About

The MIT Black History Project

The MIT Black History Project is an ongoing collaborative research effort sponsored by the MIT Office of the Provost since October 1995, working to research, identify, and produce scholarly curatorial content on the Black experience at MIT since the Institute opened its doors in 1865. The project's continuing objective is to place that experience in its full and appropriate context, researching and disseminating a varied set of materials and exposing a larger community of interests, both inside and outside MIT, to this rich, historically significant legacy.

Founding and Director

Clarence G. Williams

Clarence G. Williams founded the MIT Black History Project in 1995 with a simple but profound conviction: that more than a century of Black achievement, perseverance, and intellectual life at MIT deserved to be seen, documented, and honored. A former Special Assistant to the MIT President and Professor Emeritus in Urban Studies and Planning, Dr. Williams dedicated decades of his life to building bridges at the Institute and ensuring that its human story was never lost to history.
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Dr. Williams dedicated his book Technology and the Dream to his wife, Mildred, "a shining example of the mothers who sacrificed and gave so much to produce remarkable MIT men and women." Their two sons, Clarence Williams, Jr. GM '94 and Alton Williams '91, are alums of MIT.

"This project is about exploring the black experience, assessing our role, and leaving a legacy so that future generations may relate to our hopes and disappointments here, to our struggles and achievements."

Clarence G. Williams
Technology and the Dream, 2003
Publications
Reflections of the Dream, 1975–1994 (MIT Press, 1996)
‍Technology and the Dream: Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, 1941–1999 (MIT Press, 2003)
Clarence G. Williams, Founder and Director of the MIT Black History Project

Project Alumni

The MIT Black History Project has been shaped by the dedication of many remarkable collaborators over three decades. We are grateful to the following individuals for their contributions to this work.

Philip N. Alexander

Research Consultant
Research Affiliate, Comparative Media Studies/Writing, MIT

Ramona B. Allen

Project Administrator
Vice President for Human Resources, MIT

Robert L. Dunbar

Digital Humanities Producer
Digital Humanities and Information Technology Professional

Arnold R. Henderson, Jr.

Consultant
Former Director, Counseling and Support Services, MIT

Alyce Johnson

Consultant
Manager, Staff Diversity and Inclusion, MIT

DiOnetta Jones Crayton

Consultant
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Director, Office of Minority Education, MIT

Suzana Lisanti

Video Producer
Former Web Communications and Video Producer, MIT

Doreen Morris

Project Advisor
Assistant Provost for Administration, MIT (retired)

Ayida S. Mthembu

Consultant
Former Associate Housemaster and Dean, Student Support Services, MIT

Wesley I. Richardson

Video Co-Producer
Field Production Videographer, MIT Video Productions

Toni P. Robinson

Consultant
Former Ombudsperson and Certified Mediator, MIT

Nelly A. Rosario

Assistant Director of Writing
MIT Alumna, SB '94; Associate Professor, Williams College

Blanche E. Staton

Consultant
Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education, MIT

Digital Services

We thank MIT Information Systems & Technology (IS&T), MIT Communications Initiatives, and MacPhee Design for providing the MIT Black History Project with Webflow design and development, content strategy, and design services. Logo by Jeffrey Williamson Design.
Group portrait of eleven members of the MIT Black History Project

The MIT Black History Project team at the Institute, 21 October 2015

Front row, from left: Blanche E. Staton, Alyce Johnson, Toni P. Robinson, Ayida S. Mthembu, Suzana Lisanti
Back row, from left: Robert L. Dunbar, Ramona B. Allen, Clarence G. Williams, Wesley I. Richardson, Nelly A. Rosario, Arnold R. Henderson, Jr.

Contact Us

The MIT Black History Project appreciates your support and welcomes your feedback and questions. If you have a piece of MIT black history to share, please submit for consideration.

Get in Touch