Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive

Archives are where histories are recorded and written, but even at their best, they are imperfect reflections of an imperfect world. Inequities in whose writings are collected produce inequities in whose histories become known, and the failure of vision of one generation becomes failure for the next. The profound contributions to scholarship and activism made by Black Feminists, for example, are still seldom seen in archives, so that the full record of their achievements remains under-recognized and underappreciated. To raise awareness of the issues and increase visibility of the unique contributions of women of color, the Department of Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) and the W. E. B. Du Bois Center at the UMass Amherst Libraries have joined with Distinguished Alumna Dr. Irma McClaurin MFA ’76, MA ’89, PhD ’93 in establishing the Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive.

To address the gaps in archival representation, we will seek out, collect, and preserve materials that document the intellectual, political, and cultural contributions of women of color, and especially Black women. For the Black Feminist Archive to reach its fullest potential, we need to activate the collections. It takes a dedication to proper description, digitization, exhibition, colloquia, and direct support of scholarship to ensure that the material will be seen and used by diverse scholars and only then can we fuel a broader conversation within and beyond academia. In short, by documenting the lives and work of a vibrant community of Black women activists and scholars we can lay the foundation for more inclusive histories of the future.

 There are currently no other interdisciplinary archives of this anticipated magnitude dedicated to Black women in the United States. Linked with the extraordinary papers of W. E. B. Du Bois, Horace Mann Bond, David Levering Lewis, Arlene Avakian, and the Africa-America Institute, among others, the Archive will have transformative potential, not just for academic research, but for the lives of women and men across the globe facing the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. Black Feminists have been social bellwethers, nationally and globally, and we intend their voices to be heard. 

Click here to read Dr. McClaurin's CASE award-winning article in UMass Magazine about founding the archive.