James Egert Allen papers, 1917-1976 | Amistad Research Center

The James Egert Allen papers occupy 18.1 linear feet of material about Allen's life as an educator, community activist and civil rights advocate. Having been a resident of Manhattan for over a half century, much of Allen's collection reflects his educational and community involvements in New York.

The collection is arranged into six groups of materials that include correspondence, greeting cards, telegrams, invitations, programs, photographs, reports, minutes, recreation and travel material, writings by Allen, collected publications and printed ephemera, scrapbooks and clippings. The bulk of the papers are organizational materials relating to Allen's involvement in the YMCA, the NAACP, and as a District School Community Coordinator for the Board of Education for New York. The main strength of the collection is the celebration of African American cultural identity through the education of both children and adults alike.