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During Black History Month in 2024,Ìýthe University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ library announced the acquisition of exciting and relevant research resources.ÌýThey include:

• Black News,ÌýaÌýrare collection of Brooklyn-based newspapers from the 1970s that offer aÌýrare glimpse into the experiences of Black communities at a critical moment in the history of the Civil Rights Movement.
• TheÌýÌýof poet and activist, Amiri Baraka.

When Vera Zoricic, PhD student in history at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ was on an MA research trip in 2001 to Schomburg in New York City, she became aware of resources that "capture Black community activism at its height during the 1970s in the greater New York City region as a legacy of the Civil Rights period."Ìý

Fast forward to 2023 when Vera, now a PhD student in history with a research focus on Digital Black History, approached the history liaison librarian, Mike Chee. She wondered "about the possibility of bringing these valuable resources to À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ."

"It is quite a coup," says Vera, for the library to acquireÌýBlack News,Ìý"as it is a very rare and very valuable collection. To my knowledge only the Brooklyn Public Library has the complete physical collection.ÌýBlack News captures an era of cultural nationalist sentiments in Brooklyn, New York. It is a time of community building and Black pride," she explains.

Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) was a poet, playwright, activist, and educator. According toÌý,ÌýBaraka "became influential during the 1960s as a spokesperson for radical black literature and theater."

The post from the libraryÌýexplains the team effort at the library to make these resources available. For Vera, the support and collaboration from the library for her research is a "pleasure and a privilege."

All Tri-U History graduate students should have access to theÌý. If you have problems, please see our library information pageÌýand/or contact your librarian whose contact is listed on that page. To viewÌýBlack News, interested parties should contact À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ'sÌýSpecial Collections & Archives. According to their website, appointments are encouraged.