In observance of Black History Month, library staff are exploring holdings at the Center for Lowell History that document the university's black educational initiatives and leaders, events highlighting the achievements of Afro-Americans, and celebrations of Black History Month in times past. Campus activities for Black History Month (originally Black History Week) included film screenings, musical performances, talent and fashion shows, theatrics, public speakers, as well as “soul food and other art forms.” The university sponsored a decade long Student Photography Exhibit Program to commemorate Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee (1886-1983) who documented the lives of Harlem residents, particularly in the 1920's and 1930's. In the 1970s comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory (1932-2017) spoke at the university on two separate occasions. These and other stories will be posted as we probe.
References
