UA 079 - Black Student Union Records, 1972-2010
MLA Citation
“UA 079 - Black Student Union Records, 1972-2010.” Finding Aids. BGSU University Libraries, 6 Mar. 2018, lib.bgsu.edu/finding_aids/items/show/1450. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
Tags
| Title | UA 079 - Black Student Union Records, 1972-2010 |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Records of the Black Student Union on the Bowling Green State University campus. Duplication of materials in this collection is permitted for the purposes of preservation and research. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection. As described in the Visiting Researcher Application Form, researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright. |
| Agency History | The Black Student Union was established on February 19, 1969. One day later, BSU members Jim Brown and Arye Butler were seated on student council. However, this action breached a legal technicality and they were abruptly unseated the following week. This resulted in the Student Court declaring the Council unrepresentative and halted action on the BSU for a few months until a new, more representative constitution was developed. Despite this setback, the organization gained more than 100 members and listed a number of administrative suggestions during its first year. Throughout its history, the BSU has been involved in numerous events, including conferences, protests, film screenings, and rallies. The BSU continues to be an active organization on the BGSU campus, where its mission is to create an environment of unity, scholarship, diversity, equality, and political awareness within the Black community at Bowling Green State University, while addressing social issues and maintaining the best interests of Black students. |
| Series Description | The collection consists of rosters, officer reports, meeting minutes and agendas, mission statements, and the constitution. There are also pamphlets and informational materials from numerous national and campus events, including Anti-Colonialism Day in 1992 and film screenings presenting a black perspective in 1998 and 2000. Financial documents and miscellaneous informational materials are also included. While some of these materials have more national implications, they all have a firm link to the Bowling Green and Bowling Green State University communities. PROCEEDINGS 1980-2008 Arranged categorically and chronologically Administrative materials of the organization, ranging from minutes and agendas to reports and miscellaneous notes. CORRESPONDENCE 1979-2008 Arranged chronologically Organizational correspondence SUBJECT FILES 1972-2009 Arranged alphabetically by category These miscellaneous files include materials from several occasions, including several conferences, weekend events, protests, awards, and homecoming. Materials concerning other organizations are also included, such as the African People’s Association and La Union de Estudiantes Latinos. Topical subjects, such as apartheid, are also present. Perhaps most notable are the organization’s revised constitution and mission statement, as well as a demands statement to the university from 1979. Police reports and a single speech from the 2002 King Celebration are provided as well. FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS 1993-2008 Arranged chronologically These materials include budget and funding requests, as well as budget reports from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. PRINTED MATERIAL 1970-2010 Arranged alphabetically by category These materials include news clippings, press releases, and miscellaneous informational forms from the 1970s to 2000s. Perhaps most notable is a photocopy of the Black Student Handbook from 1970, one year after the organization’s creation. This is the earliest dated document in the collection. ARTIFACTS & PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL 1988, 1998-2007 Arranged chronologically A limited collection of artifacts, including a certificate and magazine, from 2007 and 1988 respectively. There are also a limited number of organizational photographs from the late-1990s and mid-2000s. |
| Inventory | Box 1: Proceedings, Correspondence, Subject Files A-G
Box 2: Subject Files H-T, Reports, Literary Productions – Speeches
Box 3: Financial Documents, News Clippings, Printed Material, Artifacts & Photographic Material
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