New Exhibition Celebrates African American Alumni at Converse University
Written by Deb Peluso ’15 and Caroline Blair ’25
Dr. Angela Elder’s class in African American History recently held a reception in Montgomery Student Center, celebrating the historic contributions of Black alumni at Converse University. This multi-generational student project is an extension of research that Associate Professor of History Dr. Elder and her students began in 2018.
That year, Dr. Elder and her students collected more than 35 oral history interviews with Black alumni to commemorate the 50th anniversary of integration at Converse University. In 2020, a new generation of Converse students transcribed many of these interviews.
During the fall 2023 semester, Dr. Elder’s students used these interviews and transcriptions as the foundation for this new public history project exhibited at Converse. The displays include photography and stories from generations of Converse students and reflect on their Converse legacy.
One alumna featured in the exhibition is Dr. Keshia Jackson Gilliam ’05. Dr. Gilliam is the Director of the Master in Management program at Converse University and the Director of Human Resources. When Dr. Gilliam took her eight-year-old daughter to the reception, she saw her mom’s photo and quote and was awestruck. She asked, “Mommy, why did they pick you?” Dr. Gilliam was speechless.
The 2023 Recipient of the Mae Elizabeth Kilgo Spirit of Converse Award, Dr. Gilliam said she was honored and humbled to be included in this significant project. She explained that many of the friendships she developed both as a student and a staff and faculty member at Converse have endured and become some of the most genuine friendships she’s made in her lifetime.
The African American history project flourished thanks to the collaboration of many offices and people throughout the Converse community, especially the courageous alumni who shared their experiences and stories and allowed them to be displayed in the exhibition. The Provost’s Office, the Converse Writing Center, and Danielle Stone, Chief Inclusive Excellence Officer and Title IX Coordinator, played significant roles in this project.
The project is supported by a High-Impact Educational Practice grant that further develops instructional excellence at Converse. High-impact educational practices are active learning practices that increase student engagement with learning and ultimately increase student retention.
This project captures the unique and honest experiences shared by our strong Black alumni. Whether positive or negative, all the experiences of our alumni are critical for the continued growth of the Converse community.
History and Politics double major Caroline Blair ’25 (Nisbet Honors) wrote about her experience with this unique project as an intern for the History and Politics Office.
“In the fall of 2023, I accepted a position as an intern for the History and Politics programs, an opportunity I will not soon forget. But before I share my part in this story, let me first explain the larger project I stepped into, when I began this role.
Back in 2018, a group of eager history students participated in a new oral history project. Together, they interviewed nearly 40 African American Converse alumni, gathering stories of strength, hope, perseverance, and humor. The project was conducted by Dr. Angela Elder’s African American history class to commemorate the 50th anniversary of integration at Converse. A display was designed and constructed in Phifer Science Hall, by Associate Professor of Theatre Meg Hanna Tominaga.
Two years later in 2020, another group of enthusiastic students would transcribe many of these oral histories, yet again allowing the legacy of Black alumni of Converse to live on within our community.
In 2023, current students of Dr. Elder’s African American history course created an exhibit to highlight the history these incredible women left at Converse. The exhibit is comprised of 84 tiles, each with a unique quote or picture, featuring the alumni who participated in the 2018 oral history project. The collection is currently on the first floor of Montgomery Student Center and positioned around the large hanging poster, “We will stand for fairness, equity, and equality together” with purple and gold theming.
On November 30, 2023, the exhibit came to life with the Celebrating Courage reception. We were thrilled to have the interviewed alumni, Converse Trustees, President Dr. Boone Hopkins, Dean of the Women’s College Dr. Chandra Hopkins, students, and many Converse friends in attendance. The exhibit spans four walls on the first floor of Montgomery. We also had cupcakes from Small Cakes, a local Black-owned bakery.
“I think one of my favorite parts was walking around the reception, seeing students take photos with alumni who could travel to campus and see the project.“
Dr. Angela Elder
When we discussed it afterward, Dr. Elder said, “I think one of my favorite parts was walking around the reception, seeing students take photos with alumni who could travel to campus and see the project. It was powerful to watch different generations of Converse students connect.”
The turnout was phenomenal, especially considering it was right before finals week. For those of us who helped build this project, the interest from our community made us feel thrilled and proud.
For this exhibit to be a success, there was a huge amount of historical research to select the right quotes and discover the alumni in their college days in the archived yearbooks. Once students in the class selected the quotes and photos they connected most strongly with, we began to design the tiles for printing.
The students made the initial design, but I had the opportunity to work on the project as a whole, making minor adjustments to make sure the students’ visions came to life clearly. The Writing Center also helped proofread our work. Between myself, Dr. Elder, and the students of African American History, we spent hours upon hours editing the tiles to make sure they were as close to perfect for printing as we could.
After ordering the printed tiles, we needed to decide what was the best way to display the quotes and images. Danielle Stone, Converse’s Chief Inclusive Excellence Officer and Title IX Coordinator, helped brainstorm ideas on location with the class. Then, the class and I determined that it would be best to split the tiles up based on decades so that the exhibit would be easy to follow chronologically.
Once this decision was made, I matched all the quote tiles to their matching picture tiles and then organized them into chronological order to make it easier for installation. We decided that it would be best to install the exhibit two days before the event to ensure everything was in place beforehand.
On November 28, 2023, the class, Dr. Elder, and I met to finally install our semester-long project! There were a lot of nerves in the air, after so many hours invested in this project already, to get it right. Once we created a plan on how we wanted the collection to look, we got to work. I think all involved were highly impressed with how well the exhibit turned out, and it looked even better than expected. I was very proud to have been a part of the project and see these stories come to life.
My favorite part of the project was the Celebrating Courage reception, which had a large turnout of attendees. It was so exciting to be able to show the Converse community the legacy that the Black alumni left behind.
Some students met the actual alumni whose words they had been impacted by — a unique experience for them. To be able to show a former graduate the work you personally did is a very surreal experience. This was an amazing experience for everyone involved because we got to be a part of illustrating the history of Converse. I hope the next time you visit the Montgomery Student Center, you take a visit to the Celebrating Courage exhibit and realize the legacy being built around us.”
This exhibition will be on display in Montgomery Student Center throughout February 2024.