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“Everyday DC,” a photography exhibition on view at the Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives from May 19, 2022, through September 2, 2022, presents a visual narrative of everyday life in Washington, D.C. through the eyes of more than 100 DC public middle school students from all four quadrants of the city. The exhibition is the culmination of a unit designed by the Pulitzer Center in collaboration with DC Public Schools (DCPS) and facilitated by over a dozen DCPS visual arts teachers. Images from nearly a dozen middle schools are represented in the exhibition.
“Everyday DC” was inspired by the Everyday Africa project, founded by Pulitzer Center grantees Peter DiCampo and Austin Merrill, to redirect focus toward a more accurate understanding of what the majority of Africans experience on a day-to-day basis: normal life. Like Everyday Africa, Everyday DC challenges students to consider how Washington D.C. is portrayed in the media, and how they can compose images that more accurately visualize their everyday experiences.
The “Everyday DC” project is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. The project is also supported by the Charles Sumner School Museum Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives, which generously donated the space for the exhibition. For more information about the unit plan and exhibition, contact
[email protected]
Gallery opens to the public every Monday to Friday, May 19 through September 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission.
The opening reception on Thursday, May 19, is between 4:30pm and 6:30 pm. Remarks will begin at 5:30pm, and will be followed by live music and snacks. Click here to register.
“Everyday DC,” a photography exhibition that visualizes daily life in Washington, DC through the eyes of DC middle school students, opens on May 19, 2022.
Sumner Museum has received an exciting new acquisition courtesy of Charles Sumner Scholar, Beverly Palmer. Palmer recently donated the full collection of microfilm reels containing the letters of Charles Sumner. In addition, there are about a dozen reels containing Thaddeus Stevens' Papers. This recent acquisition builds upon collection material pertaining to school namesakes and provide incredible insight into the lives of both men who were noteworthy freedom fighters. Stay connected to learn when these materials will become available to the public.
Photo credit: Sumner Museum Collection, courtesy of Crystal Hurd
This past March, In celebration of Women's History Month, Beverly Palmer enlightens us about Senator Charles Sumner's viewpoints on Women's Rights and his personal relationship with Women. Tune in! Send any questions or topic suggestions to
[email protected]
IN-PERSON MUSEUM VISITS ARE INCREASING
Mr. Paul Harvey Sullivan visited Sumner Museum earlier this month specifically to locate his senior year basketball team photo which he'd previously seen on display at a past Museum event. A member of Dunbar Senior High School, Class of 1957. Mr. Sullivan beamed with pride in seeing himself again on this photo and shared memories of his time as a student at Dunbar. He requested an image so that he could enlarge it. We were glad to send him a digital copy of this image and discovered there was a second pose that was sent to him as well. We are proud that the Sumner collection evokes such warm memories with members in our community and find joy in knowing that Sullivan and his family now have access to this photo for their personal collections. Mr. Sullivan is pictured on the far left wearing number 3 on his jersey.
Mr. Sullivan, thank you for visiting Sumner Museum. We look forward to hearing more stories of your time in DC Schools!
Photo 1: Mr. Paul Harvey Sullivan pictured at Sumner Museum in front of Dunbar HS display, courtesy of Crystal Hurd
Photo 2: Dunbar High School 2nd Place Citywide Basketball League photograph, 1957, photographed by Fred Harris. Courtesy of Sumner Museum Collection
IN-PERSON MUSEUM VISITS ARE INCREASING
Mr. Paul Harvey Sullivan visited Sumner Museum earlier this month specifically to locate his senior year basketball team photo which he'd previously seen on display at a past Museum event. A member of Dunbar Senior High School, Class of 1957. Mr. Sullivan beamed with pride in seeing himself again on this photo and shared memories of his time as a student at Dunbar. He requested an image so that he could enlarge it. We were glad to send him a digital copy of this image and discovered there was a second pose that was sent to him as well. We are proud that the Sumner collection evokes such warm memories with members in our community and find joy in knowing that Sullivan and his family now have access to this photo for their personal collections. Mr. Sullivan is pictured on the far left wearing number 3 on his jersey.
Mr. Sullivan, thank you for visiting Sumner Museum. We look forward to hearing more stories of your time in DC Schools!
PRESS PLAY: Director, Kimberly E. Springle, greets the community during last month's Director's Corner episode.
Enjoy!
A discovery uncovered by Sumner Museum's Spring 2022 Intern, Celesta Hartman, rising senior at Blufton University (Blufton, OH):
I was digging through the 1922 board minutes in the Sumner archives, looking for information regarding Sumner School for one of my semester projects when something caught my eye. “Miss Lulu Allen granted to teach library science and methods. License expired October 16th 1924.” As someone who is completely taken by library work, this brief note in the minutes intrigued me. I found that she had worked as the librarian in Miner Normal School in 1922-23. I have also found that she worked as an assistant librarian at Howard University for 11 years prior to her position at Miner. I cannot, however, find any records of her after her time at Miner. A newspaper clipping I found stated that she was born in Columbus, Ohio. This is as far as the mystery of Miss Lulu Allen has come and I look forward to continuing my search on her contribution to education and library studies.
(1) 1872 building was named to honor Senator Charles Sumner, a radical Republican Senator from Massachusetts-- as an intentional national monument to him in the Nation’s Capitol.
(2) 1877 First Class of African American Public HS graduates in the US received their diplomas in the Great Hall. Frederick Douglass was the commencement speaker. One of the graduates’ diploma is part of the Museum’s collection.
(3) Duke Ellington, a native son of DC, performed his second to last concert in the school’s Great Hall. Ellington attended public schools and attended Armstrong Technical High School. He did not matriculate to graduation, but later received an honorary diploma.
(4) The 1986 Charter Mission of Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives states the site will emphasize the evolution of Black Education in Washington, DC.
(5) Both Mary Jane Patterson and Richard Theodore Greener served as principals of the Colored Preparatory School housed in Sumner Museum. Patterson is considered the first African American woman to earn a bachelors degree in the U.S. Greener was the first African American graduate of Harvard College.
We are pleased to share that Washington DC Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. recently published “100 years of Excellence in Action: Washington DC Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The history gives an account of a century of excellence and service the organization has provided to the Washington, DC community. Members of the chapter conducted research in our Archives. If you look closely, you will see traces of DC Public Education. The organization has also developed a companion 10-panel popup traveling exhibit. To learn more, visit
www.wdcadst.org
DC Public School Black History Makers
The DC Public School system has nurtured many students who have gone out into the world and accomplished phenomenal things. At Sumner Museum, we celebrate the accomplishments of the DC Public Education System on a daily basis. Because it is Black History Month, we want to share a few DCPS Black History Makers.
We are pleased to introduce a new segment, “Ask Beverly,” featuring Beverly Palmer, Professor Emeritus, Pomona College and Charles Sumner Scholar.
This second session -- recorded on February 10th -- explores the Senator Charles Sumner and Frederick Douglas. Black History Month is a perfect time to discuss Mr. Douglas' connection as we celebrate his birthday on February 14th every year.
If you have any questions you would like to ask our resident expert about Senator Charles Sumner, please send your questions to
[email protected] .