“Histories of Students of Color at OSU” Campus Tour Guidebook

Posted on December 13, 2013 by fernandn

This Fall Term the OMA collaborated with the U-Engage class ALS 199 “Untold Stories: Histories of People of Color in Oregon” to create a campus tour regarding the histories of OSU’s students of color, and the tour guidebook is now available!

There are two versions of the tour guidebook: one is the version to view digitally and the other is the version that when printed and folded in half becomes a booklet. Both are available through OSU’s ScholarsArchive.

Click Here for the Online Version of the Booklet

For the print version of the booklet, click here and select the print file. Then follow the instructions listed in the abstract.

The stories selected for this booklet showcase the impact and contributions that students of color have had on the OSU campus. The stories range from celebrating the lives of OSU’s first female and male African Americans to graduate from OSU, to documenting student led protests in an effort to raise awareness of important issues, to recounting the establishment of four of the campus cultural centers, to detailing the desegregation of the men’s basketball team, and finally, to honoring the Japanese American students who were forced to leave their studies during World War II.

Here is the map with the 10 tour sites; the self-guided tour lasts about 1 hour:

On behalf of the ALS 199 class and the OMA, we hope you enjoy the tour!

Posted in OMA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Sundown Towns in Oregon Display, Fall 2013

Posted on November 30, 2013 by fernandn

Sundown Towns in Oregon Display, 2013

This Fall term Professor Jean Moule again taught her course TCE 408H “Sundown Towns in Oregon” and she invited the OMA to be a part of the classroom experience!

Natalia Fernández, OMA Archivist, worked with Professor Moule to co-teach the course. The two credit class began with a meeting in the OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center reading room with an introduction to archives and archival research. Over the course of the next two months we met to discuss the book Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James Loewen, we talked with OSU Press author R. Gregory Nokes about his research process for his book Breaking Chains: Slavery on Trial in the Oregon Territory, we traveled to the State Archives in Salem for a tour and hands-on archival research experience, and we co-curated a display for the Valley Library: “Sundown Towns in Oregon: Researching a Hidden Dimension of Oregonian Racism”

So, what is a Sundown Town?

A Sundown Town is “any organized jurisdiction that for decades kept African Americans or other groups from living in it and thus “all-white” on purpose…from about 1890 – 1968, white Americans established thousands of towns across the United States” (Sundown Towns, 4)

And, why is knowing about and understanding Sundown Towns important?

“Recovering the memory of the increasing oppression of African Americans during the first half of the twentieth century can deepen our understanding of the role racism has played in our society and continued to play today” (Sundown Towns, 16)

Photos of the Display and More Information about Sundown Towns is available through the Sundown Towns in Oregon Fall 2013 Flickr Set

And, 3 of the 4 student’s final reports have been added to OSU’s ScholarsArchive:

Salem

Silverton

Damascus

Lake Oswego

 Want to learn more about Sundown Towns?

Check out Jim Loewen’s website: Sundown Towns http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/sundowntowns.php

 And, be sure to see last year’s display: Fall 2012 Sundown Towns Display

 Display Information:

Dates: December 2013 – January 2014
Location: OSU Valley Library, 5th Floor across from the main elevators
Exhibit Curation and Design: TCE 408H Class and Natalia Fernández, Oregon Multicultural Librarian

Posted in OMA | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Miracle Theatre Group Archives Project ~ 4 Month Update

Posted on November 21, 2013 by fernandn

It’s been four months since OMA intern Katrina O’Brien began her project to process the archives of the Miracle Theatre Group and the progress made has been amazing! This week Katrina met with theatre staff to explain the work she’s be doing, talk about next steps, and begin discussions about a records retention schedule.

Here are a few of the slides from the presentation; to see the full set, check out Katrina’s blog post about the meeting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The very exciting Schematic; the overall organization for the collection:

Information for the theatre staff about best practices for record keeping:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, as a bonus, Katrina had quite a few boxes of content for ready for recycling:

Boxes to Recycle!

Next Step: In December Katrina will have about 10 boxes of the collection ready for pick up and we will, of course, blog all about it!

Posted in OMA | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month!

Posted on November 1, 2013 by fernandn

In the Spring of 2013 Natchee Barnd, an Assistant Professor with OSU’s of Ethnic Studies and Native American Studies as part of the School of Language, Culture, and Society, and Natalia Fernández, OSU’s Oregon Multicultural Librarian, interviewed seven student staff members of the Native American Longhouse, Eena Haws, one of OSU’s cultural resource centers. These staff members described their experiences on planning events, community outreach, and their thoughts on the opening of the new cultural center. In Honor of Native American Heritage Month this display shares their stories.

Want to know more? Come see the display in the Valley Library 5th Floor display case across from the elevators and check out the Digital Collection in Flickr

All seven oral histories (transcripts and audio files) are available online:

NAL Oral Histories 2013

Display Information:
When: November 1-25, 2013
Where: 5th Floor OSU Valley Library, Display Case Across from the Main Elevators
Who: Display curated by OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center Student Worker Buddy Martin

And, be sure to check out our previous heritage month displays…

Oregon Multicultural Archives Heritage Month Displays

Display Digital Collections in Flickr

 

Want to learn more? Contact Oregon Multicultural Librarian Natalia Fernández at natalia.fernandez@oregonstate.edu

Posted in OMA | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Performing Arts Collections Updates!

Posted on October 25, 2013 by fernandn

On October 19th and 20th the OMA attended both a concert in honor of Obo Addy and a new play in the 2013-2014 season of the Miracle Theatre Group! Plus Mike and Katrina, interns for the collections they are processing for both organizations, have some updates!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obo Addy Legacy Project concert:

The tribute concert featured pianist, composer, and Jazz master Randy Weston. He, along with Addy’s ensemble Okropong and the Lewis & Clark symphony, paid homage to Addy and his African inspired music.

Obo Addy Legacy Project Website

Obo Addy Legacy Project collection updates:

The Obo Addy and Homowo materials continue to yield amazing bits of cultural history.  A complete series of posters for the annual Homowo festivals have been identified. The various forms of media in this collection continue to be challenging. Oversize archival storage boxes for the large format posters are being sorted at this time. The huge volume of materials has been reduced by weeding out the duplicate copies of items such as lobby cards, posters, and fliers. The next major project with the collection is to organize and catalog the video and audio tapes, again dealing with duplicates.

~ Mike Dicianna, Obo Addy Legacy Project collection intern

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miracle Theatre Group play:

This past weekend was the world premiere of the play Corrido Calavera, an original and bilingual celebration of the Day of the Dead, conceived and directed by Lakin Valdez. The play featured a young couple that had recently passed away and the spirits that were assisting them transition into the afterlife.

Miracle Theatre Group website

Miracle Theatre Group collection updates:

It is now week 15 of the processing project and I’m happy to say that the initial filtering is now done, at least for the administrative and outreach files. 46 boxes and 23 binders have been broken down and filed into filter folders (think of it as a pre-stage to archive folders) that will be worked into the schematic based on findings during the filtering process. There are of course lots of other types of materials including financial records, grants, and production files, but those will be processed later. Next steps include 1) finding out what systems the organization is presently using, specifically electronic systems, in order to work out a Records Retention Schedule (RRS) and 2) planning a brief training for theatre staff regarding the collection and an initial discussion on plans for an RRS.

~ Katrina O’Brien, Miracle Theatre Group collection intern

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be sure to check back for more updates from both Mike and Katrina in the coming months!

Posted in OMA | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Breaking Chains ~ A Book on Oregon’s Slave History

Posted on October 16, 2013 by fernandn

Author Gregory Nokes gave a wonderful lecture about his new book Breaking Chains: Slavery on Trial in the Oregon Territory and the OMA was in attendance!

In his book Nokes retraces the steps of the white settlers who came to the Oregon territory, mostly from Missouri, and the prejudiced attitudes they brought with them. And, some of the settlers not only brought their attitudes, they brought their slaves. The main story in the book is the Holmes vs Ford, 1852-1853 trial in which a former slave couple files suit against their former owner to gain custody of their children. Nokes tells the story while also contextualizing it against the backdrop of the slavery debate not only in Oregon, but across the nation.

 Nokes Lecture Oct 15th; map of trails to Oregon

                           Nokes Reading an Excerpt from Breaking Chains

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Find out more about the book and its author on the Breaking Chains Website

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nokes explained that overall, while the settlers who migrated to Oregon were anti-slavery, they were also anti-black. These were the white men that then made and enforced the laws. When Oregon admitted to the Union as a state, it was anti-slavery, however, its constitution also included exclusion laws forbidding free blacks from settling in the area.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, earlier in the evening, as a special treat, Nokes spoke with the class TCE 408H Sundown Towns in Oregon. He shared his experiences as a researcher giving the class advice about which sources he found useful, sources such as legislative and census records, newspapers, oral histories, and consulting with experts.

Author Gregory Nokes 

Nokes with the TCE 408H Class

 To find out more about Sundown Towns, check out the blog post about last year’s 408H class: Sundown Towns in Oregon, Fall Term 2012

Posted in OMA | Tagged | Leave a comment

Activism Exhibit!

Posted on October 7, 2013 by fernandn

Activism Exhibit

The OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center recently curated an exhibition featuring activism in the collections and various OMA collections are included!

Exhibition Information:
Dates: October 2013 – March 2014
Location: OSU Valley Library, 5th Floor, 8:30am – 5pm

The exhibit is organized chronologically; here are a few photos and information about the featured OMA collections…

1940s

The 1940s

1945 Establishment of the Urban League of Portland

For over 70 years the Urban League of Portland has been empowering Oregon’s African American community. Established in 1945, the Urban League is a community-based organization with a mission to empower African Americans and other Oregonians to achieve equality in education, employment, and economic security, and emerged as a strong force and community partner in advocating for fair housing laws, education, and employment assistance.

In the OMA…

1960s

The 1960s

1964 OSU Men’s Basketball Team Desegregation

Norm Monroe was the first black walk-on player for OSU’s basketball team; instead of pursuing basketball, Monroe became a track star for OSU’s track team. Charlie White was OSU first black player for OSU’s basketball team recruited on scholarship. Both men shared their stories through oral history interview now available in the archives.

In the OMA…

  • “Glory Road and the Desegregation of College Basketball: the Untold Story at Oregon State University” – a panel presentation hosted in the Spring of 2011 with guests: Norm Monroe, first black walk-on player during the 1960-1961 season; Charlie White, first black player recruited on scholarship and later assistant to the freshman coach, 1964-1967; Paul Valenti, OSU Basketball Head Coach, 1964-1970; Craig Robinson, OSU Basketball Head Coach, 2009-present; Dr. Larry Griggs, Director of the Educational Opportunities Program, 1985-2008. For more information and a link to a video recording of the event, see the “Basketball Desegregation Event” blog post
  •  Oral History Interview – Norm Monroe, first black walk-on player during the 1960-1961 season
  •  Oral History Interview – Charlie White, first black player recruited on scholarship and later assistant to the freshman coach, 1964-1967

1969 OSU’s Black Student Union Walkout

In February of 1969 the OSU head football coach required Fred Milton, a black athlete, to shave his facial hair. Milton refused. The Black Student Union (BSU) declared that the request was unreasonable because it forced African American players to conform. They approached the administration for support but were rebuffed. In late February and early March the BSU students organized various protests, class boycotts, and a walkout.

In the OMA…

1970s

The 1970s

1971/1972 OSU’s NAL establishment

Oregon State University’s Native American Longhouse was established in 1971 with a mission to provide the opportunity to build a bridge of understanding between the regions’ Tribes and visitors of all cultures.

In the OMA…

1973 Establishment of the Colegio César Chávez

The Colegio César Chávez was established in 1973 as a four year Chicano serving institution in Mount Angel, Oregon. The mission of the Colegio was to provide educational opportunities for people who were denied access to higher education, to create a “college without walls” that emphasized collaboration between students, staff, administrators, their families, and the greater community.

In the OMA…

1975 OSU’s Black Cultural Center Official Opening

Oregon State University’s Black Cultural Center was established with the mission to complement the academic program of studies and enrich the quality of campus life for the university’s African and African-American students.

In the OMA…

1977 OSU’s Centro Cultural César Chávez Official Opening

Oregon State University’s Centro Cultural César Chávez, originally established in 1972 as the Chicano Cultural Center, strives to inform both the respective cultural groups and the greater university communities about issues central to the Chicano/Latino/Hispanic culture and heritage.

In the OMA…

1980s

The 1980s

1980-1982 OSU Anti-Apartheid Protests

The Oregon Anti-Apartheid Scrapbook documents the protest and educational campaign led by the OSU African Students Association (ASA) in response to wrestling coach Dale Thomas’ association with the South African wrestling community. Thomas’ hosting of visiting South African coaches and proposed team tour of the country drew fire because of an international ban upon competition with South African athletes as a protest of the racist apartheid political system.

In the OMA…

1990s and 2000s

The 1990s and 2000s

1991 OSU’s APCC establishment

Oregon State University’s Asian & Pacific Cultural Center was established in 1991 with the mission to educate students and members of the community about various Asian/Pacific Island cultures and heritages and to provide leadership development through events, activities, and other resources at the center.

In the OMA…

2008 OSU’s Japanese American Students during WWII – the honorary degrees awarded to students

In 1942, over 35 Japanese American students were forced to leave OSU in accordance with an executive order that affected thousands of Japanese Americans across the nation. Over 60 years later two OSU students, Andy Kiyuna and Joel Fischer, lobbied both OSU and the Oregon legislature to give honorary degrees to the interned students. On May 31, 2007, Governor Kulongoski signed House Bill 2823 that allowed state institutions of higher education to award honorary post-secondary degrees to an individual ordered “evacuated by Presidential Executive Order 9066″ to an internment camp during the Second World War. In 2008, OSU awarded honorary degrees to some of the students who had been interned.

In the OMA…

And, here are a few more images of the exhibit…

Posted in OMA | Tagged | Leave a comment

The OMA at the Cultural Heritage Archives Symposium 2013

Posted on September 30, 2013 by fernandn

CHAS 2013 in D.C.

This past week the OMA attended and presented a poster as part of the Cultural Heritage Archives: Networks, Innovation, and Collaboration Symposium (CHAS) in Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress; it was hosted by the American Folklife Center.

The aim of CHAS was to “energize the discussion of ethnographic archival thought and practice by presenting fresh and dynamic strategies for contemporary archival realities…Cultural heritage archives serve as valuable repositories of memory and knowledge that document the ongoing community-based creativity of individuals and groups. During the past decade, there has been an increasing acknowledgement of the value and power of developing such archives at all levels, from very local and informal collections to large national and international repositories” ~ CHAS website

Over the course of the two day symposium there was an incredible energy among the presenters speaking on a variety of topics including: Users of Cultural Heritage Materials, Archival Description, Preservation and Digital Stewardship, Forging Archival Collaborations and Alliances, Sharing Resources, and Education and Training.

The OMA presented as part of a poster session and the poster is now available online via ScholarsArchive@OSU ~ link to poster pdf. The two projects described in the poster reflect the OMA’s dedication to assisting communities preserve and share their histories. The first is an example of assisting Oregon Chinese community through digital stewardship, the Oregon Chinese Disinterment Documents online collection and exhibit. The second is an example of assisting Oregon’s Tribal Communities through archival education, the Oregon Tribal Archives Institute.

For more information about CHAS visit the CHAS Website

Here are a couple photos of the poster and display table:

Posted in OMA | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Urban League of Portland’s 2013 Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner

Posted on September 25, 2013 by fernandn

OSU Table at the EOD Dinner

This year marks another fantastic Urban League of Portland (ULPDX) Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner and the OMA was there to celebrate!

The honoree this year was Dr. George J. Brown, President and CEO of Legacy Health System, and the keynote speaker was Dr. Marc Nivet, chief diversity officer at the Diversity Policy and Programs department of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Both spoke about the need for health equity for all Americans and the importance of cultural competence in health care.

Every year the OMA brings a small display to showcase the Urban League’s history. It is always a great pleasure to speak to attendees and share information about the collection with them, information such as the over 480 images available online through the OMA Digital Collection, quick link “Urban League of Portland”, and the dozens of textual documents, including the organization’s Meeting Minutes and Newsletters, through OSU’s institutional repository ScholarsArchive. Although not everything in the collection is available online, you can find out more on the Urban League of Portland Online Collection and you are always welcome to come to OMA to research the collection in person!

Check out the Mike Dicianna, OMA student worker, with the ULPDX Display…

Mike and the ULPDX Display

And, see a few more photos from this fantastic event:

The Program:

The Banquet Hall:

The Portland Business Journal featuring Michael Alexander, President and CEO:

We look forward to our next Urban League of Portland event!

Posted in OMA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Miracle Theatre Group Archives Project ~ 2 Month Update

Posted on September 11, 2013 by fernandn

Miracle Theatre Group Board Documents

Two months ago, OMA intern Katrina O’Brien began her project to process the archives of the Miracle Theatre Group. In her first blog post, she took photos of the collection and began taking initial steps to get the two rooms filled with materials organized for her to have a workspace and know the overall amount of content within the collection.

Check out her two video tours of the collection: Video 1 and Video 2

Over the course of these past eight weeks, Katrina has been working to create an organization scheme for the collection, diligently rehousing the documents into archival boxes, and weeding out the duplicates for recycling. She has a blog that she updates weekly: Katrina O’Brien’s Blog

Here are a few highlights from the Miracle Theatre Groups Archives Project:

Week 3

~~~~~~~~~

After getting a sense of the overall extent of the physical collection, it was essential to begin to tackle the collection intellectually. Katrina created an Excel doc with an inventory the collection documents (image on left) and then from that a subject list (image on right) to use for the creation of the organizational scheme for the collection.

Week 5

The next step of course was to begin to match the intellectual organization with the physical documents…

Week 7

Along the way there have been some interesting finds including notes of appreciation from audience members, artwork, and special tickets…

  

Week 9

And, as the archival collection begins to take shape, the pile for recycling grows as well…

In total, Katrina has accomplished a lot these past two months including:

  • The preparation for processing of the two rooms of 100+ boxes, 87 binders, and freestanding artwork
  • The labeling of each box and binder with major subjects after doing a basic sift of each
  • The creation of a spreadsheet based on labels to be used to collect subject-specific records from boxes and binder (which commonly include multiple subjects)
  • The development of a possible collection schematic at the series and subseries level
  • The processing of the majority of the administrative records including articles of incorporation, bylaws, board (minutes, committees, lists, retreats, and roles/responsibilities) executive director reports, goals/missions/visions, organizational layout, policies and plans of action, strategic plans, building (assessments, café, lease, Milagro Development Group LLC, renters, etc.)

Of course, there is still more do to in these next few months including a potential mini records management training for the theatre staff, so look for another project update sometime later this Fall!

Posted in OMA | Tagged , | Leave a comment