University Libraries
Archives Display Provides Snapshot of the Black Experience at UD
By Haylee Hunt and Amy Rohmiller
Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week, created by historian Carter G. Woodson. It expanded to Black History Month in 1976 and continues today as a chance for everyone to reflect on the African-American experience.*
To celebrate Black History Month, University Archives has a new display of photographs from its collections documenting the black experience at the University of Dayton.
“Celebrating Black History Month: Photographs from the University of Dayton Archives” gives a glimpse of civil rights leaders on campus, UD student-run organizations, and some notable African- American students and faculty.
While putting the display together, we learned a lot about UD and Dayton’s involvement in the civil rights movement. Many important African-American speakers have spoken at the University of Dayton, one being Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke at a 1964 freedom rally held in the Fieldhouse (now the Frericks Center). Another notable speaker was Stokely Carmichael, leader of the Black Power/ Black Panther Movement, who spoke on campus in 1974.
Campus publications
Another thing that caught our interest were the publications specifically for African-Americans here on campus. These magazines had a lot of information concerning the organization BATU (Black Action Through Unity) here on campus and different events BATU had. This was fascinating considering that the regular University of Dayton newspapers/magazines did not have a lot of information about African-American groups on campus. These newsletters are in the process of being digitized and will all soon be available on eCommons. Uhuru, a newsletter of BATU from 1977 to 1980, is already available for download.
See the display in Albert Emanuel Hall
To see the display and learn more about the African-American experience at UD, visit University Archives on the second floor of Albert Emanuel Hall between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The display is up through the end of February.
— Haylee Hunt is a student worker in the University Archives and Special Collections. Amy Rohmiller is an associate University archivist in the University Archives and Special Collections.
* Source: “Our History,” Association for the Study of African American Life and History,” accessed February 1, 2019, https://asalh.org/about-us/our-history/.