News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
30 years ago students at TTU made the push to develop the Black Cultural Center and now that history is on display in person and online.
Tech’s Archives put together this collection of important documents, events and groups that made the push to open the center in 1990. Multi Cultural Affairs Director Charria Campbell said she feels this anniversary comes at the right time to highlight diversity and history.
“What currently is happening, you know in our nation and kind of around the world but then also how these events and hearing these stories will help bring us together,” Campbell said. “Because we can’t really move forward and look towards the future without also looking back at the past and learning and growing.”
The in person display is located at Tech’s University Center, and will continue to change into 2021. Campbell said this will show all perspectives on founding the Leona Lusk Officer Black Cultural Center.
“Profiling key people that may have been a part of the Black Cultural Center when it was initially started,” Campbell said. “Student activities and events and programming is what is currently in the display case.”
The online exhibits can be viewed through Tech’s Multicultural Affairs web page. Campbell said this takes a deeper dive into the archive’s history.
“We have a copy of the actual plans and just the conversations and the letters and exchanges across campus that took place in the 80’s,” Campbell said. “Where the students had actually written out and drafted plans of what they wanted the center to look like, and where they had rallied support from some of the faculty and staff.”
The Black Cultural Center was named after Leona Lusk Officer in 1996, she was the first black graduate of TTU. Leona Lusk Officer graduated from TTU in 1965 with an education degree.
