Capture the MO*MIT… More Of MIT
The Blacks at MIT History Project is a
continuous research effort and collaborative endeavor sponsored by
the MIT Office of the Provost. The project is archiving the
historical achievements and influence that students, staff, faculty,
and management have accomplished for MIT in their ongoing careers.
The Blacks at MIT History Project
mission is to research, identify, and produce scholarly curatorial
content on the black experience at MIT since opening its doors in
1865. This Project was founded and is directed by Dr. Clarence G.
Williams, Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies & Planning Emeritus
and Former Special Assistant to the President, MIT. He is an
innovator in higher education for four decades and a recipient of a
Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Counseling Psychology.
Dr. Williams joined the administration
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972 as Assistant
Dean of the Graduate School and was named Special Assistant to the
President and Chancellor for Minority Affairs in 1974. From
1980-1982, he served as Acting Director of the Office of Minority
Education, and from 1984-1997, he assumed additional responsibilities
as Assistant Equal Opportunity Officer, along with a broader scope of
the Special Assistant position, to serve the MIT community as an
ombudsperson. From 1992 until his status changed to emeritus in 2004,
he taught race relations and diversity courses in the Department of
Urban Studies and Planning. He is serving, since 1995, as the Founder
and Director of the Blacks at MIT History Project.
The project’s continuing objective is
to place the black experience at MIT in its full and appropriate
context, by researching and disseminating a varied set of materials.
It is also exposing a larger community of interests — both inside
and outside MIT — to this rich and historically significant legacy.
We are currently conducting oral history video interviews with black
tenured faculty at MIT. The videos explore each faculty member’s
passion for what he or she does, involving their professional fields,
their research and teaching, and their personal journey. How did they
become who they are? What was the path that led them to MIT? The
videos will be part of a web-based history, with multimedia access by
the public including particular outreach to young people.
Additionally, the project is producing audio and image narratives
reflecting on the continuing legacy of the this unique and important
population within the MIT experience.
