Office of Multicultural Affairs records, 1989 - 2021
Scope and Contents
The records document the founding of the Leona Lusk Officer Black Cultural Center in 1989 and efforts by the university to support the personal, cultural, social, and academic growth and development of students from underrepresented ethnic populations. Materials include administrative files, event planning files, posters, flyers, photographs, and scrapbooks.
Dates
- 1989 - 2021
Creator
- Tennessee Technological University. Division of Student Affairs. Office of Multicultural Affairs (Organization)
Historical Note
The Office of Multicultural Affairs began as the Black Cultural Center in 1989. In 1988, the Black Student Organization surveyed Black students at Tech on their interest in a center for Black students. The Black Student Organization and the student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers presented a proposal advocating for the creation of a space and programming to support the academic, personal, and cultural development of Black students to the Commission on the Status of Blacks and President Volpe in January 1989. University administration approved the creation of the Black Cultural Center. Work began on converting space in the University Center in the fall of 1989. The Black Cultural Center formally opened in August 1990.
In the 1994 bulletin, the Center advertised its functions as: “offer[ing] students an opportunity to learn more about the African American culture through books, photographs, and works of art. It is a place for gathering with friends and a place to unwind after a full day of classes. The Black Cultural Center also schedules events such as the Annual African Market Fair and a variety of educational programs and social events.”
By 1995, Tonia Duncan-Rivers wrote a proposal to establish the position of Coordinator of Minority Affairs, which became the Director of Minority Affairs. The new Office of Minority Affairs represented the needs of underrepresented students to the university administration and managed the Black Cultural Center. The Office of Minority Affairs was housed in the Black Cultural Center. In 1996, the Center adopted its new name, the Leona Lusk Officer Black Cultural Center, to honor the first African American graduate of Tennessee Tech.
By the Fall 2014 semester, the Office of Minority Affairs changed its name to the Office of Multicultural Affairs. As of 2020, the mission of the Multicultural Affairs Office is to provide support for the personal, cultural, social, and academic growth and development of students from underrepresented ethnic populations.
Administrators and staff in the Office of Multicultural Affairs have included:
Mayme D. Martin, Director, 1990-1992
Rosa Stokes, Interim Coordinator, at least Fall 1993-Spring 1994
Tonia Duncan-Rivers, Director, April 1995-June 1997
Mitzi Hill, Secretary, Fall 1996-?
Tammy Reynolds, Director, 1997-2000
Jennifer Smith, Assistant, at least 2000
Jamie E. Mells, Director, July 2001-September 2005
Elizabeth D. Ojo, Assistant Director, 2006-April 2017
Corinne Johnson, Administrative Associate, circa 2000s-
Robert Owens, Director, 2006-2014; Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, 2014-
Charria Campbell, Director, 2019-
Extent
6.44 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The records are arranged into three subseries: Administrative Files, Scrapbooks, and Photographs. Within each subseries, materials are arranged in alphabetical order by folder title and then chronological order by creation date.
Provenance
The materials were transferred from the Office of Multicultural Affairs to the Archives on June 16, 2020 and July 30, 2020.
Processing Information
Original folder titles maintained when available. Prefixes were added to event files and photographs folder titles to clarify the purpose of the contents. Four plastic binders of scrapbook pages were deconstructed because of preservation concerns. The contents were foldered by topic or date, and original order maintained.
- African American -- Societies, etc. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American Greek letter societies Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American History Month Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American arts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American college administrators Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American college athletes Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American college students Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American college students -- Political activity Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American college teachers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American educators Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American fraternal organizations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American gospel singers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American scholars Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American student movements Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American teenagers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American young adults Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American young men Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American young women Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African American youth Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans -- Education (Higher) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans -- Religion Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans -- Services for Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans -- Study and teaching (Higher) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Cookeville (Tenn.) Subject Source: Naf
- Indigenous peoples Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Latin American students Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Minorities -- Education (Higher) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Minority college students Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Minority college students -- Recruiting Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Minority college students -- Services for Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Minority college students -- Societies, etc. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Native Americans Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Religion Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Repository Details
Part of the Tennessee Tech University Archives Repository
1100 North Peachtree Avenue
PO Box 5066
Cookeville Tennessee 38505 United States
archives@tntech.edu
