Out the Archives is a recurring feature diving into the Windy City Times collection, offering a look back at the rich history of LGBTQ+ Chicago.
In this edition, we look back at the May 2003 issue of BLACKlines.
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Beginning with musings on how people have documented their lives and experiences throughout the ages, BlackLINES writer Sanford E. Gaylord wrote a two page story on how one librarian was chronicling the lives of Black LGBTQ+ people.
At the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library, Steven G. Fullwood was researching a grant to process records of the community-based organization Gay Men of African descent. He founded the Black Gay and Lesbian Archive in 2000 in hopes of preserving Black LGBTQ+ history.
“I feel, as a community, we must consciously put our records down and take the preservation of our legacy one step further,” Fullwood said.
The first phase of the project included the gathering of materials including biographies, dramatic works, prints, videos and more to be collected. In its second phase, Fullwood planned to place materials in one or more reputable repositories for the purpose of preservation as well as public access for research.
For Fullwood, the “archive started before [he] knew it did.” He recalled reading ‘Go Tell It On the Mountain” and seeing Gabriel in a queer light, which struck him as a “very important moment in [his] life.”
Many others helped Fullwood by donating materials ranging from films to photos to books. Writer Jewelle Gomez donated all her books, essays and photographs. Firebrand Books donated publications by a number of authors. Charlene Cothran, editor-in-chief and publisher of Venus Magazine, donated books, flyers, magazines and more.
“The archive will provide worldwide access to a comprehensive collection of information about Black LGBT/[same-gender-loving] queer life through various media,” Fullwood said. “Scholars and casual researchers will be able to construct long overdue histories about the Black LGBT/SGL community for academic and personal use.”
