By BlackSourceMedia.com Staff
A Civil Rights Icon Remembered
The family of New Orleans activist Oretha Castle Haley just shared major news. The National Museum of African American History and Culture has accepted her 1977 civil rights journal into its collection.
Her journal, written during a trip to China, offers rare insight. It shows how she connected U.S. civil rights struggles to global ones. Her voice now lives inside the Smithsonian.
A Voice from 1977
In 1977, Haley joined a group of civil rights leaders on a trip to China. She kept a journal throughout. Her writing captures her thoughts on justice, race, and freedom. She studied how other nations treated their people. She compared those lessons to what she saw in America.
This personal record helps us understand the way she thought—and how far she was willing to go for truth.
A Lifelong Fighter for Justice
Oretha Castle Haley stood on the front lines of the movement in New Orleans. She helped organize sit-ins and fought segregation with CORE—the Congress of Racial Equality. Later, she managed political campaigns and pushed for equal healthcare.
She also worked as the Minority Recruitment Director for LSU Medical School, opening doors for Black doctors. She founded the Learning Workshop, a preschool and daycare that helped shape young lives.
Legacy Sealed in History
Now, her work has earned a place in one of the nation’s most important museums. Her journal joins other artifacts that tell the story of Black freedom fighters.
The timing matters. America is still facing hard questions about race and justice. Adding her voice to the Smithsonian shows that Black women like Oretha Castle Haley helped build this country’s moral foundation.
A Family’s Gratitude
Her family says the honor feels right. “To have her journal housed in the National Museum of African American History and Culture ensures that her contributions are not only remembered but honored.”
Oretha Castle Haley’s voice still teaches, still leads, and still inspires. Her words now belong to the world.