‘Bringing us all to the table’

The University of Idaho staged a grand opening Tuesday for a new exhibit celebrating the history of Black students, faculty and staff.

Sydney Freeman Jr., a tenured professor in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences at UI, founded the university’s Black History Research Lab and partnered with the UI Library to launch the physical and digital exhibit.

Freeman made history last year as the first African American man to be promoted to the rank of full professor at the state’s land-grant university.

“I recognize transformation happens over time,” Freeman said. “Telling the true and accurate history of Black people at the University of Idaho is paramount. I am clear that a Black history exhibit is just the beginning.”

The historical exhibit, on display in the UI Library until March 10, features a collection of research and essays highlighting the contributions of Black students to the institution.

Mario Pile, director of UI’s Black Cultural Center, said the goal of the center is to partner with the research lab to create not just one but multiple spaces on campus where Black students feel welcome.

“If we can enrich and empower all of our students, even the Black students, and be specific about it, it is not excluding anyone,” Pile said. “It is bringing us all to the table.”

Much of the information about what it was like to be a Black student at UI, as noted in the exhibit, was chronicled in the student newspaper, The Argonaut. Like their peers, Black students were found organizing campus events, participating in athletic competitions and achieving academic success.

Those students used The Argonaut to speak about their experiences and advocate for a Black Student Union and a cultural center on campus. Since the late 1960s, The Argonaut documented Black Student Union activities and how the administration responded to their concerns.

Narcisse Mubibya, president of UI’s Black Student Union, said the organization is celebrating more than 50 years on campus.

“The Black Student Union is a place where everyone is welcome,” he said. “Having that space really helps a lot of people. It’s a place where people can get together and socialize and know that their voices matter.”

The organization was formed in 1971 to give Black students a sense of community and spread an understanding of Black culture on a predominantly white campus.

Today, Black students make up approximately 1% of the university’s student population.

In a video displayed at the exhibit’s opening, UI President Scott Green said he was proud of the contributions Black students, faculty and staff have made to the university community.

“I want to commend the Black History Research Lab and the University of Idaho Library for facilitating this important exhibit and ongoing collaboration,” Green said. “I know this is only the beginning of efforts to highlight formerly untold histories at our university.”

The exhibit can be viewed on the first floor of the UI Library or online at the library’s website.

Palermo can be reached at apalermo@dnews.com or on Twitter @apalermotweets.