Black Lives at Cal (BLAC)
Stephen Small, Professor
Institute for the Study of Societal Issues
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Black Lives at Cal (BLAC) is a multi-year initiative to celebrate, defend, and advance the legacy of Black people at the University of California, Berkeley, since the university’s founding in 1868. Formed in 2021 as both a research endeavor and an archival venue, BLAC researches, preserves, and publicizes insights about the people, events, and communities that have shaped Black history at Berkeley and examines the “living history” of the Black experience today.
BLAC advances these goals by (1) exhibiting in digital form the images, documents, and interviews in the archival record; (2) fostering and presenting new research by students and scholars; and (3) serving as a resource on the Black experience in the twenty-first century. To accomplish this, graduate students mentor undergraduate students through the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) in three teams: research, content creation, and special projects. Students participate in every aspect of BLAC such as identifying and cataloging of resources, oral history interviews, web design, and community engagement.
BLAC is an initiative of the African American Thriving Initatives and the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, and is endorsed by the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies. BLAC has been further sponsored by the Black Studies Collaboratory, the Black Recruitment and Retention Center, the Big C Fund, and the Office of the Chancellor.
For more information on BLAC, visit our website (https://blac.berkeley.edu/).
Role: ROLE OF UNDERGRADUATES
Under the guidance of graduate students and steering committee, undergraduate research apprentices conduct archival and oral history research, develop community engagement and recognition projects, and create multimedia content for BLAC in a supportive working environment. Most of the work can be done remotely with the exception of weekly team meetings which are intended to be in-person. [Please note those interested in archival research will be expected to occasionally visit on-campus or local libraries, museums, and historical societies.]
URAP students will benefit from community building, research mentorship in Black Studies and qualitative methods, professional development, and opportunities to present their work-in-progress in a variety of settings.
Qualifications: Required: Independent and creative, responsible and organized, good at working with a team, proficient or fast learner with computer software (e.g. Google Suite), committed to the project.
Any of the following skills would be useful but they are not required: interviewing; identifying and reviewing primary and secondary sources; website design/editing; photography/videography; social media and podcasting; graphic design (e.g. creating timelines, maps, charts); and event planning.
Students of any major or year are welcome.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Filmore Thomas IV, Graduate Student
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Related website: https://blac.berkeley.edu/
Related website: http://cejce.berkeley.edu/aasd