‘We need to make truth our national purpose’

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A self-governing democracy can’t survive in an ecosystem of disinformation, especially when the lies and propaganda are homegrown, says law professor Barbara McQuade, BA ’87/JD ’91. In her new book, ‘Attack from Within,’ she explains why we are so vulnerable to domestic chaos — and what we can do about it.

  1. U-M Expert: Gaza ceasefire veto shows the UN is broken

    The Dec. 8 United Nations Security Council veto by the U.S. government about the Hamas-Israel ceasefire illustrates the horrific failure of the UN to prevent war — which is the primary responsibility of the organization according to its charter, says U-M professor.

  2. AI in society: Perspectives from the field

    Experts working in artificial intelligence, from technological to public policy roles, discuss the critical turning point we are experiencing in AI and what it means for the future

  3. Christmas, Crosby, and ‘the Code’

    Michigan’s William Clements Library — one of the world’s leading archives of U.S. history and Americana — holds a small but fascinating cache of papers of the singer and actor Bing Crosby, including several items linked to the holiday movie classic, ‘White Christmas.’

  4. Braiding an identity from history and challah

    Baker and blogger Marissa Wojcik, BA ’16, combines her love of Jewish family tradition with a streak of culinary curiosity to adapt centuries-old recipes for the modern-day foodie. Pass the Canadian Poutine Challah, and try the Chicago Hot Dog Babka.

  5. Big chill? Not in this ‘Circle of Estrogen’

    It’s been 40 years since ‘The Big Chill’ examined the nature of lifelong bonds — the ones forged in college — that couldn’t survive the real world. In the case of 12 alumnae who met as U-M freshmen in 1985, those bonds remain as solid as the day they moved into Alice Lloyd Hall.

  6. A new generation of scientists

    Kate Biberdorf, BS ’08, may be a chemistry professor at the University of Texas at Austin but aspiring scientists and fans know her as’ Kate the Chemist,’ an entertainer and bestselling author. She created the persona as a way of reaching new audiences and inspiring young minds to pursue STEM fields.

Every name has a story

Historical records of African American students, their living situations, their organizations, and their overall experiences on the early U-M campus are sadly rare. So, in 2022, the Bentley Historical Library launched the African American Student Project, a long-term effort to build a comprehensive database that lists the names and years of attendance of every African American student who enrolled at the University between 1853-1956. University historians encourage users to explore the database and contribute relevant assets to this remarkable archive. This slideshow takes its name from the project’s story archive; all images are courtesy of U-M’s Bentley Historical Library. (Click on an image to enlarge.)

 

 

  • Making connections

    Through an exhaustive and ongoing process of research and verification, the African American Student Project has identified almost 6,000 individual names and collected information on hometowns, local addresses, years of attendance, membership in campus organizations, degrees, and fields of study. Learn more about where these students lived in Ann Arbor.

     

    Group of festive African American students dressed in formal wear for a a party on the porch of a house in Ann Arbor.
  • Of splendid ability

    It is wrong to call Mary Henrietta Graham the first African American woman to attend U-M because she was, in fact, Canadian. She was admitted in fall 1876, and while little is known about her personal experience as a student, records show she would have seen a sea of nearly 1,100 white student faces, plus an all-white, all-male faculty at the time of her enrollment. Read more about Graham.

     

    Sepia portrait of African American student Mary Henrietta Graham. She's serious and fierce with pulled back hair, earrings, and a high-necked blouse with a bow.
  • Strong as steel

    In 1911, Cornelius L. Henderson became the second African American to earn an engineering degree from U-M. He was a pioneering steel engineer and architect who helped construct two of the major Great Lakes crossings between the United States and Canada: The Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Read more about Henderson.

    Construction workers climb the Ambassador Bridge over the Detroit River in the early 20th century. Sepia toned photo.
  • The Negro-Caucasian Club

    Founded  in the 1920s, the Negro-Caucasian Club’s aim was “to work for a better understanding between the races and for the abolition of discrimination against Negroes.” Members invited leading speakers to campus, including the activist and writer W.E.B. DuBois, a founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the novelist Jean Toomer. Read more about the Negro-Caucasian Club.

    Small group of African American and white students represent the Negro Caucasian club.
  • Baseball’s barrier breaker

    Before Jackie Robinson, there was Moses Fleetwood Walker, who would use the racism and discrimination he faced in baseball to fuel a career as an editor, author, and political advocate for Black rights. In this photo of Michigan’s 1882 baseball team, Walker is pictured, front row, third from right. Read more about Walker.

    A team of nine baseball players, circa 1882, sit casually for a team photo. One black player is included.
  • A lifelong educator

    Even though education pioneer Sophia Holley Ellis was used to being told “you can’t,” she earned three Michigan degrees between 1949-64. As a gifted teacher, she once wrote, “Monetary compensation for my teaching services cannot be even closely equated with the personal satisfaction I have been afforded by knowing that I have been instrumental in bringing about positive changes in the lives of hundreds of people.” Read more about Ellis. 

     

    Trio of U-M co-eds circa 1949. In the center is Sopha Holley Ellis, a black woman with glasses and short hair.
  • The dignity of man

    When he graduated in 1934, Paul Cornely was the first Black man in the country with a doctorate in public health. He spent 39 years at Howard University where he served as department chair, directed the student health service, and became the medical director of Freedmen’s Hospital, Howard’s teaching hospital that served the local African American community. Read more about Cornely.

    Medical School class photo from 1931 features one black student, Paul Cornely.
  • Detroiter and Olympian Eddie Tolan

    Eddie Tolan made history and broke barriers as a Black athlete. Today, his medals and a pair of his shoes are on display at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, and a field is named in his honor. In this vintage postcard, Tolan wins the gold in the 200-meter race at the 1932 Olympics. Read more about Tolan.

     

    Vintage color postcard depicting an Olympic race won by Eddie Tolan.
  • An integrated life

    History alumnus Lyman T. Johnson was the grandson of four former slaves. His father graduated from college and worked as the principal of a Black school. He taught his son to see education as a tool for racial advancement. Johnson responded by integrating the University of Kentucky in 1949 — five years before Brown v. Board of Education. Read more about Johnson.

    Black and white head shot of Lyman Johnson in the mid 20th century. He appears pleasant and scholarly with glasses and a suit and tie.
  • African American student housing in Ann Arbor

    A two-story house at 1017 Catherine St. near Glen Avenue provided lodging to African American students for more than 50 years. It is the founding site of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the first African American Greek organization at U-M, in 1909. Read more about the history of Black housing at U-M.

    In 1910 a group of African American students in formal dress pose on the porch of 1017 Catherine Street i Ann Arbor.