The Struggle for Black Studies
Documents related to the birth of the Black Studies program at Swarthmore.
Faculty & Alumni Interviews
An exhibit of the interview materials collected during this project, including audio and video files, transcripts, and photographs.
The Push for a Black Cultural Center
Documents relating to the acquisition of the Black Cultural Center located in Robinson House.
Black Life at Swarthmore
An exhibit of the ordinary lives of Black students at Swarthmore, told through photographs.
The 1969 Sit-In
Documents and articles relating to the January 1969 SASS occupation of the Admissions Office.
Black Community Struggles: Chester and Media
Documents on the political and racial dilemmas happening in the nearby communities of Media and Chester.
Swarthmore & the Rockefeller Fund
Documents regarding Swarthmore's relationship to the Rockefeller Fund, a non-profit grant given to help increase Black enrollment.
Narratives of Black Student Protest at Swarthmore College
Histories of instances of Black student protest at the College, published in and collected from various media over the years.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Documents from the FBI investigation into Black student protest in 1969.
Black Liberation 1969: The Soundtrack
A jukebox of twenty-five songs Swarthmore alumni remembered in interviews or mentioned in archival documents.
Black Student Enrollment
A visualization of enrollment data provided by the Swarthmore Alumni Relations Office, consisting of the number of graduated and non-graduated alumni who associate with each class year.
Student Photographs
Photographs identifying many of the key alumni involved in the events related to the black student movement at Swarthmore 1968-1972.
Mapping the 1969 Sit-in
An interactive map following the steps of the Black students involved in the Occupation of Parrish Hall in January 1969.
The Black Liberation 1969 Archive chronicles the history of the black student protest movement at Swarthmore College by finally bringing forward the experiences of the students who organized and executed a series of nonviolent direct actions and negotiations at Swarthmore College. In honor of the College’s sesquicentennial, this archive challenges visitors to reconsider the stories that have previously constituted the official narrative and to engage with the black experience of Swarthmore in this critical period. READ MORE ...