From Segregation to Black Lives Matter: A Symposium and Celebration of the Opening of the Joel Buchanan Archive of African American Oral History at the University of Florida

Elaine Sponholtz Announcement
Location
Florida, United States
Subject Fields
African American History / Studies, Black History / Studies, History Education, Latin American and Caribbean History / Studies, Oral History

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida is pleased to announce a national 3-day event on African American history to commemorate the opening of the Joel Buchanan African American Oral History Archive, and would like to extend an invitation to students and scholars from other universities and community organizations to attend this event. The symposium will feature outstanding panels, films, exhibits, and lectures on African American history in university, community, and activist settings. The program will be free and open to the public. Please save the dates and plan to join us for this momentus gathering.

Event Begins:       Thursday, March 21, 2019 at 9:00 am 

Event Ends:           Saturday, March 23rd at 3:00pm

Event Location:     Room and Building to be announced

                              University of Florida campus, Gainesville, Florida

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Curtis Austin, University of Oregon

Other Speakers:   Dr. Larry Rivers, Florida A&M University

                             Dr. Derrick White, Dartmouth University

                             Evelyn Foxx, President, Alachua County NAACP

                             James Brown, grandson of Oscar Mack

Presentations by community organizations and groups include:

                             Civil Rights in Black and Brown, Texas Christian University

                             Virtual Rosewood Research Project

                             Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center

                             Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center

                             UF Historic St. Augustine

                             Florida Historical Society

Message from the Director:

"The year 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the African American History Project (AAHP) at the University of Florida (UF). Funded by the UF Office of the Provost, this research initiative has resulted in over twenty-five public history programs on Black history, university seminars on African American studies, and scores of community-based oral history workshops across the country. The new collection includes over six hundred oral history interviews with African American elders in Florida telling stories of family memories of slavery, resistance to segregation, the coming of the modern civil rights movement, and narratives of Black and Latinx intersectionality, among other topics.

This symposium marks the formal opening of the Joel Buchanan African American Oral History Archive at the University of Florida to scholars, students, and researchers. Joel Buchanan (1948-2014) was a beloved civial rights activist, historian, and librarian in Gainesville and at the University of Florida. Joel was an indispensable member of the community, as well as a tireless speaker, who gave countless lectures and informal talks to elementary, high school, and college students about the histories of segregation, the civil rights movement, and Ganesville. In all of these presentations, Joel used history to share his dreams of a better future for all. Joel was a loving, beautiful man, generous with his time, and always willing to share his insights on history. Joel guided generations of high school, college, and university students in the completion of their seminar papers, senior theses, and dissertations.

In 2008, Joel Buchanan played a critical role in the creation of the African American History Project at the University of Florida. To honor Joel's legacy and to celebrate this historic occasion, the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program is hosting a three-day symposium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, March 21-23, 2019. The event will bring together scholars, educators, and community leaders to discuss the latest trends in African American history from K-12 to higher education. Participants will have the opportunity to view and to listen to films, podcasts, and panelists. The event will also feature book-signings of noted authors."

— Dr. Paul Ortiz, Director

 

Contact Information

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program can be contacted by phone at (352) 392-7168 or through our office at 241 Pugh Hall, P.O. Box 115215 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. For inquiries by email, please contact our Office Manager Tamarra Jenkins at the email address below.

Contact Email
tamarraJ@ufl.edu