Golden Legacy: Illustrated History Magazine Vol. 2: Harriet Tubman; Vol. 7 and 8: Frederick Douglass Part One and Two
The Golden Legacy Comic Book Series in Special Collections
October 31, 2025
NC State University Libraries' Special Collections has been growing in its collections of comics and graphic novels, with a wide variety of genres, formats, years published, and contents. One such collection is the Golden Legacy Comic Book Series Collection, with the full 16 issue run of the Golden Legacy Illustrated History Magazine.
The Golden Legacy series was published from 1966 to 1976 by Bertram A. Fitzgerald, Jr.'s Fitzgerald Publishing Company, with the goal of depicting positive portrayals of Black history to a young readership.
The series' publisher Bertram A. Fitzgerald, Jr. was born in 1932 in Harlem, New York, of a Jamaican father and an American mother. He served in the US Air Force, graduated from Brooklyn College, and worked in accounting before turning to educational publishing.
He published the Golden Legacy Illustrated History Magazine, stating, "The intention of our publication is to implant pride and self-esteem in black youth while dispelling myths in others. We believe this can be accomplished through our visual presentation of worldwide achievements in an effortless and enjoyable manner with a magazine which can be widely distributed."
Fitzgerald believed that history books were missing positive depictions of Black Americans, which had a negative effect on children. Fitzgerald and his wife had three children. He died in 2017 in New York City.
The series includes bios of Black historical figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr.; Harriet Tubman; Frederick Douglass; Thurgood Marshall; and Alexander Dumas. Other issues focused on broader topics, such as Black cowboys and ancient African kingdoms. Some issues also had back-up stories about additional Black historical figures.
The series was endorsed by the NAACP, the New York City Board of Education, the National Urban League, and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History). It was also praised by educators and community leaders. Over 12 million copies have been sold. You can learn more about Golden Legacy from their website.
If you have any questions or are interested in viewing Special Collections materials, including the Golden Legacy series and other comic book collections, please contact us at library_specialcollections@ncsu.edu or submit a request online. The Special Collections Research Center is open by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm and Saturday, 1pm–5pm. Requests for a Saturday appointment must be received no later than Tuesday of the same week.
