Doris A. Derby
American, 1939 - 2022
Doris Derby was an activist and photographer who joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1961. She played various roles within the organization, including working on an adult literacy program in Jackson and Tougaloo, Mississippi, in 1962. From 1963 to 1972 she contributed to voting rights efforts, health clinics, and community theaters.
As a photographer, Derby depicted the everyday lives of those involved in the civil rights movement. Her work often focused on the participation of women and children in grassroots organizing, offering a powerful counterpoint to the violence and terror faced by these communities. Derby’s documentation of family life, along with Black-owned businesses and educators, provides an intimate, yet profound, view of resilience and resistance of Black communities during a turbulent period in American history.
Explore Selected Works
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Evidence of Police Early Morning Raid, Republic of New Africa Headquarters, Jackson, Mississippi
Evidence of Police Early Morning Raid, Republic of New Africa Headquarters, Jackson, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1971 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.11
Artwork

Audience at Stokely Carmichael Lecture, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi
Audience at Stokely Carmichael Lecture, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1971 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.7
Artwork

Evidence of Police Early Morning Raid, Republic of New Africa Headquarters, Jackson, Mississippi
Evidence of Police Early Morning Raid, Republic of New Africa Headquarters, Jackson, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1971 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.10
Artwork

Audience Attending Hamilton Players Performance, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi
Audience Attending Hamilton Players Performance, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1971 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.5
Artwork

Voting at the Polls, Hinds County, Mississippi
Voting at the Polls, Hinds County, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1971 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.4
Artwork

Spectators, Supporters, and Sympathizers of the Deceased and Injured Jackson State University Students, Jackson, Mississippi
Spectators, Supporters, and Sympathizers of the Deceased and Injured Jackson State University Students, Jackson, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1970 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.8
Artwork

Mother, Myrtle Greene Burton, and Stepfather, Matt Burton, During the Funeral of Their Son James Earl Green, Jackson, Mississippi
Mother, Myrtle Greene Burton, and Stepfather, Matt Burton, During the Funeral of Their Son James Earl Green, Jackson, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1970 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.9
Artwork

Grand Marie Farmers' Cooperative, Lafayette, Louisiana
Grand Marie Farmers' Cooperative, Lafayette, Louisiana
Doris A. Derby · 1969 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.3
Artwork

Member of Southern Media Photographing a Young Girl, Farish Street, Jackson, Mississippi
Member of Southern Media Photographing a Young Girl, Farish Street, Jackson, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1968 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.2
Artwork

Black-owned Grocery Store, Sunday, Mileston, Mississippi
Black-owned Grocery Store, Sunday, Mileston, Mississippi
Doris A. Derby · 1968 · gelatin silver print · Accession ID 2022.149.1