Special Collections

The Boston Black United Front was organized in late December 1967/ early January 1968. Some of the Subject Files predate the papers of the United Front. Records of the Boston Black United Front collection span 1950 – 2002 (bulk dates 1968 – 1973). This collection documents the struggle of the Black Community within the city of Boston for community control by highlighting the political actions taken by the United Front, and the community development that evolved because of their actions. Also documented is the frequent occurrence of violence within the neighborhood of Roxbury and how the community fought to control it. The Boston Black United Front operated as an umbrella organization. The Member Organizations that joined the United Front represented all facets of the community from moderates to militants to nationalists. By committing themselves to the United Front, these groups were obligated to assist the Front in any action they might take by providing the resources needed for said action. The records consist of by-laws, requests for funding, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, press releases, photographs, correspondence, reports, financial records, pamphlets, newsletters, and memoranda. Also included are over two (2) hours of oral history—a digitally recorded interview with Leonard (Lenny) Durant, Office Manager of the Boston Black United Front—as well as the majority of the Boston Black United Front’s photographs of events and affiliated persons.

Arrangement:

Organized into 4 series: 1. United Front; 2. United Front Foundation; 3. United Black Appeal; 4. Audio-Visual

Subjects and

Contributors:

Arkil, Khadijah	Lebeau, Jackie
Atkins, Thomas	Minister George
Batson, Ruth	Morrison, George
Boston, Leroy	Neblett, Chico
Breeden, Rev. James	Nelson, Leon
Brooke, Senator Edward	Newkirk, Mellanee
Carmichael, Stokely	Robinson, Jack E.
Cozier, Cecil	Rock, Leon
Dias, Marie	Rucker, Barbara
Dilday, Clarence	Rushing, Hon. Byron
Durant, Leonard	Rust, Obalajii
Eaves, A. Reginald	Ryan, Alicia
Hymen, Val	Scott, Arthur
Jackson, Harriet	Scott, Benjamin
Jones, Hubie	Snowden, Otto
Karuna Karan, Arthur	Turner, Charles
King, Drew	Williams, Archie
King, Lloyd	Wood, Virgil
King, Melvin	Young, John

Black Big Brothers Alliance	NEGRO
Black Panther Party	New Urban League
Black Student Federation	OIC
Bridge Fund	Operation Exodus
CIRCLE, Inc.	Southwest Corridor Land Development Coalition
CORE	Roxbury Associates
FUND	Roxbury Dorchester APAC
METCO	Roxbury Federation of Neighborhood Centers
Model Cities	Roxbury Multi-Services Center
NAACP	SNAP
National Black United Front	Urban League


African American Civic Leaders--Massachusetts--Boston	Civil RightsMassachusettsBoston
African Americans--Political Activity	Community Development, UrbanMassachusetts-Boston
Boston (Mass.)Race Relations

Restrictions:

The collection is partially restricted; for further information, consult the Library Director.

Related Collections:

Papers of Julius Hobson. Washingtoniana Division. Washington, DC Community Archives. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. http://www.dclibrary.org/washingtoniana/archives/fa-hobson.html

David Ibata Collection of Cairo, Racial Strife Collection 171. Special Collections. Carbondale Morris Library. Southern Illinois Library. http://www.lib.siu.edu/spcol/inventory/SC171.html

Black Power Movement. Part 3, Papers of the Revolutionary Action Movement 1962 - 1996. SC MICRO RS-1025 pt.3. Schomberg Center of Research in Black Culture. New York Public Library. http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html

Processing Information:

In 1974 the Museum of Afro-American History contacted the Executive Director of the United Black Appeal requesting the records of the United Front, Foundation, and the United Black Appeal in order to establish a Black United Front Collection. The request was granted. The papers were stored in the old Dudley Station until the mid-1980's when the old Dudley Station was demolished as part of the Southwest Corridor mass transit project. The records of the United Front, Foundation, and United Black Appeal were then placed into storage in Cambridge along with other Museum collections. The papers stayed in storage for the next ten years. In 1996 a few of the original members of the Black United Front and Foundation approached the Museum to negotiate the return of the records to them. The members felt that the papers belonged to the Black Community and should be available for anyone to study what the Boston Black United Front did, and why they did it. The Museum agreed and Leonard Durant former Chief of Staff and Office Manager took possession of the papers and stored them in his place of residence until 1999 when the records were formally presented to Roxbury Community College. Series 4: Audio-Visual An oral history was conducted by Cat Lea Holbrook, former Archivist, and Leonard (Lenny) Durant in 2006. Although the majority of photographs are contained within this series, photographs are also scattered throughout the collection with the documents they belong to. Examples of this include United Front of Cairo, IL and Franklin Lynch.

Processor

Finding Aid prepared by Cat Lea Holbrook, July 2005. Updated, October 2009.