Guide to the University of California, Irvine, Black Student Union records AS.098

Finding aid prepared by Audrey Pearson, 2008; updated by Joanna Lamb, 2009; updated by Laura Uglean Jackson, 2014-2016; updated by Sarah Glover, 2019-2020.
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
(cc) 2020
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine 92623-9557
spcoll@uci.edu


Contributing Institution: Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
Title: University of California, Irvine, Black Student Union records
Creator: University of California, Irvine. African American Student Union
Creator: University of California, Irvine. Afrikan Student Union
Identifier/Call Number: AS.098
Physical Description: 0.75 Linear Feet (1 document box and 1 half document box) and 13.25 unprocessed linear feet
Physical Description: 512 Megabytes Unprocessed born digital material
Date (inclusive): 1971-2015
Date (bulk): 1997-2003
Abstract: This collection comprises records of the Black Student Union at UC Irvine from 1971 until 2015. Included are materials that represent the organization's reaction to changes in the Equal Opportunities Program (EOP) and address general problems of race relations on campus in the early 1970s. Other materials document student participation in the organization, activities, and events in subsequent decades.
Language of Material: English .

Access

Processed components of the collection are open for research. Unprocessed additions may contain restricted materials. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access.

Publication Rights

Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are generally retained by the creators of the records and their heirs, unless transferred to the University of California. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
For information on use, copyright, and attribution, please visit: http://special.lib.uci.edu/using/publishing.html

Preferred Citation

University of California, Irvine, Black Student Union records. AS-098. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Acquisition Information

Materials relating to the Black Student Union's reaction to the Equal Opportunities Program were a gift of Bolerium Books, 2005. Other materials were acquired periodically from campus sources. Transferred from the Black Student Union, June 2014. Transferred by Tionna Tank, 2019. Transferred from the UCI Cross Cultural Center, 2016-2017. Separated from the UCI Cross Cultural Center records (AS-052) and UCI Clubs and Organizations publications (PS-033), 2019-2020.

Processing History

Processed by Audrey Pearson, 2008.

Historical Background

The Black Student Union (BSU) was established in 1971 at UC Irvine in response to the reorganization of the Equal Opportunities Program and to address affirmative action and race relation issues. It is the mission of the Black Student Union to create and promote a supportive and inclusive community, while also intellectually challenging the Black students on the campus of UC Irvine. This organization, established specifically for political reasons, works for a more humane and culturally relevant college experience for UCI students. The Black Student Union strives to provide educational, cultural, and social programs that inspire the community to take action through activism as well as outreach on and off campus. This organization serves as the Umbrella for the other Black organizations on campus, with the ultimate goal of providing a welcoming and united space for the community while also stimulating an awareness of political, economic, and social forces affecting people of the African Diaspora.
Throughout the history of the organization, BSU has chosen to change names as the values and goals of the organization evolved. The organization was known as the African American Student Union from 1990 to 1993. In 1993 it changed its name to the Afrikan Student Union. In 2009 the group voted to change the name back to the Black Student Union in an effort to reconnect with the history of political activism during the Black Campus movement in the mid 1960s and the mid 1970s.

Collection Scope and Content Summary

This collection comprises records of the Black Student Union at UC Irvine from 1971 until 2015. Included are materials that represent the organization's reaction to a change in the Equal Opportunities Program (EOP) and address general problems of race relations on campus in the early 1970s. Other materials document student participation in the organization, activities, and events in subsequent decades. In particular, this collection highlights the Black Baccalaureate program, the Martin Luther King symposium, and numerous student performances and gatherings in campus-wide events, including the Rainbow Festival.

Collection Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 4 series:
  • Series 1. Administrative records, 1971-2006
  • Series 2. Publications, 1972-2002
  • Series 3. Reports, 1971
  • Series 4. Scrapbooks, 1996-2002
The collection also contains five unprocessed additions:
  • Accession 2014-034. Unprocessed addition 2014, 2010-2014. 9.3 linear feet
  • Accession 2015-034. Unprocessed addition 2015, 1987-2015. 1.1 linear feet
  • Accession 2019-023. Unprocessed addition 2019, 1994-2009. 1 linear feet and 512 MB
  • Accession 2019-027. Unprocessed addition 2019, 1981-2015. 1.6 linear feet
  • Accession 2020-024. Unprocessed addition 2017, 2014-2015. 0.1 linear feet

Separation Note

The following publications were removed from this collection and cataloged separately in Special Collections and Archives:
Umoja. Irvine, Calif: Afrikan Student Union, University of California, Irvine, 1990-2003.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Minority college students -- California -- Irvine -- 20th century
Scrapbooks -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century
African American college students -- California -- Irvine -- 20th century.
University of California, Irvine. African American Student Union -- Archives
University of California, Irvine. Afrikan Student Union -- Archives
University of California, Irvine. Black Student Union -- Archives
University of California, Irvine -- Students -- Archives

 

Administrative records 1971; 1997-2006 1997-2006

Series Scope and Content Summary

The majority of this series contains administrative records that document the activities and membership of the Afrikan Student Union between 2001 and 2006. This series also includes program files from the annual Black Baccalaureate event and the 1971 minutes of the Interim Black Council recommending for the establishment of a permanent Black Council to address affirmative action issues on the UC Irvine campus.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in chronological order.
box 1, folder 1

Interim Black Council minutes 1971 June-July

box 1, folder 2-4

Black Baccalaureate program files 1997-2002

Scope and Content Note

Includes correspondence, participation lists, menus, budgets, invoices, and planning records.
box 1, folder 5

Afrikan Student Union agendas, calendars, and other materials 2001-2002

box 1, folder 6-8

Afrikan Student Union board minutes, membership lists, and other materials 2005-2006

 

Publications Series 2. 1972-2002

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series comprises printed materials produced by the Black Student Union that document events, activities and accomplishments of the student group including the 1982 and 1984 Black Awards Banquet, Black History Month events, the Caribbean Spectacular, and the Martin Luther King Symposium.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in alphabetical order.
box 1, folder 9

Fliers, invitations, and event programs 1972-1991

box 1, folder 10

Newsletters 2001-2002

 

Reports Series 3. 1971

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series includes reports created and disseminated to the UC Irvine Black Family, educators, and administrators in 1971. The documents were created to describe the Black students assessment of newly imposed Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) changes and to express their suggestions to improve the EOP to benefit minority students on campus.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in alphabetical order.
box 1, folder 11

An Open Letter to the Black Family of UC Irvine 1971 July 19

box 1, folder 12

Recommendations by Black Students as the Follow-up to the Chancellor's Conference 1971 June 10

box 1, folder 13

A Visit to the University of California at Irvine: a Report 1971

 

Photographs Series 4. 1996-2002

Physical Description: Includes approximately 515 color photographic prints.

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains approximately 515 color photographs that document student participation in Black Student Union activities and events including dinners, sleepovers, Rainbow Festival performances, and the Martin Luther King Symposium.

Series Arrangement

This series is arranged in chronological order.

Processing note

All photographs have been removed from their original scrapbooks and have been re-housed for preservation purposes.
box 1, folder 14-18

Scrapbook photographs, 1996-1997

box 1, folder 19-20

Scrapbook photographs, 1997-1998

box 1, folder 21, box 2, folder 1-4

Student life and engagement scrapbook photographs 1999-2000

box 2, folder 5

Scrapbook photographs 2002

 

Unprocessed addition 2014 Accession 2014-034 2010-2014

Physical Description: 9.3 Linear Feet

Access

This addition to the collection is not yet processed. It may contain restricted materials. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access.

Series Scope and Content Summary

This accretion contains board documents including meeting minutes, agendas, and other administrative records; event posters; and drawings and statements by organization members on large rolls of paper.
box accn2014-034 001

Box 1 2010-2014

Scope and Content Note

This box contains meeting minutes, agendas, and board documents.
box accn2014-034 002

Box 2 2010-2014

Scope and Content Note

This box contains drawings and statements on large rolls of paper.
box accn2014-034 003

Box 3 2010-2014

Scope and Content Note

This box contains drawings and statements on large rolls of paper.
box accn2014-034 004

Box 4 2010-2014

Scope and Content Note

This box contains drawings and statements on large rolls of paper and event posters.
box FB-063, folder accn2014-034 : 6

OS Folder 1 2010-2014

Scope and Content Note

This folder contains 2 oversized event posters.
 

Unprocessed addition 2015 Accession 2015-034 1987-2015

Physical Description: 1.1 Linear Feet

Access

This addition to the collection is not yet processed. It may contain restricted materials. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access.

Series Scope and Content Summary

Accretion contains forms, memos, and documents on programs including the Students Tutoring and Outreaching to the Minority Population (STOMP) program and events such as the Afrikan Black Coalition Conference. Includes material from the executive board, meeting minutes, and outreach coordinator files. Also contains unidentified photographs, awards, and recognitions.
box accn2015-034 001

Box 1 2008-2015

Scope and Content Note

This box contains forms, memos, and documents on programs including the Students Tutoring and Outreaching to the Minority Population (STOMP) program and events such as the Afrikan Black Coalition Conference. It also includes material from the executive board, meeting minutes, outreach coordinator files, unidentified photographs, awards, and recognitions.
box FB-063, folder accn2015-034 : 8

OS Folder 1 1987-1999

Scope and Content Note

This box contains resolutions and an MLK event poster.
box accn2020-024 001

Unprocessed addition 2017 Accession 2020-024 1990-1993, 2014-2015

Access

This addition to the collection has not been processed but is open for research. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access. The box also contains material separated from UCI Clubs and Organizations (PS-033) including African American Student Union (AASU) fliers and calendars of event (1990-1993) and an Umoja application form (1992).

Series Scope and Content Summary

This accession comprises two fliers related to the social media hashtag campaign #notjustSAE, which highlighted racist activities on college campuses, specifically bringing attention to a Lambda Theta Delta (LTD) promotional video using blackface. The accession also includes a list of demands from the BSU Demands Team to Chancellor Howard Gillman and materials separated from the UCI Clubs and Organizations publications (PS-033), including fliers, calendars of events, and a Umoja application.
box accn2019-023 001

Unprocessed addition 2019 Accession 2019-023 1994-2009

Physical Description: 1 Linear Feet(1 records carton and 512 MB)

Access

This addition to the collection is not yet processed. It may contain restricted materials. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access.

Series Scope and Content Summary

This accretion contains photograph albums; African Consciousness Quarter and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium fliers; programs from conferences (African Black Coalition); a thumb drive; one Jaded Magazine (Final Issue 2007); an Institute for Responsible Citizenship Program Report; Executive Board material; Black Leadership Advancement Coalition of the University of California, Irvine program; a form with notes about how to get funding from the university; pages of General Meeting notes; Awareness Protest information; Board Member applications; paperwork, plans, schedules and calendars for the school year (circa 2000); AASU photograph album (1994-1995); 2 posters for The Blackworld, a book written by Prince Justice; folder with info for stay over the program; National Society of Black Engineers photograph album from 2001; and ASU Board materials (2007-2008).
 

Unprocessed addition 2019 Accession 2019-027 1981-2015

Physical Description: 1.6 Linear Feet(3 document boxes and 1 oversized folder)

Access

This addition to the collection is not yet processed. It may contain restricted materials. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access.

Series Scope and Content Summary

This accretion contains Baccalaureate Ceremony programs and fliers (1991-2014), Senior Recognition Ceremony materials (1992), African Consciousness Quarter materials (1992-2011), Black Awards Banquet (1983-1993), Black History Month materials (1981-1991), Black Leadership Conference (1995-2010), BSU Gospel Choir spring concert program (1987), constitution and announcements (1987-1993), organizational chart and meeting notes (1990-1999), fliers (1986-1997), correspondence (1989-1990), resource materials (1992-1994), Blacks in Social Sciences Association fliers (undated), National Society of Black Engineers (1981-1984, undated), photographs and slides (1990s), Black Leadership Advancement Coalition, events (2012-2013), ephemera and planning documents (1996-2008), African Black Coalition Conference (2008, 2015), Black Graduation (2010), and Alpha Phi Alpha materials (2003), Delta Sigma Theta (1986), 2 oversized posters: Black History Month 1981 and Caribbean Spectacular 1982.
box accn2019-027 001

Box 1 1981-1999

Scope and Content Note

This box contains Baccalaureate Ceremony programs and fliers (1991-1992), Senior Recognition Ceremony (1992), African Consciousness Quarter materials (1992-1999), Black Awards Banquet (1983-1993), Black History Month materials (1981-1988), constitution (undated).
box accn2019-027 002

Box 2 1981-1997

Scope and Content Note

This box contains Black History Month materials (1986-1991), Black Leadership Conference fliers (1995), BSU Gospel Choir spring concert program (1987), AASU constitution, announcements, fliers, correspondence, calendars and resource materials (1989-1997), BSU announcements, calendars and fliers (1988-1989), Blacks in Social Sciences Association fliers (undated), National Society of Black Engineers constitution, announcements, photograph, and flier (1981-1984, undated), Delta Sigma Theta scholarship applications and statement of purpose (1986).
box accn2019-027 003

Box 3 1990-2015

Scope and Content Note

This box contains constitution, organizational charts, meeting notes (1990-1999), graduation slides (1997), Blck Baccalaureate (1997-2014), Black Leadership Advancement Coalition, events (2012-2013), African Consciousness Quarter (1994-2011), various event materials (2012-2013), administrative files (1996-2010), Black Leadership Conference (1995-2010), African Black Coalition Conference (2008, 2015), Black Graduation (2010), Alpha Phi Alpha (2003).
box FB-067, folder accn2019-027 : 6

OS Folder 1 1981-1982

Scope and Content Note

This folder contains 2 oversized posters for Black History Month 1981 and Caribbean Spectacular 1982.