African Americans

Chris and Marti Alston Papers

abarker — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:50:29 -0400

Chris Alston worked as an organizer for the the CIO during the 1930's, founding what became the Tobacco Stemmers' and Laborers' Industrial Union (CIO) in Richmond, Virginia. He served as president of United Auto Workers Local 429 from 1958 to 1962. Mr. Alston worked as a community organizer in Detroit, founding what became the Forest Park Citizens' District Council. Marti Alston served as an officer of the Forest Park Citizens' District Council and founded with her husband Chris the Michigan Committee for a Democratic Haiti. The bulk of the Chris and Marti Alston Collection documents their experiences as community activists in the redevelopment of the Forest Park urban renewal area. To a lesser extent, the collection documents the Alstons' involvement in various social justice and human right causes.

James and Grace Lee Boggs Papers

abarker — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:12:23 -0400

James and Grace Lee Boggs played a leading role in organizing radical groups in Detroit and nationally and contributed to the founding of the National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR). Their papers relate largely to their publications and speaking engagements, reflecting their involvement with radical organizations and in updating radical political theory, as well as their community activism in Detroit.

Jerome P. Cavanagh Papers

drice — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:06:22 -0400

The papers of Mr. Cavanagh, mayor of Detroit from 1962 to 1970. They include correspondence, reports, studies, speeches, minutes, and other materials of the mayor's office and commissions and departments of the city. Efforts, both local and national, in improving economic and racial conditions in Detroit are recorded in the collection. Subjects of interest include 1967 Detroit riot; Detroit Police Dept.; urban redevelopment programs; Detroit and Michigan politics; New Detroit, Inc.; poverty programs; housing; civil disorders and police problems; and all aspects of the urban complex. Smaller groups within the collection are the files of James L. Trainor, Fred Romanoff, Richard Strichartz, Jack Casey, and Sandra McClure, all members of the mayor's staff. Correspondents are government officials on every level: U .S. presidents, vice presidents, senators, congressmen, state officials, mayors of other cities, and other prominent public figures.

Elvin Davenport Papers

drice — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:36:55 -0400

Elvin Lamoine Davenport (1899-1988) was the first African-American judge elected to the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit; he served on the bench for over 20 years. Davenport was born in Folly, Virginia, attended local schools, and received his undergraduate degree from Temple University and his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1929. After graduation he worked as a Pullman porter for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and completed further graduate studies at McGill University. Davenport moved to Detroit, Michigan where he was appointed to the State Bar in 1931. He became associated with the law firm of Stowers, Bledsoe & Dent, later forming his own practice with Garvin, Osborne, Smith, and Fuller (1931-1945). Like many African-American lawyers practicing at the time, Davenport had difficulty attracting clients; to make a decent living he also sold life insurance. He became heavily involved in civil rights cases, serving as counsel for the NAACP in the Sojourner Truth housing project riots; the 1943 Detroit race riot inquest in police shootings; and the general court martial charges against Lt. Milton R. Henry. He was appointed as the Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor in 1945-1946 and 1948-1956. In 1956, Governor G. Mennen Williams appointed him to the Common Pleas Court for the City of Detroit, making Davenport again the first African-American to be appointed to the position. By 1957, he was elevated to the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit. Davenport sat on the bench until his retirement in 1977. Throughout his life, Elvin Davenport was a member of many professional and service organizations. Elvin Davenport died in June of1988.

The papers of Elvin Davenport primarily document his practice as an attorney and judge in the city of Detroit, from 1942-1977. Of particular note are correspondence files that demonstrate the integral role Mr. Davenport played in both the judicial profession and local community service organizations, as well as the relationships he cultivated as a result of his involvement.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, Inc. Records

drice — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:13:58 -0500

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) grew out of an attempt by a group of ten young women in 1914 to provide Detroit with culture. A permanent home, Orchestra Hall, was built in 1919 by C. Howard Crane. The DSO performs regular subscription and special concerts, as well as provides a number of special events and programs outside of Orchestra Hall. The records of the DSO relate its administration, marketing, and public relations, as well as the orchestra's community outreach, cultural activities, and influence of its music directors.

Florida Christian Migrant Ministry Records

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:22:04 -0500

Subjects include: Latino migrant workers; sugarcane industry; UFW; Florida agriculture; rural poverty; black migrant workers

Folklore Archive: Student Field Projects Records

drice — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 10:50:49 -0400

The Folklore Archive, established in 1939 by WSU English professors Emlyn Gardner and Thelma James, contains the oldest and largest record of urban folk traditions in the United States. To document these traditions, Wayne State University students conducted field research projects covering a broad range of topics. These projects typically consist of transcripts of oral interviews conducted by the students as part of their research. The collection is strong in modern industrial and occupational folklore, reflecting the rich ethnic diversity and workoriented heritage of Detroit and southeastern Michigan.

Folklore Archive: Studies and Research Projects Records

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:26:58 -0500

The Folklore Archive, established in 1939, contains the oldest and largest record of urban folk traditions in the United States. To document these traditions, Wayne State University students conducted field research projects covering a broad range of topics. The archive is strong in modern industrial and occupational folklore, reflecting the rich ethnic diversity and work-oriented heritage of Detroit and southeastern Michigan. The Folklore Archive: Studies and Research Projects Records contain transcripts and research studies related to Greek-American family life, Southern upland migrant folk culture, traditional medical beliefs and American folk music.

William Hanna Photographs

drice — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:11:03 -0500

William Hanna worked for the city of Detroit. During the course of the
work day and on his free time, Hanna would capture events in the city
that he personally found interesting or of importance. The photographs
in his collection consist of black and white snapshots of the building
of the Fort St. County Building and the changing river front and color
snapshots of buildings, streets, and people during the civil unrest in
Detroit in 1967.

James and Grace Lee Boggs Photographs and Audio-Visual Materials

eclemens — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 12:51:30 -0500

The James and Grace Lee Boggs Photographs and Audio-Visual Materials document the personal and philosophical interests of the couple throughout their respective lives. Featured are audio recordings of lectures, sermons, and interviews by Rev. Albert Cleage (Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman), Malcolm X, Milton Henry, and C.L.R. James, among others, and recordings from entities such as the Freedom NOW Party and the National Grassroots Leadership Conference. Though not as heavily represented, recordings of both James and Grace Lee Boggs offer insight into the evolution of their personal beliefs. Photographs are primarily of a personal nature, and include numerous snapshots. Graphic materials include buttons and stickers pertinent to issues involving Detroit politics and community activism, as well as
a poster advertising a lecture that James Boggs gave in Italy, likely in 1968.

Damon J. Keith Papers

drice — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:20:02 -0400

Judge Damon Keith served in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Judge Keith delivered several landmark rulings in civil rights and civil liberties cases and played an active role in various civic, cultural and educational associations, including the Detroit YMCA, the United Negro College Fund, and the Detroit National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He is the recipient of the NAACP’s Springarn Medal, the American Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Award, the Edward J. Devitt Award for Distinguished Service to Justice, and over thirty honorary degrees. Judge Keith’s papers document important milestones in his career, his precedent-setting judicial decisions, his role in ensuring equal justice for all Americans, and the many honors and awards bestowed upon him for his dedication to civil rights and to the City of Detroit.

Rachel Boone Keith Papers

drice — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:10:27 -0400

Dr. Rachel Boone Keith came to Detroit from New York City in 1951 after receiving her medical degree from Boston University and was an internist in private practice from that point forward, practicing medicine at several Detroit area hospitals. Dr. Keith served on a number of professional commissions and committees and was active in civic, cultural, and educational organizations, including her work as a lifetime member of the NAACP. Dr. Keith’s papers document her education, professional career, and civic activities as well as containing information on her father’s and mother’s families, the Booths and Tharps, and their service as doctors, missionaries, and religious ministers.

Lily Lampinen Papers

drice — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:35:42 -0500

The papers of Lily Lampinen reflect her personal interest in a variety of important social and political issues, particularly civil rights for minorities.

Layle Lane Papers

drice — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:29:52 -0500

Layle Lane was a public school teacher in New York City and active in the American Federation of Teachers and the New York Teachers Guild. She was the first African-American vice-president of the New York City AFT local and chaired their Committee for Democratic Human Relations. Her papers relate primarily to civil rights and the role of African-Americans in American society, including copies of two briefs filed by the AFT in Brown vs. Board of Education.

Daniel J. Leab Papers

drice — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:16:39 -0500

Daniel Leab was a historian and university professor as well as the managing editor of "Labor History." His papers contain research material for books on the American Newspaper Guild and African-Americans in motion pictures.

LGBT Detroit Records

kschmeling — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:51:43 -0400

LGBT Detroit started as Kick Publishing Company in 1994. Based in Detroit, Kick was the third Black American LGBT media company created in the United States. Distributed nationally, Kick Magazine provided the LGBT community with information, awareness, and a way to organize. In 2003, Kick Publishing Company was revitalized into the non-profit organization: KICK- The Agency for LGBT African Americans. KICK focused on health, education, employment, and social justice for the African American LGBT community in the Detroit area. Their mission was to increase awareness and to support Detroit’s dynamic LGBT culture through education and advocacy. They organized and sponsored many expos, exhibits, summits, and other social gatherings. In 2015, KICK was rebranded as LGBT Detroit to better reflect their leadership and connection to the Detroit LGBT community.

Viola Liuzzo Papers

drice — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:22:41 -0400

On March 25, 1965, Viola Liuzzo, a Wayne State University student and mother, was shot and killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan after participating in civil rights protests in Alabama. The impact of Liuzzo’s death was felt across the country. Despite a FBI informant's eyewitness testimony at the trial of the three Klansmen, none of the men were found guilty of murder. Liuzzo's family, as well as two civil rights workers involved in the 1965 protest, would later file unsuccessful suits against the U.S. government based on this FBI informant's involvement in the incident. Speculation about the exact nature and circumstances of Liuzzo’s murder continues.

The Viola Liuzzo Papers contain documentation of the events surrounding the murder of Liuzzo, the resulting investigation, and later litigation on behalf of the Liuzzo Family. They include FBI murder investigation files, legal precedents to the 1980s lawsuit, related legal motions and proceedings, correspondence, and depositions from FBI handlers, expert witnesses, and eyewitnesses. The collection also contains the fulfilled Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIPA) requests for the FBI's involvement with the Ku Klux Klan, FBI policy, information about the Liuzzo family, and a portion of documents related to the Freedom Riders.

Wade H. McCree, Jr. Papers

drice — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 13:55:18 -0500

Wade Hampton McCree, Jr. began his career as a lawyer in the Detroit law firm of Harold E. Bledsoe and Hobart Taylor. He later served on the state’s Workmen’s Compensation Commission and as a judge in the county and U.S. court system. During his tenure on the bench, McCree took part in a number of school desegregation cases iand as the government’s lawyer, he argued a number of significant cases before the Supreme Court. He resigned in 1977 to accept appointment as U.S. Solicitor General in the Carter administration. In the last few years of his life, McCree taught law at the University of Michigan, and consulted on various cases and served as Special Master for the U.S. Supreme Court in cases in which it exercised original jurisdiction. Judge McCree’s professional, educational, civic and charitable activities were many and he was the recipient of numerous honors and awards.

His papers contain his personal and professional correspondence, speeches and writings, voluminous case files, including his notes and opinions, meeting minutes, publications and other material relating to his service on the bench and as the federal government’s chief lawyer as well as his work on professional committees and his involvement with a wide range of civic, fraternal and charitable organizations.

Norman McRae Papers

drice — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:38:35 -0500

Norman McRae was a longtime teacher and administrator in the Detroit Public School System, playing a major role in the development of multicultural and human rights curricula. His papers mainly reflect his avid research on African-American history and the African-American experience.

Part II of the Norman McRae Papers consists mainly of educational curriculums and resources, the centennial celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, and secondary sources on Detroit and Michigan African-Americans.

National Sharecroppers Fund Photographs

drice — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 16:19:03 -0400

The National Sharecroppers Fund (NSF) was incorporated in 1943 and grew out of “National Sharecroppers Week,” an annual event intended to rally support for the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. NSF was founded to provide financial assistance and information on government aid programs to organizations dedicated to improving living conditions for the rural poor. The photograph collection consists of images documenting NSF activities and the lives of sharecroppers and their families from the 1940s through to the mid 1970s.

Carrie Burton Overton Photographs

drice — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:52:28 -0400

Carrie Burton Overton was active in African-American educational, political, and arts organizations through much of the twentieth century. The collection includes a series of studio portraits dating from around the time of her marriage; portraits of family members and some other individuals; scenes at Howard University and the Tuskegee Institute; and several panoramic group pictures at alumni, political, and arts events.

Mary White Ovington Papers

drice — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:29:15 -0500

Mary White Ovington began her career as a social worker, devoting her efforts to the problems of African-Americans in New York and other cities. She helped found the National Association for Advancement of Colored People and remained an officer and prominent figure until her retirement in 1947. Her papers reflect her interest and involvement with the living conditions of the poor in New York City and African-Americans in the south in the early 1900s; the foundation and growth of the NAACP; the civil rights movement; and her family history.

Frances D. and G. Lyman Paine Papers

drice — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:16:50 -0500

Frances D. and G. Lyman Paine enjoyed a forty-four year political and personal partnership. Their papers reflect their radical political interests and activities and include material related to the newspaper "Correspondence. "

Rosa Parks Papers

drice — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:39:46 -0500

Rosa Parks, often referred to as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, is most famous for her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white rider in segregated Montgomery, Alabama in December 1955. She was secretary of her local and state NAACP and was a member of Michigan Congressman John Conyers staff after her family moved to Detroit. Her papers reflect mainly her years in Detroit and her association with numerous church, community, and civil rights organizations.

Thomas E. Posey Papers

abarker — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:48:51 -0400

Thomas Posey earned his PhD in economics and labor relations from the University of Wisconsin, and worked as an economist and labor advisor for the Wage Stabilization Board, the Mutual Security Agency (MSA) and the Agency for International Development (AID). Mr. Posey’s papers document his work for the MSA and AID, particularly in Burma and the Philippines, and reflect his interests in labor economics and developing countries, as well as the history of African American churches and Canadian multiculturalism.

Ramon S. Scruggs, Sr. Papers

aorchard — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:56:50 -0400

Best known as the first African-American member of management at both Michigan Bell Telephone Company and AT&T, Ramon S. Scruggs, Sr. served as an influential civil rights figure in the American business community. Scruggs’ career began at the Rumford Baking Company as a National Sales Representative in 1932, the first African American to hold such a prominent position in the food industry. He left the company to join the Detroit Urban League and local YMCA branch, starting a relationship with community organizations, which he maintained even after his return to the business world. 1939 saw Scruggs become the first African-American white-collar employee at Michigan Bell, and he continued to integrate higher levels of management at the telephone company. In the following years, Scruggs’ pioneering successes brought him national attention and he traveled the country speaking on behalf of African-American professionals. He also became involved politically, campaigning for and meeting with figures such as Richard Nixon and Hubert H. Humphrey. By 1963, Scruggs had been promoted to AT&T’s headquarters staff where he led projects regarding race and business practices from a national platform until his retirement ten years later. Scruggs’ community work included serving on the Board of Trustees at Fisk University, the NAACP Special Contribution Fund, and the Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

Scruggs grew up in Nashville and stayed in Tennessee to attend college at Fisk University. After retiring he moved to Los Angeles. In 1984, he was slain there during a home invasion. Through the example of his business acumen and advocating spirit, Scruggs is credited for opening up numerous managerial-level opportunities to African Americans in corporate America.

The Ramon S. Scruggs Papers are comprised of materials relating to Scruggs’ social advocacy and business dealings. The largest section of the collection belongs to the Correspondence series, which contains official and personal messages related to his numerous daily activities. The Political and Social Activism series encompasses materials from the social causes he participated in, such as transcripts of the numerous speeches he gave around the country in the 1960s. Records related to his various employers, the Professional Affiliations series includes publications on racial issues he helped create for Michigan Bell and AT&T. Finally, the Audiovisual and Oversize series mostly contains photographs of special events attended by Scruggs, notably a testimonial luncheon held in his honor in 1963.

Robert Sedler Papers

drice — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:18:05 -0400

Robert A. Sedler is a Professor of Law at Wayne State University where he teaches courses in constitutional law and conflict of laws. Mr. Sedler has litigated a large number of civil rights and civil liberties cases, has published extensively on constitutional law, and has received several awards for his work in these areas. The materials in these papers consist of documents related to the Detroit Branch, NAACP, et al. v. City of Dearborn, a case brought by the NAACP and the ACLU to overturn a City of Dearborn ordinance that restricted the use of its parks to Dearborn residents. Mr. Sedler acted as counsel for the ACLU in the case.

SEIU Executive Vice President's Office: Patricia Ford Records

aorchard — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 14:41:28 -0400

In 1973, Pat Ford, then a clerical worker at Alameda County Hospital, aided in the creation of Local 616 by affiliating the 4000-member association with SEIU. Ford held various leadership positions in Local 616, including president (the Local’s first African-American woman president), and Executive Director. In addition to Ford’s service to Local 616, in 1996 she was elected as SEIU Executive Vice President, and reelected in 2000. During her tenure with SEIU, Ford helped to found the Caucus of African Descent (AFRAM), lead SEIU’s government affairs program, and coordinated SEIU’s civil and human rights activism. A full biography on Patricia Ford, may be found in Ford’s oral history held at the Reuther Library.

The SEIU Executive Vice President’s Office: Patricia Ford Records contains digital transcripts of 25 speeches given by Patricia Ford during her tenure as SEIU Executive Vice President. The records particularly reveal Ford’s involvement with organizations such as CBTU, CLUW, and NAACP. Also included is one folder of photographs, primarily featuring Ford at various SEIU events.

Speech transcripts may be found here:
https://www.reuther.wayne.edu/search/node/pat+ford+speech+transcript

SEIU Morton H. Shapiro Papers

aorchard — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:39:01 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, and now comprises three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. Mr. Morton H. Shapiro was a rank-and-file member within SEIU. Over the years he collected an assortment of political campaign bumper stickers and posters generated by CSEA-SEIU Local 1000, which are the materials found within this collection.

William Seraile Papers

abarker — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:26:25 -0400

A specialist in African-American history, William Seraile served on the faculty of the Department of Black Studies of Herbert H. Lehman College, New York City. Mr. Seraile’s papers primarily relate to his research on Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) organizer Ben Fletcher.

Horace Sheffield Papers

drice — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:04:27 -0500

Horace Sheffield served as an international representative for the UAW and was particularly active in promoting civil rights issues through the Trade Union Leadership Council and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. He papers reflect his work on the board of The Detroit Plan Group, Inc., an organization established to increase minority representation in the construction trades in the Detroit metropolitan area.

William Simons Papers

drice — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:13:04 -0500

William Simons began his career as a high school teacher when he joined the black American Federation of Teachers union in Washington D.C. A year later the local was integrated and Simons served in several positions before assuming the presidency, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1991. He also served as an officer in the national organization as part of the Progressive and United Action caucuses and was involved in Democratic Party politics. His papers document his career with the D.C. teacher's union, public education in D.C., and the union's efforts to improve salaries and working conditions for local teachers.

The William H. Simons Collection consists of correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, studies, surveys, flyers, ballots, campaign literature, newspaper clippings and other material documenting Mr. Simons's career with the Washington Teachers' Union, the history of public education in the District of Columbia and the union's efforts through collective bargaining and legislative lobbying to improve salaries and working conditions for teachers in the District of Columbia.

Ernest Smith Papers

drice — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:30:03 -0500

Ernest Smith was a teacher in the Detroit Public School System who was involved in the black civil rights movement. He helped found the Michigan Freedom Now Party, an all-black party, for whom he ran as candidate for U.S. senator. His papers reflect his interest in black political action, resistance to compulsory unionization, right-to-work organizations, and civil rights issues.

Paul Ste-Marie Papers

abarker — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:52:53 -0400

Paul Ste-Marie was active in organizing the Mechanics Educational Society of America and was a charter member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600. Mr. Ste-Marie’s papers document the early activities of the UAW, particularly concerning labor relations at the Ford Rouge plant, UAW factionalism, and politics of Local 600.

Marc Stepp Papers

drice — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:47:49 -0500

Stepp worked for nineteen years at the Chrysler Highland Park plant and advanced through positions of union leadership from shop committeeman, chief steward and vice president of Local 490 to the Chrysler-UAW National Negotiating Committee. In 1967 he was appointed international representative with Region 1B, was elevated to assistant regional director in 1973 and in 1974 was elected International Vice President, assuming Nelson Jack Edwards' spot on the union's International Executive Board.

He was active in numerous community and civil rights organizations and in Democratic Party politics, running unsuccessfully for a seat on the all-white Detroit Common Council in 1965. Marc Stepp retired from the UAW in 1988.

The Marc Stepp Collection consists primarily of his speeches as UAW International Vice President. Subjects include: affirmative action; black Shriners; impact of economic recession on black workers; impact of Reagan administration policies on black workers; plant closings; South Africa; U.S. industrial policy

UAW Chrysler Department Records

drice — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:28:29 -0500

The UAW Chrysler Department was formed in the year following the tumultuous sit-down strikes of 1937. Responsible of the department included planning, developing, negotiating, and administering collective bargaining agreements for Chrysler workers in the United States and Canada.

The records of the department reflect its administration and activities and largely include the files of Arthur Hughes, an administrative assitant and assistant director in the department from 1940-1978.

UAW Fair Practices and Anti-Discrimination Department Records

drice — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:45:49 -0500

Subjects include: African-American workers; anti-Semitism; civil rights; community action programs; CIO state councils; race relations; Democratic Party; Detroit Revolutionary Union Movements; employment discrimination; Sunnyhills Housing Cooperative; Ku Klux Klan; Mexican Americans; gender discrimination; women's rights; United Steelworkers of America; sharecroppers; skilled trades; school desegregation

Note: Box 13 is unavailable.

UAW Foundry and Forge Departments Records

drice — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:50:14 -0500

African-American autoworkers; automation; Detroit Labor Action Committee; National Safety Council; South African politics and economy; UAW Eaton Council; health and safety issues

UAW Local 36 Records

drice — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:38:39 -0500

Subjects include: Ford Wixom plant; UAW Locals 400, 600, 900; Sam Fishman; industrial safety; African-American autoworkers; strikes

UAW Region 1B Records

drice — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:54:19 -0500

United Auto Workers Region 1B represents locals in the southeastern and thumb areas of Michigan. This includes workers at the major automotive manufacturers, Huck Manufacturing, TRW, Briggs Manufacturing, Eaton Manufacturing and Bohn Aluminum. Their records document the services Region 1B provided to locals and its political activities in the region.

UAW Region 2A Records

drice — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:36:10 -0500

Subjects include: Allis-Chalmers strike (1955-57); automobile industry and workers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and W. Virginia; GM Ternstedt Div. strikes (1955, 1958); plant shutdowns; health and safety issues; unemployment; PACs; African-American autoworkers; Communism

Union Minorities/Women Leadership Training Project Records

drice — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:39:04 -0500

African-American, Latino and women workers and labor union members; labor education programs in Michigan; Robert Cunningham; Don Stevens; UM/WLTP

United Transport Service Employees Records

drice — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:10:11 -0500

Clippings, reports, correspondence, and reports of articles relating to writings and other activities of Willard S. Townsend, founder and president of the International Brotherhood of Red Caps (1938), which later became the United Transport Service Employees (CIO). The collection has material on Mr. Townsend and also on civil rights, blacks in labor and the Korean War, and history of the UTSE.

James Lopez Watson Papers

drice — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:45:59 -0500

A former New York State Senator and New York City Civil Court Judge, Watson is best known as a judge with the United States Court of International Trade. The Papers of James Lopez Watson, however, primarily concern his affiliation with the National Bar Association, where he was a founding member of its judicial council. The collection also contains correspondences with a number of African-American judges, including judge George Crockett, Jr.

Wayne State University Department of African American Studies Records

kschmeling — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 14:02:40 -0400

The Wayne State University Department of African American Studies was formed in 1970. Its predecessor names were, the Department of Africana Studies and the Center for Black Studies. The files mainly reflect the department's activities from 1970 to 1984 with some materials dating from the mid 1960s.

Wayne University Medical Science Center Records

cwesterman — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:27:45 -0500

The Medical Science Center was organized as a nonprofit corporation at the request of the Detroit Board of Education. Its mission was to raise money for, and build one of the world's outstanding medical centers in Detroit, affiliated with Wayne University. Capital costs were to be borne by foundation support and private donations, but unsuccessful in this endeavor, the Center was finally dissolved in 1951. The Center's records reflect efforts to develop plans and raise money, through the records of its president, Wendell Anderson and executive secretary, George Pierrot. Material on the establishment of Wayne University's Institute for Occupational Health is also included.

Coleman Young Papers

drice — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:14:06 -0400

With a background in labor activities and civil rights, Coleman Young captured a Michigan State Senate seat in 1964, representing an east side Detroit district, and rose quickly to leadership posts in the Lansing legislature. Michigan Democrats elected him in 1968 to become the first black member ever to serve on the Democratic National Committee. In 1973, pledging to restore peace between the people and police of Detroit, Coleman Young announced as a candidate for Mayor of Detroit. He defeated the City's former police chief, John Nichols, in a bitter election contest in January 1974 and was re-elected in 1977,
1981, 1985 and 1989. He was one of the first African-Americans to be elected mayor of
a major U.S. city and served a total of twenty years. He was considered by many of his
constituents as a champion of the disadvantaged and disenfranchised. During Young’s
mayoral years, the city of Detroit faced numerous economic, political and social
challenges.

The papers in Part I of this collection reflect the years of Young's state senatorial service. The materials in Part II of this collection represent a portion of Coleman A. Young’s
correspondence and other documents from his tenure as mayor of Detroit, 1973-1993.

African Americans and the UAW

mosmith — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:53:30 -0500

The Reuther Library celebrates African American History Month with a brief review of the important role that African Americans have played in the formation and growth of the United Automobile Workers of America (UAW), one of the most powerful unions in American history, and the influence of black UAW members within the polity of Detroit. read more »

Book Announcement: The Color of Law

teller — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:45:25 -0400

Next month metropolitan Detroit authors and frequent Reuther Library researchers Steve Babson, Dave Riddle, and David Elsila are releasing their book The Color of Law: Ernie Goodman, Detroit, and the Struggle for Labor and Civil Rights, which uses information garnered from collections held at the Reuther.

We have many records and manuscript collections that reflect how the local government, legal system, and organizations have addressed the intersection of civil rights, race, and the law in metro Detroit. read more »

Collection Spotlight: Dale Rich Collection

cdavis — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:04:08 -0500

In honor of Black History Month, we highlight the Dale Rich Collection.

Over fifteen years ago, Mr. Dale Rich, professional photographer, longtime newspaperman, and historian, came to the Reuther Library to research African Americans and labor. As I, Access Archivist Carrolyn Davis, began working with him, he soon showed me hundreds of photographs he had taken over the years of the 2006 Detroit Public School Teachers Strike, of organizing groups supporting the teachers, of himself reenacting a black Civil War solider at the Elmwood Cemetery, and of the Detroit Labor Day Parade, especially the trucks driven by the Teamsters. read more »