| Abstract: |
Reuben and Dorothy Silver were active in Karamu House, a performing arts center and theater, founded in 1915 as an interracial
social settlement in Cleveland, Ohio. During their tenure, the Silvers were instrumental in presenting works by African American
authors such as Langston Hughes and LeRoi Jones, as well as classics from the American theater. Urban unrest in the community
surrounding Karamu and the growing popularity of the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s and 1970s forced a reconsideration of
Karamu's goals as they related to interracial theater. During this period, Karamu endured major personnel and financial crises.
The collection consists of minutes, reports, correspondence, memoranda, press releases, newspaper clippings, publications,
playscripts, schedules, programs, and handbills. Most of the material contained in this collection is concerned with Karamu
House and the Silvers' roles there as Theater Director and Theater Assistant from 1955-1976.
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