NewsSubscribe

UMass Amherst launched the Black Presence initiative in 2021 to document and honor the contributions of Black alumni, students, faculty, and staff—and to bring the past into the present. Through oral history interviews and research on historical figures, the project strives to capture an authentic and in-depth understanding of their lived experiences.

The initiative is a cross-campus collaboration led by Professor John H. Bracey Jr. of the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies. The oral histories currently on the site were primarily recorded by Bracey and graduate student Erika Slocumb ’13, ’16MS, ’24PhD, as well as students in the Black Presence at UMass course.

Slocumb views the initiative as a way to connect the past, present, and future at UMass. “In my time at UMass, I really didn’t understand what community looked like for Black folks historically,” Slocumb says. “Each new cohort of Black students has to find each other and build that sense of community.”

The initiative is meant to be a living resource, with new interviews, profiles, and news added on an ongoing basis. Students, staff, faculty, and alumni are all encouraged to submit items of interest.

“The importance of this project is really to create a sense of hope and belonging for Black folks,” Slocumb adds. “We don’t have to recreate it because there is already a road map for us.”

Submit your own story about Black life at UMass through the Black Presence Project.

View the UMass Magazine article.