Holding a piece of living history can be a rush. A single letter can reveal a new facet of a historical figure; a photograph can pinpoint a transformative moment in time. For those interested in Black history—a field not always prioritized in traditional historic preservation—these materials can prove even more crucial to understanding the past.
Connecting researchers to primary sources related to African American history and culture is the mission of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC). Founded at the University of Chicago, the BMRC is an association of Chicago-based libraries, universities, museums, community/arts organizations, and other archival institutions.
“Primary sources are the building blocks of scholarship,” said Marcia Walker-McWilliams, PhD‘12, executive director of the consortium. “They shed light on what people were doing in a particular moment, how they were living, how they were relating to one another, and the ways in which they situated themselves within their environment.”
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This story was first published by UChicago News.
