The History series (.75 linear ft.; 1962-2006) includes a history of the origin of the organization written by Evelyn Golden, papers related to the founding, clippings, documentation from the organization's 40th anniversary in 2006, and a scrapbook of newspaper articles. The scrapbook provides a particularly valuable chronological overview of Southwestern Michigan Urban League from 1962 to 1989 -- articles generated both from press releases and investigative reporting.
23 linear feet — 8.9 GB (online)
The records of the Southwestern Michigan Urban League span the years 1962-2007. The League's mission of providing and administering services for minorities and the disadvantaged, as well as internal operations, are reflected in the records, which consist mainly of administrative and program materials, correspondence, minutes, reports and proposals. While the years represented incorporate tenures of numerous executive directors, the records most fully document leadership provided by Benjamin Richmond (1982-1987) and Joyce Brown (1988-1992).
The Southwestern Michigan Urban League Records are relevant to the study of the administration of African American social service organizations, especially Urban Leagues, within the context of particular communities. The collection is strong in illuminating the effectiveness of collaboration -- civic, business and educational groups addressing interrelated community issues. Both Richmond and Brown maintained high profiles on numerous boards and committees working in Battle Creek to solve social problems and promote economic development.
The Administration series (4.25 linear ft.; 1966-2007) documents the internal structure and finances of the League. It contains bylaws, financial statements, proposals, planning and personnel documents, including documentation of periodic CEO interviewing and hiring. The series is important for the detailed financial information provided in a complete run of annual financial reports for the years 1972 to 2007 and in proposals and grant applications. As a not-for-profit organization dependent upon grant funding for both daily operations and programmatic funding, Southwestern Michigan Urban League's proposal/grant files reveal important additional information about organizational structure, mission and goals. Researchers should also consult files in the Programs series for similar documents that relate to specific programs.