Contents


Collection Overview

Administrative Information

Historical Note

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Series I. History

Series II. Notebooks

Series III. Mwangi Cultural Center

Series IV. Afro-American Studies Department

Series V. 5-College and Intercollegiate

Series VI. Conference Materials

Series VII. Newsletters

Series VIII. Events

Series IX. General Files, A-Z

Series X. Clippings

Series XI. Poetry and Lyrics

Series XII. Photographs

Series XIII. Artifacts

Oversized Material

Black Students Alliance Records, 1970-[ongoing]

Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Yasmine Evans, Amanda Lineweber

2013

Collection Overview

Creator: Black Students Alliance
Title: Black Students Alliance Records
Dates: 1970-[ongoing]
Abstract: Contains notebooks, correspondence, conference materials, minutes, photographs, and event fliers documenting the Black Students Alliance.
Extent: 12 boxes(4.8 linear ft.)
Language: English
Identification: RG 80

Administrative Information

The records of the Black Students Alliance were donated over a period of time to the Smith College Archives from a variety of sources.

Yasmine Evans, Class of 2013; Amanda Lineweber, Class of 2011

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Black Students Alliance Records, Box #, Smith College Archives.

The records are open for research according to the regulations of the Smith College Archives except where noted in the finding aid.

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the documents must be requested from the Smith College Archives. Smith College owns copyright to any published material relating to college events and activities. Provenance and copyright ownership of other materials is unknown and researchers are responsible for determining any question of copyright.

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Historical Note

The earliest records of the Black Students Alliance (BSA) date from 1970, when black students and faculty across the Five Colleges formed a committee to demand the inclusion of Afro-American Studies in Five College curriculums. Smith's BSA became active soon afterward, first with protests concerning the state of Afro-American Studies at Smith and then with student newsletters and events. In 1974 the BSA ran a children's fair at the Mwangi Cultural Center, then located in Lily Hall. The goal of the fair was to educate local children about black cultural heritage. The BSA's annual events have included a Black Arts Festival, Black History Observance events, cultural events such as Kwanza and musical performers, social events including parties and movie nights for both BSA members and the larger campus community. The BSA has also participated regularly in local black students' conferences. Additionally, the BSA has been partially in charge of Unity House and the Mwangi Cultural Center with the cultural center staff since its creation in the 1970s, and an active participant in planning and running Bridge, an annual pre-orientation program for students of color.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The records of the Black Students Alliance include general and officers' notebooks which contain a variety of materials, including notes, minutes, correspondence, budget sheets, event fliers, reports, and more.

The records also contain files of minutes and correspondence concerning the Mwangi Cultural Center, the Five College Executive Committee on Afro-American Studies, Smith College's Afro-American Studies Department, and the annual black student's conference. There are also a few files of BSA newsletters and other assorted correspondence.

Most of the photographs are unidentified and undated. They are mainly of various BSA members and events.

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into thirteen series:

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Series I. History


Box
Folder
1 1
Charter n.d.

2
Constitution 2001

3
"Our Firsts" - a history of students' racial diversity at Smith College n.d.

Series II. Notebooks


Box
Folder
1 4
Executive Board Minutes 1981-82, n.d.

5
Executive Board Minutes 1997-98

6
Executive Board Minutes 2006

7
Executive Board Members 1985-86

8-9
Chair's Notebook (2 folders) 1996-97

10
Chair's Notebook 1998-99

11-15
Chair's Notebook (5 folders) 2002-03

16-27
Chair's Notebook (12 folders) 2003-04

Box
Folder
2 1-6
Vice Chair's Notebook (6 folders) 1998-99

7-13
Vice Chair's Notebook (7 folders) 1999-2000

14-20
Vice Chair's Notebook (7 folders) 2004-05

21-22
Vice Chair's Notebook (1-2 of 7 folders) 2006-07

Box
Folder
3 1-5
Vice Chair's Notebook (3-7 of 7 folders) 2006-07

6-7
Secretary's Notebook (2 folders) 1998-99

8
Treasurer's Notebook 1991-92

9-16
Treasurer's Notebook (8 folders) 1998-99

17-22
Treasurer's Notebook (1-6 of 10 folders) 1999-2000

Box
Folder
4 1-4
Treasurer's Notebook (7-10 of 10 folders) 1999-2000

5-13
Treasurer's Notebook (9 folders) 2000-01

14-18
Treasurer's Notebook (1-5 of 10 folders) 2002-06

Box
Folder
5 1-5
Treasurer's Notebook (6-10 of 10 folders) 2005-06

6-7
Treasurer's Notebook (2 folders) 2006-07

8-13
Social Chair's Notebook (6 folders) 2000-01

14-18
Social Chair's Notebook (1-5 of 10 folders) 2005-06

Box
Folder
6 1-5
Social Chair's Notebook (6-10 of 10 folders) 2005-06

6-8
Club Notebook (3 folders) 1989-90

9-19
Club Notebook (11 folders) 1996-98

20
Club Notebook 1999-2000

21
Club Notebook 2005-06

22
Club Notebook 2007-08

Box
Folder
7 1
Black History Observance Committee Notebook 1983-84

2
Ticket Seller's Notebook 1996-97

Series III. Mwangi Cultural Center


Box
Folder
7 3
History n.d.

4
General information 1973, n.d.

5
Activities and events 1972-73, 1996-97, 2002-05

6
Closing/Rededication Ceremony 2002

7
Correspondence: Dr. Mwangi Ng'endo 1973

8
Correspondence: Students 1980-82

9
Reports 1975, 1979

10
Space use agreements 2002

11
Space use agreements 2004

12
Smith College Space Utilization Study 1990

13
Staff minutes and correspondence 1980-81

14-18
Unity Leader Training Notebook (4 folders) 1999-2000

Series IV. Afro-American Studies Department


Box
Folder
7 19
History n.d.

20
Brochures and information packet 1970, 1982-83, n.d.

21
Clarification of Demands for the Department 1971

22
Correspondence with President Mendenhall 1973

23
Correspondence re: survey from Afro-American Studies Advisory Committee ca 1982

24
Memo: Goals for the Department 1973

25
Proposed Interdepartmental Major report 1969

Series V. 5-College and Intercollegiate


Box
Folder
7 26
Correspondence: Wellesley College Black Students Union 1993

27
Correspondence: 5-College Presidents 1970

28
Interim 5-College Executive Committee on Afro-American Studies Meeting Minutes (2 folders) 1970-74

29
Smith-Amherst Tutorial Proposal 1970

30
"A Proposal for the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies (UMASS)" 1970

Series VI. Conference Materials


Box
Folder
7 31
Correspondence 1995

32
Schedule 1997

33
Suggestions 1997

34
Board Information 2005

35-38
Correspondence (1-4 of 6 folders) 2005-06

Box
Folder
8 1-2
Correspondence (5-6 of 6 folders) 2005-06

3
Checklists 2005-06

4
Financial Records 2005-06

5
Fundraising 2005-06

6
Minutes 2005-06

7
Notebook (3 folders) 2006

8
Panelist Information n.d.

9
Panel Questions 2005-06

10
Publicity 2005-06

11
Reference: "Getting Real: Black Women Taking Charge in the Fight Against AIDS" n.d.

12
Registration forms (3 folders) 2006

13
Schedule 2006

14
Notebook (2 folders) 2008-09

Series VII. Newsletters


Box
Folder
8 15
Newsletter 1972

16
Newsletters 1983-84

17
Newsletters 1991-92

18
Newsletters 1998-99

Series VIII. Events


Box
Folder
9 1
Black Arts Festival: general n.d.

2
Black Arts Festival 1978 1978

3
Black Arts Festival 1980 1979-80

4
Black Arts Festival 1981 1980-81

5
Black Arts Festival 1982 1981-82

6
Black Arts Festival 1983 1982-83

7
Black Arts Festival 1984 1984

8
Black Arts Festival 1985 1984-85

9
Black Arts Festival 1986 1985-86

10
Black Arts Festival 1987 1986-87

11
Black Arts Festival 1999 1999

12
Bridge: Pre-orientation program for students of color. See also DVD088-DVD091. 1992, 2002, 2004, 2007

13
Children's Fair 1984-85

14
Children's Workshop 1974

15
Cultural Expansions 1976

16
Family Weekend - Ada Comstock Women of Color 2009


Howard University Concert Choir [See V442] Spring 2002

17
Karma Weekend 1970

18
Kwanza 1983-88, 1998-2008

19
Ndguda Fashion Show 1971

20
Otelia Cromwell Day 1981-89, 1996-97, 2005

21
Spring Black Festival 1974

22
General 1979-80

23
General 1982-83

24
General 1984-85

25
General 1985-86

26
General 1994-95

27
General 1995-96

28
General 1997-98

29
General 1998-99

30
General 1999-2000

31
General 2000-01

32
General 2001-02

33
General 2004-05

34
General 2005-06

35
General 2006-07

36
General 2007-08

Box
Folder
10 1
General 2008-09

5
General 2009-10

3
General n.d.

Series IX. General Files, A-Z


Box
Folder
11 1
Black Alumnae Newsletter 1983, 2006

2
Black Alumnae Weekend 1984

3
Black Face 2007-08

4
Black United Front n.d.

5
Budget Allocation 1980

6
Budget Allocation 1986-87

7
Budget Allocation 1990-91

8
Car Use Forms and Guidelines 1985

9
Correspondence - general 1978-86

10
Correspondence - general 1992

11
Correspondence - general 2005-09

12
Correspondence - BSA members 2005

13
Correspondence - President Dunn 1990

14
Correspondence - The Engravery n.d.

15
Correspondence - Smith College student body 1981, 1990

16
Correspondence - Speak Out! Internship Opportunities 1994

17
Dennis Brutus Defense 1981

18
Diplomas from engraved holders n.d.

19
Election Speech Notes

20
Entertainment Brochures (2 folders) 1974-2000, n.d.

21
First years letters 1973

22
Funding request to SGA 1996

23
Guest book 1993-5, n.d.

24
Hampshire College Course Guide Supplement 1980

25
History of Black Protest at Smith: A study in inevitable conflict… 1972

26
"I have a dream…" Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial 1986

27
Information booklet on BSA 2005-06

28
Jewish Women's Studies: An Introductory Bibliography n.d.

29
Letterhead n.d.

30
"Mathematics Performance Amongst Black Students at the University of California, Berkeley" 1985

31
Multicultural Development Report 1988

32
Nguzo Saba Testimonials and Mshumaa Lighting n.d.

33
An Open Letter to My Sister - anonymous n.d.

34
R.A.C.E. charter 1970-71

35
Racist notes report 1993

36
Speech to BSA by Monique Spyke 2001-02

37
St. John's Congregational Church Bulletin 1983

38
Survey responses ca. 2005

Series X. Clippings


Box
Folder
11 39
Black arts clippings 1992-98

40
Smith College clippings 1987, 1999-2007, n.d.

41
Smith and the Media booklet 1984

Series XI. Poetry and Lyrics


Box
Folder
11 42
Audre Lorde - "Coal" n.d.

43
Queen Latifah - "U.N.I.T.Y." n.d.

44
Anonymous - "Ebonics Tectonics" n.d.

Series XII. Photographs


Box
Folder
12 1
General (7 envelopes) 1969-96

2-7
Miscellaneous (97 envelopes) n.d.

8
Celebration (4 envelopes) n.d.

Series XIII. Artifacts


Box


13
3 engraved diploma holders 1993


8 graduation sashes 2002, 2005-06, 2009


Award medal decorated with diploma and cap n.d.

Oversized Material



Posterboard with photos of Rosa Parks n.d.


Posterboard for Kaleidoscope of Color: Portraits of Smith Students of Color, with introduction by BSA Black Culture Chair 1995-96 1996