Joseph Madison papers

Joseph Madison, a broadcast journalist specializing in minority rights and urban affairs, was Executive Director of the Detroit NAACP, National Director of the NAACP Voter Education Department, Coordinator of the NAACP Leader Conference and member of NAACP national board. His papers and additions include correspondence, transcribed interviews, minutes, appointment books, publications, photographs, and plaques. Both the original collection and the additions equal 19.35 linear feet. The date range for the correspondence housed in the collection is 1966-2008 with the majority being from the 1970s and 80s.

A majority of the correspondence comes from the Service Employees Internation AFL-CIO. The collection has a large amount of material relating to Madison's time in both the Detroit branch and national office of the NAACP. Materials in this series include Freedom Fund Dinner programs and correspondence, branch and state conference programs, photographs from various events like the Overgorund Railroad voter registration marches, NAACP Board of directors' correspondence and reports, and correspondence from the NAACP Voter Education Department.

Material related to Madison's career in radio includes transcribed interviews from his show, correspodnence, and audio cassettes with recordings of his show for stations in Detroit and Washington D.C.

The photographs housed in the Madison papers include images of Madison playing football in college, Madison at various NAACP events, personal photographs of Madison and his family, Madison's campaign for city councilman and city clerk in Detroit, and Overground Railroad. Publications include full copies of newspapers like "The Washington Informer" and "Washington Post," magazines such as "Ebony" and "The Crisis," various newspaper clippings, and newsletters. Pversized material includes awards and plaques presented to Joseph Madison, memorbilia including conference badges and lanyards, Nelson Mandela's U.S. visit fliers and hand fan, a "Save Darfur" rubber bracelet, and a sash from Roosevelt High School 40th Reunion.

The Joseph Madison papers also has a large portion of audiovisual material including 72 audio cassettes, 9 VHS tapes, compact disks, DVDs, and a 1/4" audio reel.

Additionally, the papers include personal and business correspondence, (1995-2005), printouts of emails (2004-2005), flyers, programs, legal papers, press releases, collected publications (1988-2001), internet news articles (1999-2005), photographs, press releases (1995-2005), and materials related the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Christian Solidarity International. The bulk of the collection concerns Madison's activism related to the crisis in Sudan.

Of note within the papers are 5.4 linear feet of materials documenting the recent work of “The Black Eagle” radio talk show host, civil rights humanitarian, and political activist, Joe Madison. The papers focus on Madison’s work in human rights in southern Sudan particularly the Darfur region, including genocide and modern-day slavery in the form of photocopies and laser prints of articles. The papers also focus on various award and honors in which Madison received for his activist work from 2005-2008, including accompanying memorabilia, programs and souvenir booklets, and invitations. Much of the collection consists of photocopies, facsimile copies, and laser prints of email correspondence, articles from the internet, contracts, and employment agreements. The bulk of the correspondence is in the form of emails regarding the various awards Madison received with a small amount of personal correspondence and greeting cards included. Periodicals and newspapers have been included within the addition and focus on the local community in Washington, D.C. or national political activities and race relations. There are also unidentified photographs, both 8 x 10 inches and 4 x 6 inches in size. Of interest, is a photograph of Madison speaking at the 1986 NAACP National Convention, three photographs with Julian Bond (circa late 1970s to early 1980s), a framed portrait of William Donnegan of Springfield, IL, a VHS cassette of the 1995 Million Man March on Washington, D.C., and a transcript of Madison’s testimony as the President of the Sudan Divestment Campaign to the Budget and Taxation Committee of the Senate of Maryland in support of the 2007 Darfur Protection Act Republic of Sudan. Lastly, there is one audio reel, three audiocassettes, three VHS cassettes and two DVD videos of the NAACP Image Awards, Contributions of African-Americans and the American Mosaic, and Denzel Garrick on Piano (published DVD).

The bulk of the papers dating from 1999 to 2010 consist of collected conference materials, publications, and memorabilia in which Madison was an attendee or speaker. Topics documented mainly consist of various radio talk show hosts, a small amount of material on Sudan (Africa), and Black journalism. Organizational conferences represented within the papers include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Urban League, TV One, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Also, included are a small amount of unidentified color photographs, photographs on CD Rom, and personal greeting cards. Of note are compact disks of the Philip Randolph Institute, National Education Conference in which Madison was a speaker, and paper materials from the Race Reconciliation in American Conference (Feb 19, 2010) which includes a conference paper titled, “The Crisis of the Young African American Male and the Criminal Justice System” by Marc Mauer, Assistant Director of The Sentencing Project (1999). This paper was prepared for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Magazines included consist of issues of "Talkers" and Washington University in St. Louis dating 2009 to 2010.

Other items within the papers consist of correspondence, photographs, magazine articles and newspaper clippings, programs and invitations, audiovisual materials, travel itineraries; research and prep materials for his talk show; and files on various subjects of interest to Madison. The correspondence includes invitations and thank you letters for speaking engagements and appearances; Madison’s support for the American Red Cross, the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and his alma maters; Madison’s activism toward South Sudan; fan letters; and discussions of the murder of Trayvon Martin. A large portion of the collection consists of programs and fliers for speaking engagements by Madison. Photographs include Madison broadcasting during the 2009 presidential inauguration and meeting President Barack Obama at the White House, as well as protests involving Madison and Rev. Al Sharpton. Files are also present on South Sudan, Trayvon Martin, and Dick Gregory. CDs include: 1. 45th reunion of the Roosevelt High School class of 1967, 2. Southern Maryland Perspectives, Dr. Brad Gottfried, Host, 3. 41st annual convention, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists "Opening Session" Town Hall Meeting, 24 May 2012. Jo Madison moderating - Disc 1, 4. 41st annual convention, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists "Opening Session" Town Hall Meeting, 24 May 2012. Jo Madison moderating - Disc 2 DVDs include: 1. "Don Black 20th Anniversary 2014 Raw", 2. 41st annual convention, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists "Opening Session" Town Hall Meeting, 24 May 2012, 3. ASALH Centennial Ray of Light Honoree: Joe Madison, 4. Black Men's Health and Wellness Expo Health Summit, Joe Madison speech, 14 June 2014, 5. Orange TV Presents Highllights of 18th Annual Black Men's Health & Wellness Expo June 14, 2014.