Sheldon Harris Collection

Sheldon Harris was a noted editor, educator, and collector of blues and jazz. His book Blues Who's Who: A Biographical Dictionary of Blues Singers, (Arlington House, 1979), featuring biographies of 571 different singers is considered a prime reference source in the field. His collection of sheet music included hundreds of minstrel songs, popular in their day, but full of both racist and demeaning language.

The prejudices depicted in this collection are not condoned by the University of Mississippi. This content is being presented as historical documents to aid in the understanding of both American history and the history of the University of Mississippi. The University Creed speaks to our current deeply held values, and the availability of this content should not be taken as an endorsement of previous attitudes or behavior.