African American Education History James Thompson in an Integrated Class Before Brown v. Board of Education, 1935

Racial Integration African American Education

Photograph

Integrated class photograph, 1935, identifies African American student James Thompson among a predominantly white group of classmates nearly two decades before Brown v. Board of Education. Thompson stands among the students with his arm around a classmate, while a contemporary notation on the verso identifies him by name and adds a personal assessment: “See big black guy? James Thompson. A great guy.” The combination of Thompson’s identification and his placement within the class provides specific evidence for the history of African American education and interracial schooling before the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision against state-mandated segregation in public schools. The school and location are not identified in the supplied information, and the photograph by itself does not establish the institution’s racial policies or the circumstances under which Thompson attended the school.

Original sepia-toned gelatin silver class photograph, 1935, approximately 3 x 5 inches. The class consists predominantly of white students with Thompson standing among them; his arm rests around another student. The children are formally dressed for the group portrait, and numerous students smile toward the camera. Verso inscribed: “See big black guy? James Thompson. A great guy.” The inscription is particularly useful in preserving Thompson’s name, which would otherwise be absent from the visual record.

The photograph dates nineteen years before the Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Because racial segregation in education differed substantially according to state and local law, the image should not be treated as evidence of a broader institutional integration policy without identification of the school and its location. It does, however, document Thompson’s presence within this predominantly white class in 1935 and preserves a named African American student within a specific pre-Brown educational setting. Very good condition.

Item #15392

Price: $225.00