Illidge said the photo was used without permission on merchandise like pins and magnets, with no royalties paid.
“That’s the importance of [the grant] as well, it’s about protecting this intellectual property,” she said.
The program highlights hidden histories from both large and small institutions to shift broader historical narratives.
Alcorn State University, founded by Mississippi’s Reconstructionist legislature, was led by its first president Hiram R. Revels, the first Black US Congressional member.
Illidge said her goal was to find a school in each state that would shift that state’s narratives.
“Mississippi is a very important state historically for the Black community, and there’s so many stories that could counter the negatives of Mississippi,” she said.
Maxine Greenleaf, vice-president of marketing and communication at Alcorn, said vital historical images would be lost without the program.
“It brings those images to life.
We didn’t know that some of these images existed until we started with this project,” she told The Guardian.
Alcorn is America’s first public land-grant HBCU, celebrating 155 years.
“That’s an important part of America’s history,” Greenleaf said.
Alcorn has produced civil rights icons Medgar and Myrlie Evers, author Alex Haley, and NFL player Steve McNair.
“Without Getty and all the other contributors to making this project a reality, all of these histories or stories would be lost,” Greenleaf said.
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To build engagement, Getty Images collaborates with universities to share historical photo sets on Instagram every few weeks.
