The UCR Library now has access to African American Women’s Histories, a large new digital archive collection from AM (formerly Adam Matthew). It brings together the personal and professional papers of trailblazing African American women and explores their intellectual work, social activism, and cultural expression.
Through correspondence, writings, speeches, organizational records, periodicals, and other ephemera, the collection documents the lived experiences of Black women in the United States throughout the twentieth century. Its materials span both public achievements and everyday lives, and covers fields like medicine, media, literature, education, law, politics, sport, and music. It also supports research on Black Feminism, Civil Rights, and literature, and shows how these lives were shaped by the intersections of race, gender, and class.
Two highlights are worth a look. The Maida Springer Kemp papers trace her pioneering labor organizing in the US and Africa, including her work with the AFL-CIO. The papers of Sarah Webster Fabio feature a foundational figure in Black Studies and a key poetic voice in the Black Arts Movement.
The Library has full access to Module 1, which was recently made public. Explore the collection on the AM resource page, or go straight to the content at africanamericanwomenshistories.amdigital.co.uk. Off-campus access requires an Open Athens login first using your UCR NetID and password.
Photos in header collage courtesy of AM.