Racial incidents

In an effort to convey a sense of the dynamism of the history of racial diversity at Wesleyan, the materials are arranged under headings relating to student, faculty, and administrative groups rather than by racial categorizations. To order the large number of materials under such general headings as "African-American," "Asian-American" or "Latino/a" would be reductive. To do so would deny historical context, the ways in which groups often struggled with and against each other (and among themselves) over issues, from black-Asian conflict in the late 1970s and early 1980s to the formation of the Tri-Minority Council (TMC, later the Student of Color Council) in 1989.

Such categorizations also do not allow for the ways in which administrative initiatives geared toward one group often affected another group. For example, admission policies aimed at matriculating more African-American students opened doors for increased Latino presence. General racial designations are themselves historically contingent, products of particular cultural moments and political exigencies. This is not to deny the ways in which groups are identified and choose to self-identify. Rather it is to encourage enumeration and fuller illumination of the many meanings and manifestations of racial diversity. Finally, separate categories wrongly emphasize that the history documented in this archive is the sole property of the ethnic and racial groups under whose heading it falls, rather than the property and legacy of the institution as a whole.

In this vein, the collection is divided into three series, and sub-groups within each:

Series 1: Documents, photographs, and textiles collected by the Hewlett Pluralism and Unity Project to document the history of diversity at Wesleyan University;

Series 2: Audio material and transcriptions documented by Hewlett Fellows as part of the project; and

Series 3: Documents relating to the Hewlett project and its participants.

Within the first series, there are folders on topics such as admissions, educational funding, curriculum, racial statistics, administration and faculty, students, alumni, student groups, campus events, racial incidents, special interest housing. Included are documents from and about the 1969 Fisk Hall takeover, which resulted in the first attempt at an Afro-American Studies curriculum; the lampooning of Boon Tan, an Asian member of the class of 1980; and the racist letters to the Malcolm X House and the campus response in 1980. Also included are documents concerning Wesleyan-Middletown relations and collaboration.

Student groups are an integral component of any campus; accordingly, the archive includes papers of many of these organizations. There are extensive papers of the Asian-American Cooperative Theater (AACT) in particular. Also interesting are the papers of inter-ethnic groups such as Society Organized Against Racism (SOAR) and Racism Awareness Workshop (RAW). It is important to note that names of these organizations changed periodically to reflect new nomenclature and new missions. For example, Asian and Asian-American students first organized as Wesleyan Asian Students Party (WASP), later renamed themselves Wesleyan Asian Interest Group (WAIG), then Wesleyan Asian/Asian-American Student Union (WAAASU), and now, in the most recent incarnation, as Asian-American Pacific Alliance (AAPA). Student publications are also included, as well as event fliers, invitations, and notices of speakers.

There is also an array of documents concerning admission strategies and curricular development. Particularly interesting are admission brochures and booklets aimed at recruiting students of color dating back to 1975. There are also admission policy statements and minutes from Board of Trustees meetings; "special minority group" admission profiles; and recruitment strategies developed by task forces of color. There is extensive documentation of the founding and growth of the Afro-American Institute, the first attempt at instutionalizing African-American Studies and a center for black culture and research; and of the first Asian-American Studies course offered in the 1985-86 school year. Juxtaposed with these files is the Ford Foundation Grant for Multicultural Perspectives in Curriculum, submitted by Joanne Creighton, Vice President of Academic Affairs, in September 1991. One can also find administrative documents on the ethno-cultural houses.

Throughout the last 35 years, there have been many committees, task forces, and ad-hoc groups that have sought to make sense of and improve racial diversity and racial interaction on campus. Papers from some of these groups are gathered here, including the Multicultural Committee, the Committee on Human Rights and Relations, and the Presidential Commission on Race Relations.

There are also documents from the various Alumni Councils. We are fortunate to have some of the papers of the late Professor of German Theodore Chadbourne (Chad) Dunham, among the first faculty to teach a course with racial themes; a folder entitled "Alumni of Color in the Arts," which showcases some of the work of Glenn Ligon '86 and Olivia Astrid Smith '92, both accomplished photographers; and speeches of Edwin (Ted) Etherington '48, president of the University during the turbulent period of 1968-1970. Finally, there is a 1980 Alumni Reunion T-shirt "Where Is Boon Tan?"

The second series continues with material collected by Hewlett Fellows, and includes audio tapes, including Edgar Beckham's seminars, various interviews with alumni produced by students of the seminars, and speeches by distinguished guests to the campus.

The third series is documentation of the Hewlett Project itself, incorporating the work of the Summer Research Fellows (including the various publication indices), Fellows' research notes, various tutorial readings and assignments, the original grant proposal and progress reports, and further documents and directories on diversity. This series provides an understanding of the scope and mission of the project.

A final note: It is the hope of participators in and shapers of the Hewlett Project and the Hewlett Diversity Archive that this collection will continue to grow and expand, that students, faculty, and administrators, past and present, white and of color, will contribute documents and memorabilia to the archive. The history and memory of Wesleyan's commitment to racial diversity is the property and responsibility of all of us, just as the course of Wesleyan's future is our collective obligation.