The University of Maine Racial Justice Collection is a curated collection of items compiled as part of an internship project to create an archive of primary sources by, from, and about the Black community and racial justice issues at the University of Maine and in the greater Bangor region. The Collection was created in response to the increased social awareness of racial justice issues in the United States following the death of George Floyd in the spring and summer of 2020.
The resources include newsletters, interviews, articles, posters, webpages, correspondence, and reports from University of Maine administrators, departments, student groups, and individual faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The material includes born digital items captured from the web and scans of analog items from records held in the University of Maine Archive.
The content was compiled by student intern Madison Riley August - December 2020.
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Black Symposium_Correspondence between Stephen Hughes and Rhody McCoy on Participating in Symposium on Black America
Stephen T. Hughes and Rhody A. McCoy
A letter from University faculty member Stephen Hughes, written on January 8, 1969 to Rhody McCoy, Unit Administrator of Ocean Hill-Brownsville Demonstration School District in Brooklyn New York, to participate in the Symposium on Black America. Rhody McCoy responded on January 15, 1969 accepting the invitation to speak at the Symposium. After the Symposium Stephen Hughes wrote to Rhody McCoy on February 24, 1969 to give thanks for participating in the Symposium and included a check of payment. The last page is a poster created to showcase Rhody McCoy's talk at the University on Monday February 17 at Eight PM in 137 Bennett Hall continuing the series of the Symposium on Black America.
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Black Symposium_ Letter from Winthrop C. Libby In Response to a Complaint on Symposium on Black America
Winthrop C. Libby
A letter written by Winthrop C. Libby, acting President of University of Maine at the time, in response to a complaint from a "person in Ellsworth", Maine from February 20, 1969 in regards to the S.D.S (Students for a Democratic Society) on campus and certain programs being held at the University of Maine. President Libby states that S.D.S exists legally on campus and have the right to exist regardless of his opinions. He also states that the Symposium on Black America was sponsored by the General Student Government and was well attended and went well. President Libby expresses his opinion on S.D.S and the Symposium throughout the letter.
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Spark Magazine Published by Orono Free Press on Bobby Seale, a Black Panther and Other Related Topics
Orono Free Press and Art Adoff
This Spark magazine, published by Orono Free Press on September 22, 1969, was created as a 'Maine Movement Publication' and was on the topic of Bobby Seale, Black Panther Chairman, who was arrested and the repression of the Black Panther Party. On page two there is an advertisement for a protest to 'Tell the People the Truth-- Free Bobby' and transportation to Bangor for the protest. Art Adoff wrote a background piece on the 'Black Panther Party' and on pages four-six there is a piece on the repression of the Black Panther Party.
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Black Symposium_Poster Created for Beulah Sanders Guest Speech for the Symposium on Black America
University of Maine
Poster created for Beulah Sanders, New York City welfare rights activists, guest speech at the University of Maine's Symposium on Black America held on February 16-19, 1969.
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University of Maine's History Union Newsletter
Art Adoff
This newsletter from the University of Maine's History Union dated between circa 1968-1970 on 'Black Panthers at Maine' by University of Maine student Art Adoff. The newsletter includes remarks about the lack of Black History studies, what the History Departments plans to do about it, and the History Union's goal to fight for a Black studies program. There are statements from the Head of the History Department at the time, Dr Robert Seager II.
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Letter from Ronald Banks, Assistant to President Libby, on Recommendations by the Civil Rights Committee, 1968
Ronald F. Banks
A letter from Ronald Banks from October 18, 1968 to a group of faculty to implement recommendations from the Civil Rights compliance review. These recommendations ensure no discrimination against perspective students on race, color, and national origins and more recruitment of minority students.
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Letter from Ronald Banks to John Bynoe on Recommendations for Minority Students
Ronald F. Banks
A letter from Ronald Banks, Assistant to President Winthrop C. Libby, to John Bynoe, Regional Civil Rights Director, on addressing specifics on recommendations suggested by the Civil Rights committee that came to the University of Maine. The letter mentions the Martin Luther King Scholarship to recruit minority groups to the University of Maine.
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Black Symposium_ Letter From Keith Carreiro to Harry Walker in Regards to Media Coverage on the Symposium on Black America
Keith Carreiro
A letter from Keith Carreiro, Chairman of the Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Maine, to Mr. Harry Walker, of Harry Walker, Inc in New York, sent on December 12, 1968 on media coverage of the Symposium on Black America. Keith Carreiro sent a letter to The New York Times for coverage and asks for support from Harry Walker to help broadcast the Symposium.
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Black Symposium_General Student Senate Minutes on the Distinguished Lecture Series and Black Symposium Details
Charlotte Harrington and Eileen J. Fields
Minutes from the University of Maine General Student Senate from October 1968 to February 1969 in relation to the Black Symposium hosted at the University of Maine. The Symposium was sponsored by the Student Senate and in the minutes are the planning and reasoning for the speakers.
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Black Symposium_ Letter from Gerald Work to Several People in regards to Participating in the the Symposium on Black America
Gerald Work
A letter from Gerald Work, professor at UMaine, sent to five members of the community of the University to participate in a panel composed of students and faculty as part of a Symposium on Black America. The panel was to talk about views on race relations on campus and what the University support should be.
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Correspondence between Dr Earl McGrath and President Lloyd H. Elliot on Black Students at the University of Maine
Earl J. McGrath and Lloyd H. Elliot
A letter from Dr Earl McGrath to University of Maine President Lloyd H. Elliot on April 16, 1964 entailing a survey on the attendance of Black students at higher education institutions and their opportunities at the University. A response letter from President Elliot to Dr McGrath written on April 26, 1964 includes the answers to proposed questions from the survey.
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Letter from Nicole Kimball to Hugh Saunders on University of Maine's Sororities Membership
Nicole Kimball
A letter from Nicole Kimball, President of Panhellenic Council at the University of Maine, to Hugh Saunders, Chairman Maine Advisory Committee Commission on Civil Rights, written on March 7, 1963 on UMaine's sororities membership in regards to Black and Jewish students.
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Correspondence between Alberta Jackson and President Lloyd H. Elliott on University of Maine Anti-Discrimination Policies
Alberta Jackson and Lloyd H. Elliott
Letter from Alberta Jackson, Secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People- Central Maine branch, on December 13, 1962 addressed to the President to the University of Maine, Lloyd H. Elliott, on the anti-discrimination policies in regards to admissions, social activities, and sororities and fraternities. President Elliott responded to Alberta Jackson on January 2, 1963 stating that the University had implemented policies to end discrimination on campus and related institutions, such as sororities and fraternities.
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Correspondence between President Authur A. Hauck and Warren Brown regarding Information on Race Prejudices
Arthur A. Hauck and Warren Brown
A letter from Arthur A. Hauck, President of the University of Maine, to Evans Clark, Secretary of the Council for Democracy, written on September 30, 1943 in regards to President Hauck's membership with the Committee on the Group Life of Students of the National Association of State Universities and a discussion on 'Racial Problems and Student Attitudes and suggestions to help the conversation. Warren Brown, from the Council of Democracy, responded to President Hauck on November 1, 1943 stating that they sent material in regards to Black lives and to send back a reaction.