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Black History Month at UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst honors and acknowledges Black history and heritage—on campus and beyond.
BLACK CREATIVITY SHAPES ARTS AND CULTURE AT UMASS AMHERST
The unmistakable legacy of Black students and faculty at UMass Amherst dates back to the late 19th century, as chronicled through the UMass Amherst Black Presence Project.
Robust activism in the 1960s and 1970s signaled the organization of festivals, performances, and academic programming; brought prominent Black artists, musicians, and educators to campus; and saw the appointment of the university's first Black chancellor, whose priorities and efforts laid the groundwork for current arts programming at UMass Amherst.
Read more about Black Presence in the Arts at UMass Amherst »
BLACK PRESENCE AT UMASS
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With more than 40 interviews and profiles, the UMass Black Presence website tells the remarkable story of the Black faculty, staff, alumni, and students who have contributed to UMass Amherst's international reputation for excellence. Conducted over several semesters, the rich oral history interviews were led by Professor John H. Bracey Jr., a founding member of the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, alongside Erika Slocumb, an Afro-American studies doctoral candidate, and students enrolled in Black Presence at UMass, Part I and Part II. Below are just a few of the many profiles available in the website's growing collection.
Archie Shepp taught at UMass for 30 years, beginning in 1971. His class Revolutionary Concepts followed the history of African American instrumental music from its origins in Africa to its current incarnations today. Learn more.
Randolph Wilson Bromery was an American educator, geologist, and a former chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1971–79). He was the first Black chancellor of the university and the second African American to lead a predominantly and historically white campus. His leadership was instrumental in laying the foundations for arts programming on campus today. Learn more.
Dr. Irma McClaurin '76MFA, '89MA, '93PhD, and UMass Distinguished Alumna is the founder of the Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive. She is also an accomplished scholar, anthropologist, former university president, and award-winning writer. Learn more.
Professor Charmaine Nelson fuses past with present with her groundbreaking research that explores Black history through art. Here, she profiles 19th-century sculptor Mary Edmonia Lewis: a tenacious, extraordinarily talented, and resilient artist often overlooked by art history.
Campus Archives and Resources
UMass Amherst offers an abundance of archival and digital resources available to the campus community all year long.
The W. E. B. Du Bois Center, housed in the W. E. B. Du Bois Library, engages audiences in discussion and scholarship about global issues involving race, labor, and social justice. UMass Amherst is also the proud home of the W. E. B. Du Bois Papers, which can be found on the 25th floor of the library in the Special Collections and University Archives section.
To raise awareness of the issues and increase the visibility of the unique contributions of Black women, women of color, and transfem people, Distinguished Alumna Irma McClaurin MFA '76, MA '89, PhD '93 founded the Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive. It is a collaboration with the Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives and the W. E. B. Du Bois Center.
Events
Explore university events taking place throughout the month of February.
Feb. 7, 2023–May 10, 2024
Augusta Savage Gallery
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2024, 12 p.m.
South College Commons
Keep the Conversation Going
Find resources available throughout the year on campus and online.