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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Article
1990s

MIT's Mea Culpa: Now, What About Black Faculty?, 1999

No items found.
A 1999 analysis of MIT's landmark report on discrimination against women faculty, and whether its findings would prompt similar action for Black faculty.
Other Researchers
Technology and Insustrial Efficiency cover
Paper
1910s

The Scientific Development of the Negro, 1911

Alum
A paper delivered by Robert Robinson Taylor '92 at MIT's 50th anniversary celebration in 1911, arguing for the scientific education of Black Americans as a path to progress.
Other Researchers
Article
1940s

The Civil Engineer, 1946

Alum
An article profiling Lewis King Downing '24, the first Black graduate of MIT's Sloan School, who went on to a distinguished career as a civil engineer and college president.
Other Researchers
Article
2010s

The Desegregation of an Elite Economics Department’s PhD Program: Black Americans at MIT, 2014

Alum
An article tracing the history of Black PhD students in MIT's economics department from the 1970s onward, examining barriers to entry and outcomes over four decades.
Other Researchers
J.R. Applegate
Article
1990s

The African-American Linguist Who Broke the Faculty Barrier at MIT, 1997

No items found.
An article documenting how Joseph Applegate, MIT's first Black faculty member, broke the faculty color barrier as a linguist in 1955 and paved the way for those who followed.
Other Researchers
Figure 2- The battle for ‘Trayvon Martin’
Article
2010s

The battle for ‘Trayvon Martin’: Mapping a media controversy online and off-line, 2014

Faculty
An academic article by MIT professor Sasha Costanza-Chock analyzing how the Trayvon Martin case spread through social media and shaped public discourse on race and violence.
Other Researchers
Article
1990s

Role Models and Mentors for Blacks at Predominantly White Campuses, 1994

Administrator
An article arguing that educators must invest in mentorship and role models for Black students at predominantly white institutions to improve retention and success.
MIT Black History Project
Grid of students prior to the Class of 1930
Thesis
1980s

Notes on Researching Blacks at MIT prior to the Class of 1930, 1983

Student
A 1983 MIT research note reconstructing the fragmentary records of early Black students at MIT before the Class of 1930.
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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