Funky Turns Forty

The Meek-Eaton Black Archives at Florida A&M University is honored to participate in the ongoing examination of visual culture and the positive role of African-American identify by showcasing the significance animation art had on American society.

Funky Turns Forty is a traveling exhibition from the Museum of Uncut Funk collection and made possible through the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, a project of the John G. Riley Foundation. Loreen Williamson and Pamela Thomas created the Museum of Uncut Funk in 2007 to digitally showcase their now 300 pieces and growing collection of 1960’s and 1970’s animation art. This exhibition commemorates the 40th anniversaries of 1970’s Saturday morning cartoons that featured positive Black characters for the first time in television history. The collection displays pieces from popular shows like, “Hey, Hey, Hey, It’s Fat Albert,” “The Jackson 5ive,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” and “The Harlem Globetrotters,” to name a few. In a review of the collection, Felecia R. Lee, an author of “New York Times” said, “the revolution that it documents is from stereotype to superhero.” Funky represents a milestone in black history, but diversifies American art and media.