Each fan approx. 8 x 8 in. and stapled to a wooden handle of approx. 8 in. length. Three fans have the initials "B.A.H." on verso of wooden handle, with one handle bearing both the initials and the date "May 6, 1971." Created as marketing items, these fans likely promoted Black-owned businesses and were targeting Black consumers, ca 1940s-1970s.

Included in the group are the following fans: "These Americans Died for Freedom" featuring the images of John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Robert F. Kennedy; verso with advertisement for Buie's Funeral Home in Raeford, North Carolina. -- "Mahalia Jackson / 1911-1972"; verso with advertisement for Buie's Funeral Home in Raeford, North Carolina. -- "1929 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - 1968"; verso with advertisement for Julian V. Hawkins & Sons Funeral Directors in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. -- "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."; verso with advertisement for North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company in Durham, North Carolina. -- "Booker T. Washington" and "George Washington Carver"; verso with advertisement for Horton Funeral Homes in Sanford, North Carolina. This fan appears to be scarce, and is the earliest with a copyright of 1946.

Hand fans were used throughout the African American community, often distributed at churches, civic meetings, and political events. More than a way to advertise Black-owned businesses, these fans were also used as a means to promote Civil Rights while simultaneously offering positive images of Black men, women, and families.