L’Tanya Richmond, director of multicultural affairs, delivered a presentation on her master’s thesis, “And Still They Rise: An African American Perspective of Elon’s History,” during a luncheon Friday, Nov. 18.
Richmond was the first Elon staff member to use staff sabbatical time to pursue a professional development project, using a month of time this past summer to complete her thesis. She conducted face-to-face and telephone interviews with 11 of the 14 people now profiled on the African American Resource Room’s Wall of Fame.
Richmond outlined the history of African American students at Elon, beginning in 1963 with the enrollment of Glenda Phillips, the first black student to attend Elon. An Alamance County native, Phillips was the only black student in a student body of almost 1,250 people. Though she was never subjected to overt racism, Phillips told Richmond that “people did not make a move to make friends.”
Beginning in the mid-1970s, Richmond said Elon began doing things to create an atmosphere that was more welcoming to African American students. “We see these students begin to participate more fully in campus life,” said Richmond.
Chronicling the stories of Elon’s first black students was a revealing and sometimes emotional experience, Richmond said. Their stories are unique, she said, and must be preserved. “I hope, if nothing else, that this project will illustrate the importance of getting it down on paper.”
To view the Wall of Fame, visit the African American Resource Room located in Moseley 221-B, the Multicultural Center.