This fall we continued to add collections and resources that increase the diversity of works available to researchers. These collections, focused on African American and Asian American communities, will open up new primary source materials and give access to voices that all-too-often go unheard. 

In August 2021, UConn alumna (‘86) and author, civic organizer, and civil rights advocate from Norwich, Connecticut, Lottie B. Scott donated her papers to Archives & Special Collections. Scott built her reputation as an advocate for civil rights through her roles in the founding and presidency of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Norwich chapter, from the 1960s-2010, and service in various positions (often as the first woman of color) with the Norwich Arts Council and the Rotary Club, as a board member of Backus Hospital, and in her work for the Commission for Human Rights and Opportunities over 22 years. This collection is available to the public for research use.

A new Asian & Asian American Studies Library Collection showcases thought-provoking books on Asian American history, politics, and culture at the forefront of interdisciplinary scholarship. Librarians Sam Boss and Michael Rodriguez partnered with faculty members Fred Lee and Na-Rae Kim to create the collection. The books are organized into sub-collections that address challenges Asian Americans face, their role in the United States’ nation-building, social justice movements, stereotyping, solidarity, immigration, and the vibrancy and creativity of Asian American literary and cultural products among other topics. These books can be borrowed only by current students, faculty, and other UConn community members.

Black Thought & Culture is a digital collection of 100,000 pages of nonfiction writings by African American leaders covering 250 years of history. Alongside the full Black Panther newspaper (1967–80), Black Thought and Culture features letters, speeches, essays, leaflets, interviews, and trial transcripts. These sources bring Black voices and perspectives to understanding African American experiences. This resource is available only to current students, faculty, and other UConn community members.

African American Communities is a digital collection exploring African American culture and identity in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York City (1863–1986). Pamphlets, periodicals, letters, records, reports, and oral histories offer first-hand perspectives on Black communities and cultures, including aspects such as segregation, poverty, urban renewal, protests, community organizing, voting rights, and more. This resource is available only to current students, faculty, and other UConn community members.

Race Relations in America documents the struggle for Black civil rights from 1943 to 1970. Sponsored by the American Missionary Association and based at Fisk University, the Race Relations Department and its annual Institute investigated issues in race relations and developed methods for educating communities and preventing conflict. The collection showcases the speeches, surveys, and reports produced by the Department’s staff and Institute participants, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other Black leaders. This resource is available only to current students, faculty, and other UConn community members.

Interested in learning more about these collections?