Black Cultural Center records

Collection

Identifier: DA0006

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Black Cultural Center records (2019-2023) consist of 1,579 computer files related to the BCC's support and advocacy for faculty, staff, trainees, and students through Black-centered research, culturally affirming educational programs, and services. Included are archival materials from other institutions from 1968. A couple of the programs found in the collection are the Male Success Initiative (MSI) - a program created to help develop academic success; Generation Next - building Black professionals of tomorrow; and pictures from the BCC's soft and grand opening. The file formats include audio (WAVE and MP3), images (PNG, JPEG, and HEIC), and video (MP4 and MOV).

Dates

2019-2023

Creator

University of Utah. Black Cultural Center (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Biographical / Historical

The University of Utah Black Cultural Center was established in 2019 when two student leaders approached their advisor about the creation of an affinity space at the University of Utah.

After several anti-Black incidents at the university, Black Student Union (BSU) students Alexis Baker and Barbara Kufiadan were anxious to expedite research and strategies on establishing such a space following initial discussions at an open forum in 2015.

With their advisor and Black Faculty and Staff Association member Portia Anderson, the BSU representatives soon joined forces with Romeo Jackson and Vivian D’Andrade from the Black Graduate Student Association along with support from other faculty and staff such as Dr. William and Dr. Paula Smith on campus to write a proposal for a Black Cultural Center (BCC) at the University of Utah.

2015: Initial talk
2017: Approval for center
2019 February: Soft opening
2019 April: Meligha Garfield hired
2019 August: JaTara hired
2019 September: Grand opening
2020 March: Covid-19 outbreak; virtual programming began till Spring 2021
2020 June: George Floyd memorial fund
2021 August: Operation Success launches; Sara Cody hired
2022 August: Bomb threat; Ephraim hired; MSII starts
2023 February: Pepsi $50,000 and NBA $25,000 during the NBA All-Star Game
2023 August: Generation Next starts