Aleph Number:
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[Identification of item], Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture Records, University Archives, Duke University.
The Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture Records were received by the University Archives as a transfer in 1997-1998.
Processed by Sally Sullivan, July 2008
Encoded by Sally Sullivan, July 2008
Accessions UA97-87, UA98-2 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory:
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
The Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture (MLWC) was established in 1983 to share information about Africana and African-American culture with both the Duke and Durham communities. It is named for the jazz pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams who was a Duke Artist-in-Residence from 1977 until her death in 1981. The Mary Lou Williams Center (as described on its website) seeks to:
"… promote racial understanding, build community, and foster an appreciation for and increase knowledge of Black people, Black history, Black culture, and the vast contributions of people of the African Diaspora. We provide programs and services which contribute to the successful academic and personal development of Black students at Duke University and positively impact the lives of all those whom they encounter. We seek to be a hub for information and activity related to Black students, alumni, and other Black members of the Duke community. We welcome all who seek to engage with and be empowered by a greater understanding of Black experience."
The collection contains newspaper clippings, photos, event flyers, Board of Directors information including agendas, minutes, and planning info, material documenting the Center's origins and other printed material relating to its programming and activities.
These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.