Profiles & Narratives

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 archival research, 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.

Make a submission Make a submission

William Hunlie Craighead
Photo of groundbreaking college football captain William Hunlie Craighead in action. Amherst, MA, 1902

William Hunlie Craighead

Archie Shepp
Concert of Archie Shepp and Reggie Workman in the Red Hall' of the Deutschordensmuseum Bad Mergentheim, 2016

Archie Shepp

Board of Trustees Votes to Name the Main Library in Honor of W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois

Board of Trustees Votes to Name the Main Library in Honor of W.E.B. Du Bois

Briana Scurry
Briana Scurry

Briana Scurry

Chancellor Randolph Bromery
Bromery at his desk

Chancellor Randolph Bromery

Charlena Seymour
2005 Graduate Commencement Ceremony; Provost Charlena Seymour speaks.

Charlena Seymour

Desmond Tutu Speaks at the Fine Arts Center, 1993
Desmond Tutu at a podium speaking

Desmond Tutu Speaks at the Fine Arts Center, 1993

Dr. Edwin D. Driver Hired as the First Black Faculty Member
Edwin Driver lecturing at podium

Dr. Edwin D. Driver Hired as the First Black Faculty Member

Ekwueme Michael Thelwell
Justice for Jason rally at UMass Amherst: Michael Ekwueme Thelwell speaking to protesters outside the Student Union Building in support of Jason Vassell, March 12, 2008

Ekwueme Michael Thelwell

Enobong (Anna) Branch
Anna Branch

Enobong (Anna) Branch

Esther Terry
Esther Terry at a podium

Esther Terry

Frederick C. Tillis
Fred Tillis in from the of Bromery Center of Fine Art

Frederick C. Tillis

Irma McClaurin
Dr. Irma McClauren at a table with photo prints in front of her

Irma McClaurin

James Baldwin’s Years at UMass and the Five Colleges
James Baldwin and friends at a book party

James Baldwin’s Years at UMass and the Five Colleges

Julius Erving
Julius Erving playing basketball

Julius Erving

Kalekeni Banda
Coach Banda in a UMass shirt

Kalekeni Banda

Major Franklin Spaulding
Major Franklin Spaulding

Major Franklin Spaulding

Marcellette Gaillard-Gay Williams
Marcellette Williams in regalia at the graduate school graduation

Marcellette Gaillard-Gay Williams

Marcus Camby
Marcus Camby playing for the Knicks

Marcus Camby

Matthew Washington Bullock
M logo

Matthew Washington Bullock

Max Roach
Max Roach playing drums

Max Roach

Mtali Banda
Mtali Banda

Mtali Banda

Shirley Graham Du Bois
Amherst Record. Herbert Aptheker signing paper transferring W. E. B. Du Bois papers to University of Massachusetts, May 27, 1973. University Photograph Collection (RG 120_2). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Shirley Graham Du Bois

Tyrone Parham, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Police
Tyrone Parham posing for a photo with his wife and 2 children

Tyrone Parham, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Police

William Darity Establishes the School of Health Sciences
William Darity

William Darity Establishes the School of Health Sciences