Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development records

The first formal meeting of what was to be the Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) was convened in March 1973. It included attendees of the 1971and 1973 SRCD meetings in Minneapolis, MN, and Philadelphia, PA. The charge of this meeting was to investigate the relationship between African Americans and the organizational structure of SRCD. In 1977, SRCS’s Governing Council established the Committee on Minority Participation as a new standing committee. Later that year, the Black Caucus was formally convened and Jean V. Carew was chosen as the first chairperson of the Caucus.

The records of the Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development are comprised of materials documenting the origins of the Caucus in 1973 and its development through circa 2007, with the majority of the records pre-dating the 2000s. Of note are the March 1973 minutes of the initial meeting of “Blacks Interested in Child Development” that led to the foundation of the Caucus. The records consist of correspondence and emails among members, membership directories, conference and meeting materials, and writings by members or about the Caucus in the form of reports, articles, etc. Also present is a near complete run of the Caucus’ newsletters from 1980 to 1999 (issues 1-47) and materials related to the research and 2006 publication of the history of the Caucus, entitled Our Children Too: A History of the Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development, 1973-1997.

Additional records consist of correspondence, newsletters, membership rosters, conference programs, photographs and audiocassette tapes and video tapes of Black Caucus conferences and business meetings. The correspondence (1975-1981) is between Algea Harrison, a faculty member at Oakland University and the chairperson of Caucus’ Committee on Minority Participation, to members of the SRCD Governing Council. A nearly complete run of the Newsletter of the Black Caucus (No. 1, Spring 1980-No. 47, Spring/Summer 2000) is present with only No. 25 lacking. Also present is a “Black Caucus Newsletter Content Analysis.”

Moving image and sound recordings include Black Caucus Pre-conference, 1993, SRCD Black Caucus Committee on Minority Participation - "Raising the Next Generation of Black Children: Our Roles & Our Goals” Additionally, sound recordings of possibly of SRCD meetings (not confirmed). The collection contains very little in terms of photographs, but a number of audiocassette tapes and video tapes contain conference and panel discussions by various members relevant to their work and that of the Caucus and SRCD.

The 2017 addendum to the records of the Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) measures 1.0 linear feet. They are comprised of correspondence, newsletters, membership rosters, conference programs, photographs and audiocassette tapes and video tapes of Black Caucus conferences and business meetings. The correspondence (1975-1981) is between Algea Harrison, a faculty member at Oakland University and the chairperson of Caucus’ Committee on Minority Participation, to members of the SRCD Governing Council. A nearly complete run of the Newsletter of the Black Caucus (No. 1, Spring 1980-No. 47, Spring/Summer 2000) is present with only No. 25 lacking. Also present is a “Black Caucus Newsletter Content Analysis.” VHS 1. Black Caucus Pre-conference, 1993. Tape 1: Keynote address, Panels 1&2; Tape 2: Panels 3-5, Epilogue 2. SRCD Black Caucus Commitee on Minority Participation - "Raising the Next Generation of Black Children: Our Roles & Our Goals, Day 1 & Day 2 (two copies of each or two tapes per day?) Audio Cassettes 1. Three audio cassettes, possibly of SRCD meetings (not confirmed) Microcassettes 1. Four microcassettes, possibly of SRCD meetings (not confirmed)