Historic building with domed roof and ornate street lamps along a river with ducks, in a cityscape (Copenhagen) setting.

The celebrated Harlem Renaissance author was inspired by her experiences as a mixed-race teenager and young adult in the Danish capital, a time that informed her 1928 novel, “Quicksand.”

A group of nine African American people, including women and children, standing and sitting in an indoor setting, possibly a train station, with suitcases and luggage around them.

In the pages of the “Chicago Defender,” the cousins detailed their adventures traversing the continent while also observing signs of the changing tides.

Black and white ID card with handwritten details and a small black and white photo of a young woman wearing a dark blazer and white blouse, attached to the top right corner with metal clips.

Reed Peggram, a queer African American doctoral student in comparative literature at Harvard University, became a member of the Shakespeare and Company lending library in 1938, when studying decadence in nineteenth-century French literature at the Sorbonne. The essay examines the items he borrowed to provide insights into his life.

A woman in a green coat and hat, carrying a suitcase, stands on a world map with outlines of continents. There are illustrations of Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower in the background, indicating travel between Europe and London.

Following in the footsteps of African Americans traveling to Denmark in the early 20th century, Ethelene Whitmire experiences a 21st century transatlantic crossing.

A woman standing outside in front of a brick building, wearing a long skirt, a blazer with a fur collar, and a light top.

Librarian Louise Butler Walker ’35 took desperate measures to survive in a racist society. Co-written with Harvey Long.

Silhouettes of two people standing in a doorway with a backdrop of birds flying and people in uniform, against a warm, glowing background.

One of the most brilliant minds of the Harvard class of ’35, Reed Edwin Peggram met his soulmate on the eve of World War II and risked everything to stay by his side.