Delegate: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A 1982 issue of Delegate magazine published by MelPat Associates. The cover of the magazine features a green ribbon that reads [1982 / DELEGATE] against a grid of black and white portrait photographs. The top two (2) and bottom two (2) rows of photographs are tinted red. Thirty-two (32) men and women are pictured, with the last name of everyone printed under his or her picture in black. The spine of the magazine is white with black text that reads [DELEGATE, 1982 - The 6th Year of the 3rd Century].

The magazine’s content opens with an untitled editorial note criticizing policies of the Reagan administration. There is also a masthead, set in white text against a black background reading [DELEGATE, 1982], followed by a table of contents.

The content then continues with an article titled “The High Cost of Civil Rights” by Benjamin Hooks and an article titled “The State of Black America 1982” by Vernon Jordan. This is followed profiles of African American business organizations, business leaders, events, community organizations, sororities, fraternities, doctors, dentists, politicians, actors, and journalists. This includes the Jackie Robinson Awards Dinner, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, National Urban Affairs Council, Interracial Council for Business Opportunity, Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Chesebrough Pond, ITT Continental Baking Company, Ciba-Geigy, Moving Up Awards Dinner, 7 Up, Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner, Bottle & Cork Club, National Association of Market Developers, Beaux Arts Ball, John Hunter Camp Fund, Chi Delta Mu Fraternity, Top Ladies of Distinction, Continental Societies, Inc., Rose Morgan, William O. Walker, National Newspaper Publishers Association, A.M.E. Zion Church, NAACP, Lambda Kappa Mu Sorority, The Links, National Association of Black Accountants, Carats, Operation Push, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, National United Church Ushers Association, National Pharmaceutical Association, National Medical Association, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Alpha Phi Alph Fraternity, Eta Phi Beta Sorority, National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, National Urban League, National Association of University Women, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, I.B.P.O.E. of W., Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Vernon Jordan, National Business League, National Black Veterans Organization, Somerset Importers, Congressional Black Caucus, Tuskegee Airmen, Isyaku Ibrahim, National Association of Media Women, Arthur Ashe, National Bankers Association, The Edges Group, National Bar Association, Harlem Commonwealth Council Foundation, 369th Veteran’s Association, Percy Sutton, 100 Black Women, Morehouse College, Communications Excellence to Black Audiences, Clarence D. King, Joe Louis, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, and Women’s Association of Allied Beverage Industries. There are also short features on black movies, black Broadway, Oak Bluffs, and a special feature titled “I Remember Harlem.”

There are approximately 465 pages with black and white photographs and advertisements throughout, as well as a few advertisements in color. The back cover of the magazine features a full page advertisement for Kool cigarettes.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1982
• Published by: MelPat Associates, American, 1965 - 1986
• Created by: C. Melvin Patrick, American, died 1985
• Subject of: National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, American, founded 1969
• Subject of: National Urban Affairs Council, American, founded 1971
• Subject of: Interracial Council for Business Opportunity, American, founded 1963
• Subject of: Prince Hall Freemasonry, founded 1784
• Created by: National Association of Market Developers, American, founded 1953
• Subject of: Chi Delta Mu Fraternity, Inc., American, founded 1913
• Type: magazines (periodicals)
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 8 7/16 × 1/2 in. (27.5 × 21.4 × 1.3 cm)
• Place made: Harlem, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs, Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Advertising
• Topic: African Methodist Episcopal
• Topic: Associations and institutions
• Topic: Black Press
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Business
• Topic: Communities
• Object number: 2012.167.16
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Anne B. Patrick and the family of Hilda E. Stokely
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Public domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.