Episode 002 Chronicling Resilience: The Legacy of African American Students at the University of Michigan (1853-1970)

Conversations With Carole

They defied the odds and pursued educational excellence anyway. Despite racism, housing segregation, and academic hurdles, they pursue their dreams at The University of Michigan boldly and courageously. Now, a special project is archiving their years on the campus. African American students who attended U of M from 1853 to 1970 are now part of a unique database that anyone anywhere in the world can access.

Dr. Richard Smith, a U of M grad, explains how this project started and why it’s important to record the history of Black students who have studied at the university.

It’s especially important for Carole because her grandfather and mother are both part of this remarkable database.
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Richard Smith, M.D., FACOG, a long-time OB-GYN physician at Henry Ford Hospital who helped champion a national model for prenatal care services, is the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). By the time he retired in 2020, Dr. Smith had delivered nearly 9,000 babies. Generation after generation of countless families turned to him to usher their babies into the world.
Dr. Smith attended Harvard University School of Public Health, the University of Michigan, and Howard University College of Medicine.
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A new public database of African American students created by the University of Michigan documents students who attended U-M between 1853 and as recently as 1970.

A comprehensive compilation of this nature did not previously exist at the university and remains very rare for universities across the country.

In the process, hundreds of compelling stories have been uncovered surrounding segregated housing, relocation after slavery, and “segregation scholarships,” which originated in the 1920s.

“What we have discovered is that it was African American students, their organizations, the local community, and African American alumni who carved out lives for themselves on this campus, often with no help and with opposition from the university itself,” said Terrence McDonald, director of the Bentley Historical Library.
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Carole's Mother was a U of M grad:
Gwendolyn Juanita Charleston Copeland
Carole's Grandfather took graduate courses at U of M:
Rev. James A. Charleston
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To learn more visit:
https://africanamericanstudentproject.bentley.umich.edu/database