliest residents of Midwout was indentured servant Jan Aertsen Van-der-bilt, great-great-great-grandfather of “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Flatlands is a quiet neighborhood today, and its outlines can be seen on the 1873 and 1890 maps, just south and east of Flatbush. The boundaries of Flatbush today vary depending on who’s describing them, but it roughly begins at Parkside and Ocean Avenues at the southwest entrance of Prospect Park, includes some of Coney Island Avenue on the west, and spans east to Nostrand Avenue, while Avenue H marks part of its southern edge. The path of Flatbush Avenue follows an old Native American trail.
The towns remained agricultural into the 19th century. The area was rich farmland, and colonists grew vegetables and tobacco, as well as raising livestock. Jamaica Bay was a rich source of clams. The coming of the railroad to Flatbush in 1878, and horsecar service to Flatlands in 1875 encouraged development in both areas. More growth occurred with the annexation of both towns into greater Brooklyn – Flatbush in 1894 and Flatlands in 1896. Farmland became housing developments such as Vanderveer Park.
The opening of the Brooklyn College campus in fall 1937 marked yet another change for the Flatbush and Flatlands neighborhoods, which continue to evolve today, as seen in the photographs in this exhibit. Many of the images in this exhibit are courtesy of the BRIAN MERLIS Collection/oldNYCphotos.com. More images of the area and the campus can be found in the Archives, along with many books about the history of this area and Brooklyn in general.
Spring 2018: Women in the Archives--History through her eyes
The spring 2018 exhibit highlighted archival collections created by or about women. Documents and ephemera from the papers of women elected to political office including BC alums Shirley Chisholm ‘46, Susan Alter ’61, Adele Cohen ‘64, and Rhoda Jacobs ’61 were on display along with materials from Brooklyn-Queens NOW and the Brooklyn Women’s Political Caucus. Flyers from the papers of Rhoda Karpatkin ‘51 provided a glimpse into activism on campus. Karpatkin, who led the BC branch of the Young Progressive League, was a staunch advocate of free speech and students’ rights. She organized a class walkout and was one of the Vanguard staffers who fought President Gideonse’s censorship of the student newspaper. Also on display were some of the newly acquired items from Professor Lilia Melani’s CUNY Women’s Coalition Collection including documents related to the class action lawsuit brought by the Coalition against CUNY charging the University with sex discrimination against female faculty.
