The University of Rhode Island has submitted two collections for Project STAND, representing the URI Multicultural Center, and the African-American student newspaper, Black Gold. The archival records of the URI Multicultural Center primarily include materials related to events held and sponsored by the center, including flyers, photographs, event programs, evaluations, and related publications. The programs cover a variety of topics and constituencies in the center’s work toward the creation of a community of common understanding on the URI campus. In addition to the records of the Mulitcultural Center, The Black Gold student newspaper collection contains 10 issues. The newspaper focused on the Black student experience at URI, published between 1972 and 1973.
Primary contact: Karen Walton Morse (bio)
Featured Collection
Image:Â Administration Building Takover, 1971
Collection:Â Â Subject Files- Records of the Multicultural Center
Dates: 1956-2004
Description:Â Â The Subject Files contain records of the Multicultural Center that demonstrate the development of services to meet the needs of multicultural students at URI. Included are the activities of multicultural student organizations and Greek societies on campus, events sponsored by these organizations and the Multicultural Center, scholarship information, and employment opportunities, as well as general information on topics such as AIDS, bilingual education, and racism. Of particular interest are two events that took place at URI, both of which exemplify the frustration multicultural students feel towards racial inequality on campus: the black students’ takeover of the Administration Building in 1971, and the Taft Hall demonstration in 1992.
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African American Collections
Black Gold Student NewspaperBlack Gold, a student newspaper focusing on Black student experience and issues at the University of Rhode Island, was published between 1972 and 1973. All ten issues can be read online or downloaded in searchable PDF format.Go To CollectionRecords of the Multicultural CenterThe Multicultural Center began as the Afro-American Society in a Quonset hut on campus that was shared with Fine Arts. In 1971, the building was torn down and the Afro-American Society prepared to move into the Lee House at 31 Upper College Road. When it moved into the Lee House in 1973, the name of the organization changed to Uhuru SaSa, and the building was named the Uhuru SaSa House. Go To Collection