Richard A. Long
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Richard A. Long (February 9, 1927 – January 3, 2013) was an American cultural historian and author, who has been called "one of the great pillars of
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
arts and culture". As an academic, he taught at
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
,
University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...
, University of Poitiers,
Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Founde ...
,
Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
, Morgan State College and West Virginia State College, and had worked as a visiting lecturer at universities in Africa and India.Richard A. Long website.
/ref>


Early life and education

Richard Alexander Long was the fourth of six children born to Thaddeus B. Long and Leila Washington in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. He graduated from
Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
, where he received his B.A. in 1947 and M.A. in 1948. He did doctoral studies at the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
, was a
Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
at the
University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...
, and received his Ph.D from the University of Poitiers in France in 1965.


Career

Having begun his teaching career as a graduate assistant at Temple University, Long subsequently taught at West Virginia State College. He also spent a decade and a half as a teacher at Morgan State College (now University). He taught English and French at the Hampton Institute and was also director of its College Museum.Richard Long
at the Historymakers.
At Hampton in 1968 he founded the Triennial Symposium on African Art, now an annual conference at
Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Founde ...
's Center for African and African American Studies. In 1968 he became a Professor of English at
Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Founde ...
(now Clark Atlanta University), where he was founder of the African American Studies program. From 1971 to 1973 he was visiting lecturer at
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. In 1973 he went as adjunct professor to
Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
, where in 1987 he joined the faculty as Atticus Haygood Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts. Long served as a consultant and as a committee member of many cultural organizations and institutions, including the
Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture Festac '77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (the first was in Dakar, 1966), was a major international festival held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 15 January 1977 to 12 February 1977. The month-long event ce ...
, both the
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
and the
National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
, the Smithsonian Museum of African Art, the
High Museum of Art The High Museum of Art (colloquially the High) is the largest museum for visual art in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta, Georgia (on Peachtree Street in Midtown, the city's arts district), the High is 312,000 square feet (28, ...
in Atlanta, the
Society of Dance History Scholars The Society of Dance History Scholars (SDHS) was a professional organization for dance historians in the United States and internationally. Founded in 1978, it became a non-profit in 1983. SDHS became a member of the American Council of Learned So ...
, and the Zora Neale Hurston Festival. In addition, Long served on the editorial boards of several publications, including the ''Langston Hughes Bulletin'', ''Phylon'' and the ''Zora Neale Hurston Bulletin''. Long died at home on January 3, 2013, at the age of 85.


Writings

Long began his literary career in 1985 with ''Black Americana'', and later published books such as ''The Black Tradition in American Dance'' (1989), ''African Americans: A Portrait'' (1993), ''Grown Deep: Essays on the Harlem Renaissance'' (1998) and ''One More Time: Harlem Renaissance History and Historicism'' (2007). He was co-author with
Marcia Ann Gillespie Marcia Ann Gillespie (born 10 July 1944) is an African-American magazine editor, writer, professor, media and management consultant, and racial and gender justice activist. She previously served as editor-in-chief of Essence (magazine), ''Essence ...
and Rosa Johnson Butler of ''Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration'' (2008). His papers are deposited at the Atlanta Fulton Public Library's Auburn Avenue Research Library.Veronica Fields Johnson
"Richard A. Long, 85, scholar and historian"
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', January 11, 2013.


Selected bibliography

* ''Black Americana'', 1985 * ''The Black Tradition in American Dance'', Rizzoli, 1989 * ''African Americans: A Portrait'', 1993 * ''Grown Deep: Essays on the Harlem Renaissance'', 1998 * ''One More Time: Harlem Renaissance History and Historicism'', 2007 * With
Marcia Ann Gillespie Marcia Ann Gillespie (born 10 July 1944) is an African-American magazine editor, writer, professor, media and management consultant, and racial and gender justice activist. She previously served as editor-in-chief of Essence (magazine), ''Essence ...
and Rosa Johnson Butler, ''Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration'', 2008


References


External links


Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
Richard A. Long posters, 1933–2011
* Britton Rogers
"Celebrating Black History Month: Dr. Richard A. Long and the Glenn House"
The Glenn House Restoration, February 28, 2018. {{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Rivhard 1927 births 2013 deaths 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people Academic staff of the University of Paris Academic staff of the University of Poitiers African-American historians American academics of English literature Clark Atlanta University faculty Emory University faculty Hampton University faculty Historians from Pennsylvania Morgan State University faculty Temple University alumni University of Pennsylvania faculty West Virginia State University faculty Writers from Philadelphia