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| Charles L. Blockson | |
Charles L. Blockson, "world-renowned historian of African American culture, founder and curator emeritus of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University, award-winning scholar, and prolific author," died June 14, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. He was 89. Blockson assembled two of the world's largest collections of African American history, culture, and contributions. In addition to the one at Temple, the Charles L. Blockson Collection of African-Americana and the African Diaspora resides at Pennsylvania State University, his alma mater.
State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta said he will introduce legislation to mark Blockson's December 16 birthday as a state holiday, adding: "Charles Blockson is a giant of a man. He is a hero."
An authority on the Underground Railroad and the Great Migration of the early 1900s, Blockson received the Philadelphia Award for community service in 2017. He told the Inquirer at the time that he was driven to "uncovering the history of our past in order to build a better future." In 2013, he said his collections are "a legacy that comes primarily from books and the people I met, all kinds of people of all ages. I am emeritus and all, but I will never retire.... I'm following a noble tradition from those who paved the way for me."
Blockson was the first African American to write a cover story for National Geographic magazine, and he published more than a dozen books, including Black Genealogy; The Underground Railroad; Damn Rare: The Memoirs of an African-American Bibliophile; Liberty Bell Era: The African American Story; and The Haitian Revolution: Celebrating the First Black Republic.
"Charles Blockson spent a lifetime collecting the most precious African American artifacts, and in 1984 he donated that collection to Temple University, providing an enriching campus experience not only for our students, faculty and staff, but also for the Philadelphia community and beyond," said JoAnne Epps, Temple's acting president. "He was a kind soul, devoted to preserving and recording America's history. He will be missed, but his legacy will forever live on through Temple's Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, one of Temple's jewels and a hallmark of this institution."
Diane Turner, curator of Temple's Blockson Collection, added that Blockson was "well-respected because of his passion for collecting, preserving and disseminating the histories of people of African descent. His collections make accessible rich and diverse stories about their histories and cultures. He has been a great influence on numerous scholars, students and people of all nationalities."
Blockson once said: "My main goal in life is to build a good library of Black history--knowledge is a form of Black power and this is my part in it."