Publications

Publications

The MIT Black History Project is committed to collecting, developing, curating, and preserving content on the Black experience at MIT dating back to 1865. We are also currently working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the challenges we all face within the greater scope of the Institute’s mission and accomplishments.

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Song of the Water Saints
Book
2000s

Song of the Water Saints: A Novel, 2002

Alum
A debut novel by MIT writing professor Nelly Rosario tracing three generations of Dominican women across continents, blending poetic prose with the weight of memory and migration.
Other Researchers
Tackling Jim Crow
Book
2000s

Tackling Jim Crow: Racial Segregation in Professional Football, 2003

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A book documenting the history of racial segregation in professional football, with a focus on MIT alumnus William Arthur Johnson who broke the color barrier in the NFL.
Other Researchers
What Makes Racial Diversity Work in Higher Education
Article
2000s

The MIT Experience: Personal Perspectives on Race in a Predominantly White University, 2004

Administrator
An article by MIT's Clarence G. Williams reflecting on his experiences of race at the Institute, published as a chapter in a volume on diversity in higher education.
MIT Black History Project
Article
2000s

William Barton Rogers and the Southern Sieve, 2005

Administrator
An article examining the complicated relationship between MIT founder William Barton Rogers, his scientific career in the antebellum South, and the institution of slavery.
Other Researchers
The Serious Search for Black Faculty at MIT page
Article
1990s

The Serious Search for Black Faculty at MIT, 1995

Faculty
An article documenting MIT's 1995 efforts to recruit Black faculty, naming the eight tenured Black professors then at the Institute and examining the barriers to diversification.
Other Researchers
The Gilded Years
Book
2010s

The Gilded Years, 2016

Alum
A novel by Karin Tanabe based on the true story of Anita Hemmings, who passed as white at Vassar in 1897, with a fictional subplot involving her brother, a connection to MIT.
Other Researchers
HBCUs Facing the Future, 2012
Paper
2010s

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Facing the Future, 2012

Faculty
A 2012 study examining the challenges facing Historically Black Colleges and Universities and proposing strategies for their long-term sustainability and relevance.
Other Researchers
A Widening Sphere
Book
2010s

A Widening Sphere: Evolving Cultures at MIT, 2011

Administrator
A 2011 MIT Press book tracing the evolution of MIT's culture from its 1861 founding through more than a century of growth, diversity, and institutional transformation.
Other Researchers
Countless Connecting Threads, 2013
Book
2010s

Countless Connecting Threads, 2013

Administrator
A 2013 illustrated history of MIT celebrating the interconnected contributions of its faculty, students, and alumni across 150 years of science, engineering, and society.
Other Researchers
Type
Timeline
Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon, 2020
Book
2020
Other Researchers
2020s
Other Researchers
2020s
Book
A children's biography of architect Philip Freelon, the designer of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, tracing his path from student to landmark builder.
Multiple
Phillip Clay: Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, 1996
Oral History
2020
MIT Black History Project
1990s
MIT Black History Project
1990s
Oral History
An oral history interview with MIT Chancellor Phillip L. Clay, reflecting on the Black experience at the Institute and his own journey from student to the first Black department head at MIT.
Multiple
Creating a STEM-based Economic Pillar for the Caribbean: A Blueprint, 2019
Article
2019
Other Researchers
2010s
Other Researchers
2010s
Article
A 2019 policy blueprint proposing a STEM-driven economic development model for Caribbean nations seeking to reduce debt and diversify beyond tourism.
Multiple
Range distribution of 122 Mev (pi⁺) and (pi⁻) mesons in brass
Thesis
2019
Other Researchers
1950s
Other Researchers
1950s
Thesis
An MIT thesis by Harold Amos on the distribution of high-energy pi mesons in brass, representing early Black scholarship in experimental nuclear physics.
Student
Proving Einstein Right: The Daring Expeditions that Changed How We Look at the Universe, 2019
Book
2019
Other Researchers
2010s
Other Researchers
2010s
Book
A book by MIT alumnus S. James Gates Jr. '73 recounting the dramatic 1919 expeditions that tested Einstein's theory of general relativity and transformed our understanding of the universe.
Alum
The Purpose Path: A Guide to Pursuing Your Authentic Life's Work, 2019
Book
2019
Other Researchers
2010s
Other Researchers
2010s
Book
A book by MIT alumnus Nicholas Pearce offering a framework for pursuing meaningful, purpose-driven work grounded in authentic values and spiritual calling.
Alum
What I Wish I Knew: An Untold History of African-American Architects (2016)
Article
2019
Other Researchers
2010s
Other Researchers
2010s
Article
An article by MIT architect Philip Freelon MArch '77, recounting his discovery of overlooked African American contributions to architecture and his lifelong commitment to diverse design.
Multiple
Learning How To Fly, 2018
Book
2018
Other Researchers
2010s
Other Researchers
2010s
Book
A debut poetry collection by MIT alumnus Etienne Toussaint '07, exploring Black identity, belonging, and the weight of history and racism in America.
Alum
International joint venture with a government partner case study: copper mining in Zambia, 1972
Thesis
2018
Other Researchers
1970s
Other Researchers
1970s
Thesis
A 1994 MIT thesis analyzing international joint ventures with government partners in developing economies, using a copper mining case study.
Alum
Community facilities in a redevelopment area: a study and proposal for the Ellicott District in Buffalo, New York, 1955
Thesis
2018
Other Researchers
1950s
Other Researchers
1950s
Thesis
A 1955 MIT thesis by Robert Traynham Coles proposing a community facilities plan for the Ellicott District in Buffalo, NY, a redevelopment area with a significant Black population.
Alum
Architecture + Advocacy, 2016
Book
2017
Other Researchers
2010s
Other Researchers
2010s
Book
A richly illustrated book on Robert Traynham Coles, the African American architect from Buffalo who became a leading voice for social advocacy through design.
Alum
STEM Gems: How 44 Women Shine in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and How You Can Too!, 2016
Book
2018
Other Researchers
2010s
Other Researchers
2010s
Book
A book by MIT alumna Stephanie Espy profiling 44 women in STEM fields, designed to inspire girls to pursue science and engineering through diverse role models and career stories.
Alum
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