“United We Rise”: Celebrating the University of Pittsburgh African American Alumni Council (Fall 2022 - Summer 2023) - Archives & Special Collections Exhibits

“United We Rise”: Celebrating the University of Pittsburgh African American Alumni Council (Fall 2022)

Introduction
Related Guides & Collection Materials

Date of Exhibition: Fall 2022 - Summer 2023

Curator: The University of Pittsburgh African American Alumni Council History and Archives Committee, Pam Heywood, Chairperson

Location: Archives & Special Collections exhibit gallery, 3rd floor Hillman Library, University of Pittsburgh 3960 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Description: In the tumult of 1968, a group of students gathered to form what would become the Black Action Society. Their goal was to advocate for the concerns, needs and interests of Black students at the University of Pittsburgh and members of the local African American community.

This small group grew and on Jan. 15, 1969, 48 students staged a sit-in in the eighth-floor computer center in the Cathedral of Learning, to insist that specific demands be met to improve Black life on campus.

Today, the African American Alumni Council (AAAC), through its theme, “United We Rise,” continues its mission to promote a spirit of community, loyalty and support among African American alumni, to strengthen their connection to the University of Pittsburgh, and to promote the recruitment, retention and graduation/advancement of African American students, faculty, staff and administration at the University of Pittsburgh.

The African American Alumni Council’s History and Archives Committee has curated a few artifacts, from personal collections and the University of Pittsburgh Library System’s University Archives holdings, to help document the rich history of the council. We hope that you enjoy the exhibit.

Sources:

“Homecoming Celebrates 50 Years of Pitt’s African American Community Progress,” Pittwire, University of Pittsburgh, September 26, 2018, https://www.pitt.edu/pittwire/features-articles/homecoming-celebrates-50-years-pitt-s-african-american-community-progress.

"Pitt African American Alumni Council,” Pitt Alumni, University of Pittsburgh Philanthropic & Alumni Engagement, 2022, https://www.pitt.edu/pittwire/features-articles/homecoming-celebrates-50-years-pitt-s-african-american-community-progress.

Blue, Gold, and Black Digital Archive
The Blue, Gold and Black Digital Archive is a collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh Library System and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to collect and share materials that reflect the incredible variety of experiences and memories of Black students, faculty, and staff at Pitt.

If you are a current or former member of the Pitt community, we encourage you to share YOUR stories and photos with us. Materials can be submitted anytime from anywhere. Help us tell YOUR story at Pitt with your words and images. In addition to the content submitted by YOU, the site also includes selected materials from the University Archives managed by Archives and Special Collections within the University of Pittsburgh Library System.

We have organized all the site content into BROWSABLE theme tags. You can also always SEARCH for items too. Some of the material is grouped into COLLECTIONS and EXHIBITS that can be explored separately.

We hope you enjoy the Blue, Gold and Black Digital Archive. Please add your voice and submit a photo or memory today!
Guide to the Black Action Society Files, 1968-1992 UA.55.13.3
Includes minutes, publications and subject files of the Black Action Society of the University of Pittsburgh from 1968-1998.
Documenting Pitt
The University Archives documents the history and traditions of the University of Pittsburgh community, from its founding as the Pittsburgh Academy in 1787, through its re-chartering as the Western University of Pennsylvania, to the present. Documenting Pitt provides access to a sampling of these records detailing the administrative, academic and athletic pursuits and achievements of the University community which are a testament of what it means to be a Panther.