Chancellor Austin Lane, left, along with SIU Carbondale alumni Tony Burroughs (center) and Paul Purnell with the memorandum of understanding establishing the Black Archives Project at SIU. (Photo by Jaclyn Durcholz)
July 31, 2026
SIU Carbondale, Black alumni, begin Black Archives Project
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Heralded for its longstanding commitment to diversity that began when Southern Illinois University Carbondale was a teacher’s college back in the 1870s, a project is underway to highlight the success and cultural history of SIU’s Black alumni, faculty, staff and students.
In serving “as a lasting testament to the significant role Black Salukis have played in shaping the university and society,” the SIU Black Archives Project (BAP) will feature and preserve a collection of historical records, photographs, oral histories, artifacts and personal narratives, said Sherrica Hunt, assistant vice chancellor for affinity, philanthropy and strategic initiatives and chief diversity officer with the SIU Foundation.
“The Archives will provide opportunities for education, research, engagement, and reflection while honoring the legacy of those who have helped advance SIU’s mission of excellence and opportunity,” she said.
Morris Library’s Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) is developing the Black Archives with support from alumni, faculty, and community members. Along with SCRC’s “Reclaiming the African American Heritage of Southern Illinois” project, the BAP will serve as a major resource for the Southern Illinois African American Heritage Center, Hunt said.
“Aligned with the goals of SIU's Imagine 2030 strategic plan, the Black Archives will also serve as a powerful recruitment and retention tool for students, faculty, and staff by showcasing SIU's longstanding tradition of leadership, achievement, inclusion, and impact,” she said.
William Walters, dean of Library Affairs, pointed out that both news media and archives have historically neglected important aspects of African American history and culture.
"This project will help preserve those artifacts, records, and memories. It will provide future generations with at least a partial glimpse into the world as it existed for earlier cohorts of Salukis," Walters said.
‘Compelling’ history can motivate
Paul Purnell, a two-degree SIU graduate and member of the Black Alumni committee that helped guide and establish the effort, said he hopes the project will document the history of engagement and contributions of people of African descent at the university, stand as a proud representation of SIU culture and serve as a recruiting tool for prospective students.
“This history is compelling and is not widely known. I hope this history will serve as a motivator for all students at SIU, and that they will be encouraged to keep the university’s great legacy alive,” Purnell said. “There is much to learn from our triumphs and struggles. The archive can highlight examples of great achievements and some shortcomings that serve as lessons for the future.”
Black Archives Project beginnings
Purnell earned a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology in 1971 and master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling in 1976. The Black Archives Project idea started with a discussion about five years ago among SIU Sages — a cohort of Black alumni who attended the university from the mid-to-late 1960s and early 1970s. Purnell noted that Tony Burroughs, an SIU Sages member, told the group that Black archives had been established at several other universities. Those initial discussions and later concept development resulted in talks with university officials beginning in fall 2024 and culminated in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing in mid-June 2026 in Chicago.
The MOU is a collaborative partnership between SIU Carbondale, the SIU Foundation, Library Affairs and the Black Archives Committee (BAC).
Bolstering Special Collections’ catalog
Walter Ray, an SCRC professor and political papers archivist, said the alumni who have donated their papers and have been involved in the discussions are highly accomplished.
“Each of them has an interesting story to tell. Together, they represent an important facet of the history of the university and region,” Ray said. “It's an honor for us to be able to help preserve that history.”
Anne Marie Hamilton-Brehm, Library Affairs associate dean, said the collection will strengthen SCRC’s catalog.
“The African American experience is underrepresented in our collections. We aim to fill the gap with factual and inspiring stories with a long-term focus on stewardship and access,” she said. “In collaboration with SIU Black alumni, our goal is to endow enough funding to support an archival position dedicated to developing and promoting the Black Archives. Endowing the position will ensure that the collection grows and continues to engage many generations to come.”
Endowment fundraising is underway through the SIU Foundation.
More than 150 years celebrating diversity
Alexander Lane, who lived in Tamaroa, was the first Black male student when he enrolled in the then-Southern Illinois Normal University in 1876 — just seven years after SIU was founded as the state’s second teacher’s college. Lane became the first African American to graduate from SIU, going on to become a school principal, physician and later, an Illinois state legislator. Two African American women enrolled earlier, though their names are unknown.