Albany Institute’s Nell Stokes Exhibit

A new exhibit at the Albany Institute of History and Art highlights manuscripts, scrapbooks, and other materials donated by local Black activist Nell Stokes. The display shows her decades of involvement with the NAACP, the Black Women’s Association of Albany, the local YWCA, and other groups. The Black American History Essay Contest that she helped start continues to this day as the Creative Expressions Contest. Lacey Wilson, the public historian for AIHA’s Albany African American History Project, discusses how this exhibit grew out of collaboration with the local NAACP to capture oral histories of 20th and 21st century activities (yes, the start of the 21st century is already history!). Lacey notes that many materials, and more information about her work, can be found at www.albanyinstitute.org. Produced by Brea Barthel for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.