Background on Black Pioneers Project
Moved to action after a successful and illuminating April 2016
reunion of Black alumni of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, alumna Dr. Cheryl L.
Evans (1968) decided to take on the critical project identified by the group, collecting and
documenting the stories of the Black alumni who attended the University between 1960 and
1970. Dubbing these students "Black Pioneers," given the dearth, and then growth, of Black
students on campus during the decade, Evans used her connections with alumni and her history
as a Black student leader to reach out about recording experiences for preservation and research purposes.
In collaboration with Special Collections and University Archives, Evans began the "UMass Black Pioneers Project,"
and sent an online questionnaire to around 85 alumni in September 2018. The survey addresses alumni's backgrounds,
academic and social experiences and support systems on campus, and racial discrimination and activism, as well as
current perceptions of the University and advice for students. Participation was voluntary,
and is ongoing.
If you are a Black Pioneer interested in participating in the survey or project, please contact Special Collections and University Archives.
Scope of collection
The UMass Black Pioneers Project Records contain some planning materials and correspondence for
the project, including videos of the original reunion in 2016, but primarily consist of written answers made in response to the "UMass Black
Pioneers Survey." In addition to the questionnaire, participants were able to send in physical
materials, or upload digital content, such as resumes, or videos of their responses, and the
collection contains a few of these. Several participants willing to be interviewed were also
connected with UMass Public History graduate students in HIS 659, for oral histories in the Fall 2018 semester.
These videos, along with a recording of the students' final presentations, are a part of the record
group, and there are hopes to conduct additional interviews. Additional material, including news clippings and memorial service programs, were added to the collection to document individuals who passed away and did not participate in the survey.
Inventory
Correspondence
2018 May
Box 1: 1
UMass Black Pioneers Survey
2018 Aug
Box 1: 2
Anonymous surveys
2018-2019
Box 1: 3
Brickhouse, William
2018 Oct
Box 1: 4
Brito, Miguel
2018 Sep
Box 1: 5
Bromery, Keith Marcel
2018 Sep
Box 1: 6
Burrell, Jerry
2018 Sep
Box 1: 7
Durant, Charlotte B.
2020 Oct
Box 1: 22
Evans, Warren
2018 Oct
Box 1: 8
Gray, C. Vernon
2019 Jan
Box 1: 9
Janey, Daniel Edward
2019 Apr
Box 1: 21
Kazana, Imani
2018 Nov
Box 1: 10
Kinard, Stanley
2019 Apr
Box 1: 11
Lucas, Wayne
2018 Sep
Box 1: 12
Martin, Elise
2018 Oct
Box 1: 13
Mayo, Walter
2018 Oct
Box 1: 14
Pina, Vincent
2018 Sep
Box 1: 16
Saunders, Kwaku Leon
2018 Oct
Box 1: 17
Smith, Gregory
2018 Oct
Box 1: 18
Smith, William H. "Smitty"
2018 Oct
Box 1: 19
Williams, Joanne E.
2018
Box 1: 20
HIS 659 student presentations video
2018
digital
UMass Amherst Black Pioneers reunion
videos
2016 Apr 16
digital
Administrative information
Search terms
Subjects
- African American college students--Massachusetts
- Racism in education
- University of Massachusetts Amherst--Alumni
- University of Massachusetts Amherst--Students
Genres and formats
- Oral histories (literary works)
- Questionnaires
Link to similar SCUA collections
