Post About “Dear Brothers and Sisters BLAC Publication”
This text is part of a collection of student work from the Fall 2017 class HIST 294-04/AMST 294-01, Public History: African American Life — Past, Present and Future. Students selected, described, and analyzed items from the Macalester Archives pertaining to Black history. The entire class collection can be found here.
This document is a magazine labeled “Dear Brothers and Sisters” professionally printed on 8 ½ x 11 inch coated paper, stapled along the fold. The magazine is filed with other memos pertaining to the relationship between the Black Liberation Affairs Committee, a black solidarity and empowerment group at Macalester, and the campus administration during the late 1960s and is found in the Black House/Student Center folder within the Multicultural Affairs Collection. Though there is not a printed date of creation, likely to enable the document to appear relevant in the years to come, it is filed along with documents created in 1968. It’s clear the magazine was put together by an experienced graphic designer and printed professionally. The articles and poems within were created by BLAC members to be read by other black students at Macalester, specifically targeting prospective students and incoming first-years. All articles and photos highlight BLAC members and black students at Macalester. The articles, though each unique, share a purpose: to give information to other black students, to create community among the black students, and to show resistance and solidarity as a community. The articles’ tones are consistently critical, though their levels of formality vary. The first document within the magazine is a letter to the reader from Richard Cambridge, one of the leaders of BLAC, printed on the cover. This letter is a call to action directed at black students, encouraging them to develop both within the Macalester community as a student and an academic and within the black community as a black adult. The reader then turns to a spread highlighting the word “black” combined with a photo of Lamar Laster. The next article is titled “autobiography of a ghetto youth,” and was written by Warren Simmons about his experience growing up in a ‘ghetto’ and interacting with his white peers within the institution of public education in his community. He faced both external racist reactions to his attendance at school and internalized racism regarding his ability to succeed at a predominantly white private school. The third article is a poem written by Darryl Everett III about being black at Macalester and interacting with white students and the predominantly white institution as a whole. This poem is by far the most informal of the magazine. It is paired with a zoomed-in and cropped photo of a black man, likely also Darryl Everett III. Next, the authors added an FAQ section regarding student life. The authorship of this section is unclear, because the only names given are identifying the students shown in the pictures included in the section. This article is also informal, likely to assuage any concerns students reading it may have had regarding expectations of them at an institute of higher education. It touches on crucial issues, such as the housing discrimination black Macalester students faced when attempting to live off-campus. After the FAQ, the magazine highlights a black student from each class year, talking about their experiences at Macalester. Theresa Davis wrote as a freshman, Kathie Cooper wrote as a sophomore, Richard Greenwood wrote as a junior, and James L. Bennett wrote as a senior. Each article is interspersed with photos of the author and their friends. It is notable that the accounts are authored equally by women and men. This personal account section is divided by a spread explaining BLAC and its objectives written by Richard Cambridge, one of the leaders of BLAC, and a brief overview of Macalester’s academic program with no ascertainable authorship. This overview is accompanied by photos of black students, presumably BLAC members, participating in academic life. Finally, on the last page, the magazine explains the Expanded Educational Opportunities Program at Macalester, the application procedures and requirements, and contact information for the admissions counselor. This magazine illustrates larger themes of black resistance and solidarity at Mac and racism encountered through the administration and in the St. Paul community at large, specifically through housing discrimination. It provides an insight into black student life and is an important tool to use when considering how far Macalester has come, how far the administration has regressed in recent years, and how far it has yet to go.
–Maria Peterson
“Dear Brothers and Sisters,” BLAC publication, late 1960s, Black House/Student Center Folder, Multicultural Affairs Collection, Macalester College Archives
MetadataTitle: Post About 'Dear Brothers and Sisters BLAC Publication'
Creator: Peterson, Maria
Description: This text is part of a collection of student work from the Fall 2017 class HIST 294-04/AMST 294-01, Public History: African American Life — Past, Present and Future. Students selected, described, and analyzed items from the Macalester Archives pertaining to Black history. The entire class collection can be found in the Fall 2017 Public History Class tag.
Date Created:
Dates of Content: 1960s
Type of Content: Text
Source: “Dear Brothers and Sisters,” BLAC publication, late 1960s, Black House/Student Center Folder, Multicultural Affairs Collection, Macalester College Archives
URL: https://dwlibrary.macalester.edu/counterbalance/activism/dear-brothers-and-sisters-blac-publication/
Suggested Citation: Peterson, Maria. "Post About 'Dear Brothers and Sisters BLAC Publication'." Counterbalance, Macalester College Archives. . Text. https://dwlibrary.macalester.edu/counterbalance/activism/dear-brothers-and-sisters-blac-publication/.