Amote Sias papers
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Abstract
The Amote Sias papers consist of personal essays, legal and financial records, ephemera and various clippings relating to Sias's life and involvement in Brooklyn politics as well as her role as an African-American activist. The majority of the collection focuses on the political environment in Brooklyn from the mid 1970s and 1980s.
Biographical note
Amote Sias is a resilient African American social activist who was an active member of the Brooklyn community of Carroll Gardens and a candidate for city office during the 1970s-1980s. Sias is also a deeply committed educator and leader, having been a teacher at both the elementary and secondary level in the New York City Public School system as early as the 1970s. Sias went on to become a renowned principal at the Brooklyn Collegiate High School.
Arrangement
The Amote Sias papers are organized into three series by type: Series 1: Personal Papers; Series 2: Professional Papers; Series 3: Publications and Clippings.
Users of the collection should be aware that folders labeled with a date range might also include undated documents. Oversize materials have been placed in two oversize boxes.
Scope and Contents
The Amote Sias papers contain materials concerning Amote Sias and the activist movements she was involved in during the 1970s and 1980s in Brooklyn, New York.
Financial and administrative materials display Amote's involvement in local politics, specifically materials from her campaign for City Council in 1989 as well as her involvement in the Jesse Jackson for President campaign in 1989. Copies of speeches from meetings and example letters to congressmen are also included.
The large number of programs from meetings, lectures and conferences as well as meeting notes and activist paraphernalia provide insight into the active social movements in Brooklyn and across the United States in the late 1970s and 1980s. This collection also documents a variety of the grassroots social organizations active during this timeframe as well as their goals and efforts. The collection is rich with programs, bulletins and manuals from Sias's involvement in various political organizations focusing on social justice, women's rights and Black Nationalism.
Newspaper and magazine clippings provide a broad framework for viewing the political, economic and social forces surrounding the period in which Sias was politically active. These materials also display the local and national efforts for social justice and equality.
The personal materials in this collection reflect Amote Sias and her role as an educator. Early papers and examples of student work provide insight into the academic work and influences on Sias in the early stages of her career. Various ephemera includes a Girl Scout badge and a Jesse Jackson for President campaign poster.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Amote Sias papers, 2008.017, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Amote Sias, 1998. Found in Brooklyn Historical Society's collections when the institution reopened in 2004, the materials were subsequently formally accessioned in 2008.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The Amote Sias papers were processed in March 2008 by Cynthia Tobar, under the supervision of Leilani Dawson. Additional processing and description were done in December 2010 by Rachel M. Oleaga. Provenance documentation was found in collection in 2026 and this finding aid was revised and updated by Dee Bowers accordingly.
