Partnering with the Delaware Historical Society to examine Unequal Justice in DE

Happy New Year! This week we are welcoming our students back and settling into new classes and routines. As I look forward to another exciting semester, I would like to announce an ongoing partnership between the Delaware Historical Society, University of Delaware and of course Delaware State University.  We are embarking on a journey to shed light on unequal justice and other disparities experienced by the African American community in historic Delaware.

We are actively seeking to define our project in terms of era and scope, but our purpose is to tell the story of lynchings, riots, and other racially charged events perpetrated against African American Delawareans. A small piece of the project will focus on educational disparity and segregation in the schools. While DSU has faculty and staff from numerous professional disciplines participating in the project, the examination of education will be my primary contribution.

Alumni, if you would like to contribute to the project or have a story you would like to share with us, please reach out to me at rscherry@desu.edu.  Alternatively, you can contact the Delaware Historical Society through Stephanie Lampkin at slampkin@dehistory.org.

The following is the official press release from the Delaware Historical Society:

Partnership Formed to Research Unequal Justice in Delaware

Wilmington, DE– A project to unearth the forgotten and unknown instances of unequal justice in the First State is underway through the Delaware Historical Society’s Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, and the Delaware Social Justice Remembrance Coalition.

The project, “Unequal Justice in Delaware – Rewriting the Narrative,” will explore the history of racial violence, remembrance, and social justice throughout Delaware’s history and across all three counties.  The project will merge rigorous academic research from various higher education departments with grassroots community engagement and activism. 

“The University of Delaware is extremely excited to be a partner in this important project,” said James Jones, Director of the University’s Center for the Study of Diversity, which is coordinating UD’s participation.  “The talent, dedication and expertise of our community is a natural and important source of support for this valuable effort to better understand Delaware’s racial history and to raise awareness and implement reforms to guide us toward a more just society for all Delawareans.”

Support for the project at UD, said Jones, will include the Provost, and broad engagement from faculty, students and staff in the Morris Library, Africana Studies, History Department, Department of Sociology, Office of Community Engagement, School of Education, and the School for Public Policy and Administration.

The stories revealed through research and public engagement events will be brought to light through oral and digital histories, as well as curriculum development.  The project will also explore how research and public engagement can inform policy.  It is inspired by Bryan Stevenson’s groundbreaking work with the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, AL.

Wide participation is also planned at Delaware State University (DSU), said Dr. Akwasi Osei, Associate Dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences and Director of the Global Societies.  “This joint effort on Delaware History will bring together faculty, staff, students, and others to contribute to the further edification of all of Delaware and the nation,” said Dr. Osei.  “It will go to show that despite our current ‘tribalism,’ we have always been in this together, and will continue to be.”

Dr. Osei said the project will help tell the American story. “That magic moment, well over two hundred years ago, when we declared the basic humanity of all is perhaps the greatest moment in that history,” he said. “That we have to ‘rewrite’ the narrative of the actual unfolding of that story is indicative of how rocky the journey has been.”

The partnership also includes the Delaware Social Justice Remembrance Coalition. “The Delaware Social Justice Coalition (DSJC) is thrilled to be a part of this collaborative that will continue the work of illuminating and memorializing past incidents of racial terror in the state of Delaware,” said Amy Shepherd, an officer of DSJC.  “We appreciate our state's willingness to understand how such incidents have impacted life as we know it today and we look forward to Delaware's propulsion toward becoming a leader in changing the narrative around race and poverty, as Bryan Stevenson urges.”

A website for the project is currently under development, which will be essential for the progress of the historical initiative and dissemination of the narratives it yields.

For questions about the project, contact Stephanie Lampkin, Director of the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, at slampkin@dehistory.org.

Annual Christmas Letter 2019

Dear Friends,

It's that time of year again!  I hope that 2019 was a happy, healthy, and productive year for each of you. Can you believe that we are rounding the corner on a new decade?

As I reflect on this past year, the first thing that comes to mind was the tremendous loss that the university experienced in the passing of former president, Dr. William DeLauder.  I am sure that this holiday season will be difficult for his family, and I wish them to know that they are in my thoughts. I was honored to have met Dr. DeLauder several years ago, and I am eternally grateful for his  donation to the archives.  Included in his donation were some Board of Trustee minutes that are highly valued.

The second thing that comes to mind is the outstanding progress that has been made in the digital realm. Amazingly, 113 volumes of yearbooks and course catalogs have been digitized in 2019 and we're not done yet! In the next few days before the holiday you can expect to see several more catalogs hit the web.

The number of reference interactions in 2019 was up by 23% from last year! This is a significant increase, and I am so delighted to have met so many new faces.  Our constituents continue to be representative of a diverse population. This year's patrons included individuals from Dartmouth College, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Delaware Historical Society, University of Colorado, University of Maryland, New Jersey State Library, Phoenicia Public Library, and of course all of my favorite alumni, administrators, and students. It is my pleasure to serve you.

What will next year hold for the archives? For starters, it will be a new year under a new president. When we return to campus on January 6th we will welcome Dr. Tony Allen as our fearless leader. Second, I am looking forward to using my organizational skills on behalf of the university for a very exciting and vital committee assignment. Third, I hope to continue to expand the digitized collections by moving on to the Board of Trustee minutes. Whatever happens in 2020 I hope that you will continue to join me on this journey.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and desire all the best for you in the new year.

Cheers,
Joy

New Athletics Exhibit Open

In keeping with tradition, the archives kicked off the new school year with by installing a new gallery exhibit.

The focus of this year's display is Delaware State University's vibrant athletics history. It features athletics artifacts and photographs spanning from as early as 1950 through the current day.  Archival photographs represent our oldest history while more recent history is represented through signed jerseys, game balls, and other paraphernalia on loan from the athletic advising department. The room is additionally festooned with historic pennants from the Prettyman family collection.

I invite you to come view the exhibit. The gallery is open during library hours of operation from 8:00 am until 12:00 am Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday, 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Saturday, and 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Sunday. See you soon!

Archives Artwork in the New Dorm

Strips of Hornet newspapers
make up this wallpaper

Hello Archives Friends! You may have seen the university's recent Facebook posts about the opening of Tubman Laws Hall or the flikr images from move-in day. If you have, you've seen a beautiful, modern, comfortable space for students to live, study, play, and relax.  Did you know, however, that the university archives made significant contributions to the interior decor?

For a year and a half, I worked to provide a design contractor with archival materials. The archival images, historic slogans, vintage hornet, and Hornet student newspapers were transformed into unique interior decor features.

The most obvious feature is a mural of significant university figures and buildings. For the students walking by, the mural looks like an awesome collage of hand-drawn figures.  To me, and maybe my astute patrons, however, I can pinpoint specific photographs that helped to create this work of art. Additional features include wallpaper in the mailroom which is made from strips of Hornet newspapers, framed black and white images on the walls, a historic campus map framing the bricks and cornerstones from Tubman and Laws, and the vintage Hornet mascot that graces the wall behind the front desk in the entry way.

I never got to see the mock-up art before its final installation, but I'm glad.  It was far nicer to be surprised by the final product.  In the end, this is yet another way that the archives is making its presence felt on campus and contributing to the university.

Do you see this barn and tractor in the collage below? 

Collection Spotlight: DSC Sports Photographs, 1945-1965

Hello friends! I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer.  Classes resumed this week, and August is quickly passing. It’s been a while since I featured a collection so I thought I’d shine the spotlight on the Delaware State College Sports Photograph collection, an acquisition from January 2017.

This collection is comprised of black and white sports photographs from the era of Bennie J. “Catfish” George.  Mr. George was an athletic coach and physical education teacher at Delaware State College starting in the 1950’s and continuing well into the 1960’s. Mr. George held a bachelors degree from DSC (1947), and during his time as a student he was captain of both the football and basketball teams.  Due to his quick, "slippery" moves on the football field, he ultimately earned the Catfish moniker.  Two years after graduation, Mr. George's athletic performance earned him an appointment as the assistant football and basketball coach, and head baseball coach.  Over his men's basketball coaching career, he attained a record of 360 wins and 125 defeats with only two losing seasons in a 30-year period. Mr. George was named coach of the year for baseball (1954), football (1956), and basketball (1966) in the CIAA conference.

Given the significance and formidablity of Bennie George's career, it was therefore thrilling to receive a collection of men’s basketball, baseball, football, and fencing photographs dated between 1945 and 1965. This accession additionally fills the sizable gap in the Office of Public Relations photographs which are largely from 1960 and later.

As always, I invite you to visit the archives to view this and other collections. Give me a call at 302-857-6130 to set up an appointment. I hope to see you soon! 

Welcome back students!

It's a big week from Delaware State University! The faculty and staff are looking forward to welcoming the incoming freshman starting tomorrow and the upperclassman later this weekend.  Campus will be buzzing as students either make new friends or get reacquainted with their classmates.

Over the next few days they will be settling into their residence halls, and some of them will have the pleasure of being the first-ever residents of our newest hall (word around town is that it will be called Tubman-Laws, but we'll found out during a dedication ceremony later this semester). 

For those of you will be embarking on a shopping excursion with your roomate or suitemates, I thought you would enjoy some inspiration from these archival photographs.

1) Chic Curtains: These circa 1990s Medgar Evers residents must have had some help from their moms or girlfriends. Either way, I'm diggin' the matching bedspreads and curtains.

2) Statement furniture: When confronted with bland white walls and standardized furniture, nothing brightens up a college dorm like a comfortable chair. It makes those long study nights a little more bearable. Houseplants are also a must. 

3) Pictures of Home: No room would be complete without a picture of mom. It's nice to have a reminder of those who love you and who are supporting you in your journey. Don't forget to say thank you.

3)Homey Bedspreads: Okay so this one isn't actually a dorm room. It's the home economics practice house, but all the same, it's something to aspire to.  A bedspread is one of the most personal statements a student can make. Don't forget to make it in the morning.

From the staff of the William C. Jason Library, I wish you the best of luck this semester!  Don't forget that we are always here to support your research and to help you become a better scholar. See you soon! 

Digitization continues

Hello everybody,

A quick update about the DSpace digital repository- I'm moving forward with a second collection!  Back in February I completed the digitization of the yearbooks and I watched to see how the community would use them.  I'm happy to say that these digital resources have been a game changer for both administrators and alumni.  Both constituent groups are able to independently conduct research.

I am now advancing the digital repository further by adding course catalogs. The catalogs describe not only the courses of study and credit counts, but also the physical campus, faculty credentials, expenses, rules for students, and social activities. In the case of our earliest catalogs, there are also annual reports from the president.

As of today, there are 25 course catalogs uploaded to DSpace.  The digitization of the catalogs is currently ongoing and the content will be uploaded as it is created.  Check back regularly to see new additions to the collection.  https://desu.dspacedirect.org/handle/20.500.12090/399

Yours,
Joy

Tubman Hall Time Capsule Opened

As Tubman Hall was demolished this summer a time capsule was removed from the building's cornerstone. A few weeks after, I found myself standing alone in my office with hammer in hand, poised to pry open the box.  Remember the guy in Indiana Jones whose face melts when he gazes upon the arc of the covenant? That's what I was thinking about. I wondered what form of boogieman might pop out.

Unfortunately, the box was one giant disappointment.  Not only were there no monsters, but the paper disintegrated and any secrets contained within were permanently lost.  It was not difficult to guess what happened.  When I first looked at the led capsule I noticed a pinhole in one of the corners.  In fact, I used that weak spot as the starting point to pry it open.  Significant moisture must have leached into the box through the hole and destroyed all of the contents.  The paper did not bend or fold as one would expect.  Instead it crumbled at the slightest touch.

When I first peered into the box the papers looked whole. Within a the span of just a few blinks of the eye, however, it looked like a confetti bomb had deployed in my office.   The first item that I removed, a small booklet, exploded in mid-air and fluttered to the ground.  I never even had a chance to read it.

Regrettably, the vast majority of the contents ended up in the library cleaning lady's vacuum cleaner where it is forever lost to me. A reel of film was easily identified, but the emulsion that held the images onto the film was washed away. I was able to salvage a few items - an architectural drawing of campus, a high school dance recital program, a 1951-1952 freshman handbook, a 1950-1952 student handbook, a program from the laying of the Tubman cornerstone, and an Omega Psi Phi fraternity "Trusting Hearts" event program.

If you are interested in viewing the time capsule content I would be happy to email you the scans or photographs that were captured for each item. Please note that due to preservation concerns, access to the physical items is restricted.
 

Goodbye Tubman Hall

Tubman Hall in 1977. Named for Harriet Tubman, the building was three stories with a 108 bed capacity.  Although it served both male and female students across its lifespan, Tubman was primarily home to female freshmen. 

Last summer we "turned the lights out" at Laws Hall in order to start the construction of a new 620-bed housing facility. As the academic year passed we watched the building grow to a stature we never imagined and at a rate we could hardly believe.

This summer we are saying goodbye to yet another residence hall. Just days after students moved out of Tubman Hall, the construction workers moved in and began demolition.  The building must be removed in order to make way for the second section of the new facility (projected to be completed in August).

Personally, I am sorry to see Tubman Hall go.  Unlike many of you, the alumni, I do not have sentimental attachments. However, for me, Tubman was symbolic of this our predecessors' perseverance and faith in the future. Tubman was built at a very uncertain time in DSU's history.  In 1949 the institution lost accreditation and was immediately thrown into turmoil.  Most significantly, there were talks of merging Delaware State College with University of Delaware.  Tubman was constructed in 1952 despite  tremendous uncertainty.  The very fact that Tubman was constructed, and with state appropriations, tells me that there were individuals with confidence in the college.

Sixty-seven years later, Tubman has served its purpose.  It was a voice for the future and it got to be a part of the drastic growth at Delaware State College. Today Tubman must bow out in order to allow the current generation to make new assertions for the future. Even as it closes its doors, Tubman remains a symbol of the aspiration and foresight of our leadership.

Did you live in Tubman? Do you have any fond memories? Comment below.

Left:Tubman Hall in the initial stages of demolition, May 22,2019.  Right: Phase I of the new dormitory under construction

Book Binding School

Last month I attended a book binding workshop in order to learn how to replace and rebuild a hardcover. It was much more intense process than I ever imagined. Before beginning the workshop I thought, perhaps like you, that a cover was simply cloth-covered cardboard that is glued to paper pages. I couldn't have been more wrong! There are so many more components - bookcloth wrapped around binding board, peach board, paper tubes, endbands, ribbon bookmarks, two different kinds of tissue paper linings, paste, glue, and fabric.  Making a book also requires numerous tools including two kinds of presses, board shears, two kinds of scalpels, and rulers and other measuring devices just to name a few.

My introductory education into book binding was a two-day process in which an instructor demonstrated the techniques and tools required. By following along, I was able to repeat these steps on a book of my own.  By the end of the workshop I had completely rebuilt my book and made it stronger than ever.

A result of my education was a deeper understanding of how the construction of books affects their preservation.  For example, when applying the book cloth to the binding book (ie the outer most layer of the cover) I folded the fabric incorrectly resulting in a small bulge at the corner of the cover.  In the future that bulge will likely result in a hole in the cloth because of the increased friction as the book slides on and off a shelf. It is this level of minutia detail that I was previously unaware of and did not know how to look for. I believe that this workshop will make me a better archivist as I continually seek to preserve DSU's collections. It may also inspire a new hobby.

My book was stripped of its original cover and all of the
glue and linings that held it together. Here it has been
reduced to the text block which is held together only by stitching.

After a new cover was measured and cut, my book was placed in a
nipping press where it was "trained" to form the
characteristic dip or crease between the spine and the covers. 

In addition to building a cover, I also learned to set type
in order to print the gold leaf title for a spine label.