The Black Lives Matter movement has been developing in a variety of forms for centuries, and a deep vein of its history can be explored within the Archives and Special Collections at the Northeastern Library.
More than 64,000 records are available online, including the Lower Roxbury Black History Project, which provides oral histories of a community that has been pursuing racial equity for generations. The digitization of these resources has made them accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Placing the current moment in a much longer time horizon really gives you critical context,” says Dan Cohen, a professor of history who serves as vice provost for information collaboration and dean of the university library. The Northeastern archives renew stories that have been forgotten to history—including many that resonate today.
