Case: Ralph J. Bunche, Statesman, Activist, Peacemaker (Part 1)

Ralph Bunche (1904-1971)—scholar, diplomat, political scientist, and activist—was the 1st African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for negotiating the Rhodes Armistice Agreement, the only such agreement jointly signed by Arab countries and Israel. To mark the centennial of his birth, this case features his Noble Peace Prize medallion, certificate, and prize case, as well as drafts of the Armistice Agreement between Israel, Syria, Transjordan (Jordan), Lebanon, and Egypt. Also on view are artifacts from Bunche's childhood and later international career, including his personal Bible, college scrapbook, UN calling card, honorary degrees, and the Smithsonian Folkways Record album he recorded in the 1950s.