Post About “OUR HOUSE; How to Survive At Macalester, Compliments of The Black House (student made resource guide for first years and transfers)”
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.
Self described as a pamphlet, this booklet titled “Our House: How to Survive at Macalester, Compliments of the Black House” would be recognized as a zine or self published magazine today. The classic Macalester orange cover dawns a drawing of the continent of Africa outlined with Madagascar included and nestling or housing a 3-dimensional depiction of a two story home with a sign outside distinguishing it as Macalester’s Black House. The eight and half by seven inch booklet utilizes orange stock paper for the cover and 12 pages of yellow printing paper inside. There are photos printed on the inside and back cover with two more pages dedicated to photographs inside. All photos highlight some aspect of Black student life on campus and take you intimately inside the Black House.
While the paper trail of how this pamphlet found a home in the archives does not exist, there are a few guesses due to its nature. Formally known as the Office of Multicultural Affairs, The Department of Multicultural Life is dedicated to the wellbeing of students who identify with cultures on the margins as well as provide the infrastructure for intersectional programming to occur on campus. With the Black House no longer being a Macalester institution, one can assume records of its existence could have funneled through this department. Seeing as one of the authors and contributors to the pamphlet is also a co-founder of the affinity group, Black Liberation Affairs Committee, James Bennett himself could have made sure B.L.A.C. had a copy which later was given to the archives department.
This text is very self aware. The intention is written in the forward, with a familial yet intellectual syntax, the content is described as “hints and tips” needed to “ensur[e] that black people coming to Macalester College will succeed in their objective for coming here, and their mission as future leaders of the black community.” With each subsection titled, this pamphlet discusses themes of self care, study tips, community relations, historical memory and is an honest meditation on Black Education and the economic struggles coupled with higher education. The “hints and tips” outline best practices for students’ success at such a rigorous institution like Macalester, beginning with the imperative that “Learning requires effort” this resource guide suggests students have a goal for their education and organize themselves accordingly. Suggesting 50 minute study sessions and repeatedly mentioning the importance of sleeping and eating, this text foreshadows and warns against the collegiate culture of working one’s self past their physical, mental and emotional limits. While the overall syntax is that of an older sibling passing on key insights from both personal experience and research on how to survive collegiate life, subsection Black Education really take on a familial tone. Beginning with “If you are the super black type (no humor or insult intended) and wish to read black scholars and learn about the black experience, then check us out.” Perfectly demonstrates how this pamphlet was made by black students for black students. This section goes on to stare reality in the face and comment on the lack of representation one will find in their average studies or classes and how it is one’s duty to search, find and share Black intellect. This pamphlet is critical in nature of not only systemic racism but of the actions of the individual and collective student body. Referring to education as an important and vital building block to black liberation, this pamphlet calls for the student reading it to put themselves in the best frame of mind to obtain knowledge and then bring it back to the community (for the good of the community).
Clues from the forward and the nature of the document suggest Macalester students self published and distributed this community resource to other Black students on campus. Again, the forward describes upperclassmen wanting to disseminate knowledge to first years and transfers and then realizing “hints and tips” for surviving and thriving at Macalester were needed by all.
This resources guide’s intentionality is self evident. The “hope” of the Black House Staff is explicitly outlined as aiding Black students into becoming “morally sensitive and intellectually capable of making critical and independent judgments” as well as use reason and imagination to “challenge any threat to the freedom and dignity” of the Black community.
This pamphlet represents a key aspect of the ‘60s movement often lost in textbooks and popular reflections. It shows how topics like self-care and community care were always central to the movement even or especially when overlooked by the masses. This pamphlet seems to be just one small attempt in a larger campaign to remind black students that martyrdom was not the sole way to be radical and that securing one’s own health and education subverts white supremacy as well.
–Baki Porter
Archival folder: Our House
Bennett, James. Williams, Milt. Favors, JoAnne. Clay, Blanche. Morgan, Helen. Chinula, Chinula C. “Our House; How to Survive at Macalester, Compliments of the Black House.” Macalester College, 1964-1969.
MetadataTitle: Post About 'OUR HOUSE; How to Survive At Macalester, Compliments of The Black House (student made resource guide for first years and transfers)'
Creator: Porter, Baki
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: 1964-1969
Type of Content: Text
Source: Bennett, James. Williams, Milt. Favors, JoAnne. Clay, Blanche. Morgan, Helen. Chinula, Chinula C. “Our House; How to Survive at Macalester, Compliments of the Black House.” Macalester College, 1964-1969.
URL: https://dwlibrary.macalester.edu/counterbalance/activism/our-house-how-to-survive-at-macalester-compliments-of-the-black-house-student-made-resource-guide-for-first-years-and-transfers/
Suggested Citation: Porter, Baki. "Post About 'OUR HOUSE; How to Survive At Macalester, Compliments of The Black House (student made resource guide for first years and transfers)'." Counterbalance, Macalester College Archives. . Text. https://dwlibrary.macalester.edu/counterbalance/activism/our-house-how-to-survive-at-macalester-compliments-of-the-black-house-student-made-resource-guide-for-first-years-and-transfers/.