Born: 1933

Died: 

Area of Expertise: African American Studies, African Diaspora Studies

​

Inducted into Hall of Fame: 2018

​

“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.” - Charles L. Blockson

Charles Blockson co-founded the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia in 1976 and published the seminal Black Genealogy with Ron Fry in 1977. He donated his large private collection of African-American history materials to Temple University in 1984, and served as curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection. He is now emeritus at Temple University’s Charles L. Blockson collection and served on the Pennsylvania State Historical and Record Advisory Board, and directed the Black History Advisory Board in the 1980s. In 1989, he launched a project to establish sixty-four African American historical markers in Philadelphia; he currently has the most markers in Pennsylvania that are dedicated to African American history. In the 1990s he lectured internationally, and consulted on the establishment of black study programs in many schools and colleges. In 2006 he donated a large collection of published and manuscript materials to Penn State. (http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/c.php?g=564763&p=3947080)

Dr. Blockson founded the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University in 1984. He donated his collection because of  diversity of the student body and its location in the heart of the African American community in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It stands as one of the most prestigious collections of African American artifacts in the U.S. The collection houses over 500,000 items relating to the global black experience. The extensive catalog dates from 1581 to the present and provides African American Studies students with an excellent opportunity to enhance their academic research by making use of the collection. More about the colllection can be found here https://library.temple.edu/collections/blockson/ 

Blockson has authored 13 books, including two on the Underground Railroad, on which he is an expert. One of Blockson’s proudest achievements is getting a state historical marker placed at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. Unveiled in August 2016, the marker recognizes Pennsylvania’s role in the slave trade.

​

His work is highlighted in a short documentary published by Penn State University titled Holding History: The Collections of Charles L. Blockson. https://wpsu.psu.edu/tv/programs/blockson/