Not by Power [wrapper title]

Philadelphia, 1956. Near fine.. 64pp. Original pictorial wrappers, stapled. Light wear. A rare work highlighting the achievements of dozens of notable African Americans and the larger African-American community in the mid-1950s. The work opens with a prologue which begins: "As the American Negro stood at the gate of 1956, his flag of personal achievement had reached a new high point." The remainder of the work is profusely illustrated with portraits of distinguished men and women working in government, industry, law, the arts, education, and more. Notables featured here include Ralph Bunche, Frank Yerby, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Dr. Grace James, Roy Wilkins, Thurgood Marshall, Jane Morrow Spaulding, J. Ernest Wilkins, among others. The work also includes scenes of African Americans studying in school, working in labs and factories as well as white collar positions, performing on television, serving in government, and so forth. One image of an African American scientist in a bow tie is captioned, "In electronics Negroes moved in at the engineering level."

We locate three copies of this work in OCLC, at NYPL, the Hagley Museum, and the College of Charleston.