Greetings from the BMRC! 

We are excited to announce the launch of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium Archives Portal! The BMRC Archives Portal is an online gateway to information about archival collections highlighting Black experiences in Chicago and beyond.  

Now made accessible in one online space, the BMRC Archives Portal brings together the work of four different projects—two at the BMRC (the Survey Initiative and Color Curtain Processing Project) and two from the University of Chicago (Mapping the Stacks and UNCAP). Collections from BMRC members are featured and collections information from other repositories are included, amassing a unique treasure trove for the study of Black history and culture. Researchers of all ages and backgrounds can use the portal as a tool to find the collections, voices, and stories that are essential to our history and to the stories we're writing now.   

https://bmrc.lib.uchicago.edu/portal 

Work on the BMRC Archives Portal began in 2020 as part of our grant, “Documenting Black Chicago Through Technology, Sustainability and Outreach,” generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Laurie Lee Moses, BMRC Portal Archivist, led this initiative with support from members of the University of Chicago Library’s Digital Library Development Center, including Programmer Analyst John Jung. A group of volunteers from BMRC member institutions, the Portal Working Group, also contributed valuable expertise and insight on the BMRC Archives Portal. 

    We will be following up this announcement with a series of opportunities for you to learn more about the portal and to share it with your networks. These include:  

    --A webinar – learn more about the portal’s design, its features and research tips (details forthcoming)  
    --Future BMRC events and programming – we'll be highlighting the portal all year round! 

 Please feel free to share this announcement widely. For any questions or comments concerning the BMRC Archives Portal please email the BMRC Portal Archivist, Laurie Lee Moses, at [log in to unmask]  I’ll look forward to hearing from you!