Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Beam, Dorothy.
2. Hemphill, Essex.
3. Smith, Barbara, 1946-
4. Smith, Michael J., 1944-
5. Saint, Assotto, 1957-1994.
6. McCoy, Renee.
7. Parker, Pat, 1944-1989.
8. Delany, Samuel R.
9. Parkerson, Michelle.
10. Robinson, Colin.
11. Garrett, Daniel.
12. Julien, Isaac.
13. Harris, Craig.
14. Walker, Alice, 1944-
15. Lorde, Audre.
16. Dixon, Melvin, 1950-1992.
17. Gerald, Gil.
18. Weddo, Dan.
19. Tate, Percy L.
20. Jenkins, Lawrence.
21. Blackheart Collective (Organization)

Description

1. 7.4 lin. ft. (20 boxes)

Summary

1. The Joseph Beam papers consist of correspondence, conference materials, prison letters, writings by Beam and other authors, files of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays and its organizational journal "Black/Out", and printed matter.

Subject

1. African American gay people
2. African American gay people > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia
3. African American gay people > Literary collections
4. African American gay people > Poetry
5. Gay people's writings, American
6. Beam, Joseph
7. Gay men > South Africa
8. African American gays > Poetry
9. National Association of Black and White Men Together
10. African American gays > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia
11. Franklin College (Franklin, Ind.)
12. American literature > African American authors
13. Gays' writings, American
14. MOVE (Organization)
15. AIDS (Disease) > Prevention
16. Women authors, Black
17. Prisoners' writings, American
18. National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays (U.S.)
19. African American lesbians
20. Gay liberation movement
21. African American prisoners
22. African American gays > Literary collections

Call number

1. Sc MG 455

Note

1. Photographs separated to Photographs and Prints Division and are described separately.

Access (note)

1. Series 8 is restricted.

Source (note)

1. Mrs. Dorothy Beam

Biography (note)

1. Born in Philadelphia in 1954, Joseph Beam was an African-American gay rights activist and author who worked to foster greater acceptance of gay life in the Black community by relating the gay experience with the struggle for civil rights in the United States.

Publications (note)

1. Portions published in: Beam, Joseph, ed. In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology. Boston: Alyson Press, 1986.
2. Portion published in: Hemphill, Essex and Joseph Beam, eds and comps. Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men. Boston: Alyson Press, 1991.
3. Portions published in: Black/Out: the Magazine of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays (1986-1987)

Processing action (note)

1. Processed
2. Catalogued
3. Restriction removal

Author

1. Beam, Joseph.

Title

1. Joseph Beam papers, 1967-1990.

Access

1. Series 8 is restricted.

Biography

1. Born in Philadelphia in 1954, Joseph Beam was an African-American gay rights activist and author who worked to foster greater acceptance of gay life in the Black community by relating the gay experience with the struggle for civil rights in the United States. After his graduation from Franklin College in rural Indiana in 1976, Beam began working at Giovanni's Room, a gay and lesbian bookstore in Philadelphia, where he became acquainted with local and national gay figures and institutions. His articles and short stories appeared in numerous gay newspapers and publications, including "Au Courant", "Blackheart", "Changing Men", "Gay Community News", "Philadelphia Gay News", "The Advocate", "New York Native", "Body Politic", and the "Windy City Times". He joined the Executive Committee of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays in 1985, and became the editor of their journal "Black/Out". In 1986, he published "In the Life", an anthology of writings by and about Black gay men, to counteract the absence of positive images of gay men of color in the media and the subculture of white gay activists. He was working on a sequel to "In the Life" at the time of his death of HIV related disease in 1989. This work was completed by his mother, Dorothy Beam, and the gay poet Essex Hemphill, and published under the title "Brother to Brother" in 1991.

Publications

1. Portions published in: Beam, Joseph, ed. In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology. Boston: Alyson Press, 1986.
2. Portion published in: Hemphill, Essex and Joseph Beam, eds and comps. Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men. Boston: Alyson Press, 1991.
3. Portions published in: Black/Out: the Magazine of the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays (1986-1987)

Connect to:

1. Finding Aid

Added author

1. Beam, Dorothy.
2. Hemphill, Essex.
3. Smith, Barbara, 1946-
4. Smith, Michael J., 1944-
5. Saint, Assotto, 1957-1994.
6. McCoy, Renee.
7. Parker, Pat, 1944-1989.
8. Delany, Samuel R.
9. Parkerson, Michelle.
10. Robinson, Colin.
11. Garrett, Daniel.
12. Julien, Isaac.
13. Harris, Craig.
14. Walker, Alice, 1944-
15. Lorde, Audre.
16. Dixon, Melvin, 1950-1992.
17. Gerald, Gil.
18. Weddo, Dan.
19. Tate, Percy L.
20. Jenkins, Lawrence.
21. Blackheart Collective (Organization)

Research call number

1. Sc MG 455