The UMass Black Presence website serves as a living history of the experiences, contributions, and stories of Black students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Through oral history interviews and research on historical figures, we've captured these stories to provide an authentic and in-depth understanding of these lived experiences.
This is a growing website with additional interviews, news, profiles, and moments in history being populated on an ongoing basis. We encourage you to share any content you have that should be highlighted on this webpage.
Dr. Irma McClaurin's work to up-lift and preserve the work and stories of Black women
Randolph W. “Bill” Bromery served as chancellor of the university from 1971–79. His rich legacy as a transformative Black leader, scientist, and lifelong saxophonist is now memorialized by the Fine Arts Center building that will be named in his honor
James Baldwin had a little-known close connection to UMass campus, our faculty, and students. Read about his history and time here.
Planning Committee
See everyone involved See everyone involvedThe Black Presence Project was a cross-campus collaborative effort led by Dr. John Bracey of the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies.
Dr. Bracey and Dr. Battle-Baptiste on the History of the Black Presence Project
Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, Nefertiti Walker, interviews Whitney Battle-Baptiste and John Bracey to discuss the Black Presence Initiative. They talk about the history of the project, the various components of the website and project at large, and the incredible interviews Dr. Bracey and his team were able to record that will be preserved on the Black Presence website and in the University Archives.
A Message from Former Chancellor Subbaswamy on the Black Presence Project
"While the university serves society through its land-grant mission of learning, discovery and engagement, we have a reciprocal relationship with our citizenry. For in equal measure, the institution benefits from external influences: As we export innovation and creativity, our excellence is fueled by the societal changes and movements that flow across our campus, challenging us to always evolve and expand the promise of this great institution."
Sidonio Ferreira on James Baldwin
Sidonio Ferreira is the special assistant to the vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life. He's been a member of the UMass community since he was an undergraduate student and has since served in a number of roles on campus. In this video, he describes being a student when James Baldwin was at UMass as a Distinguished Fellow, and the electrifying moments Baldwin created.
