FEATURE ARTICLES FRATERNITY BROTHER LEAVES LEGACY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE By Brother M. Rodney Robinson
B
rother Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr. left a legacy of culture and art through his contributions to the Washington, D.C. community and the nation. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Harvard University and a lifelong resident of Washington, D . C , Brother Tibbs exemplified the cultural spirit of our rich heritage. Raised primarily by his educator father, Thurlow Evans Tibbs Sr., and grandmother, the famous opera singer Lillian "Madame Evanti" Evans-Tibbs, ThurlowTibbs, Jr. was reared in an educational, musical and artistic environment. Brother Tibbs' life characterized the meaning of legacy. He was related to Jewel Henry Arthur Callis by marriage—the daughter of Jewel Callis was married to Brother Tibbs' great uncle, Brother Joseph Evans. Brother Evans was a leader in the Washington, D.C. community, as well as in Alpha Phi Alpha, where he served as a member ofMu Lambda Chapter. Beyond the scope ofAlpha, Thurlow was a cousin ofLangston Hughes; a direct descendent of one ofthefirstAfrican-American United States Senators, Blance Bruce; and the great-grandson of Wilson Bruce Evans, pioneer educator in Washington, D.C. public schools. As a young boy growing up, he had the unique opportunity to view original paintings in his home by famous African-American artists such as Lois Mailou Jones, Henry O. Tanner and others. With a born thirst for knowledge, Brother Tibbs acquired exquisite works of art for his family's collection—the Evans-Tibbs collection. By the mid-1980s the collection had grown large enough to be hosted by the Smithsonian for a nation-wide tour which premiered at his alma mater, Dartmouth College. A summary of his work is best summarized by the publication, African-American Artists, 1880 to 1987, that was part of the Smithsonian Travel Exhibition series. Thisfive-yeartour was developed by Brother Tibbs and highlighted the magnificent works of art that he had collected over the years. It came as no surprise that Brother Tibbs unselfishly shared his art with the larger community. Beyond the artistic community, Brother Tibbs realized his cultural and social obligations. He was a fund raiser for the Whitman-Walker clinic for the treatment ofAIDS. Heserved on the commission to return the U Street corridor—the
"Black Broadway" of Washington, D.C. in the early part of the century—to its original glory. This included registering the cornerstone of the community—the True Reformer Building at 12th and U Street NW—as a National Historic Landmark. Ironically, his grandfather had overseen the original development of the building. Brother Tibbs' spirit of unselfishness was exhibited in these and many other contributions to the nation's capitol. Prior his death, Mr. Tibbs was elected chairman of the Shaw-Cardozo Governing Board to oversee the potential historic district designation of the U street corridor and the surrounding neighborhoods. Most recently, Brother Tibbs donated more than 35 pieces of art valued at more than $1 million to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.—the capitol s largest non-federal museum. This permanent collection was recognized by the Washington Post as "the largest and most lasting group of historic American artworks in almost halfa century". The collection at the Corcoran includes illustrations, photos by James VanDerZee and original paintings by Romare Bearden, Aaron Douglas, Sylvia Snowden and others. The entire EvansTibbs collection totals more than 350 pieces of art. The latest evolution of the Brother Tibbs' collection is part of a new worldwide tour, "Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance" which makes its debut this summer in London. The multimedia tour includes critical essays by Henry Louis Gates and others. This is thefirstexhibit to cover the rich depth of the Harlem Renaissance from this time period. This show includes displays of sculpting, photography, portraits and other art forms. Thurlow's legacy of history and culture has been left for generations ofall mankind. Initiated at Mu Lambda Chapter in Washington, D . C , Brother Tibbs passed into Omega Chapter on January 16, 1997. Brother M. Rodney Robinson was initiated at Alpha Gamma Chapter. He current is a member ofOmicron Lambda Alpha Chapter where he is Chapter Historian. The SPHINX ™ - Summer 1997