Five Generations of Graduates
Graduate’s education degree continues a family tradition spanning three centuries.
Read the storyFive Generations of GraduatesMany recognize Fannie Barrier Williams (1855-1944) as our University’s first African American graduate or the person our Liberal Arts Building is named after, but her legacy reaches far beyond that.
“She’s a distinctive person. She’s an intellectual, an educator, an artist, and a musician.”
Dr. Michael J. Kramer
“She’s a distinctive person. She’s an intellectual, an educator, an artist, and a musician,” said Dr. Michael J. Kramer, Associate Professor of History and Co-Director of the Fannie Barrier Williams (FBW) Project, as he described Williams’ multifaceted talents and roles throughout her lifespan.
In the fall of 2023, Kramer spearheaded the project as part of two courses offered throughout the academic year. Through cross-department collaboration, both undergraduate and graduate students explored Williams’ historical significance. Departments that contributed to the project include Art, African and African American Studies, History, Social Work, and Women and Gender Studies. This collective effort enabled courses to be specifically designed to support the initiative.
“This project was bigger than any one class, which is a great opportunity for students to engage with others,” said history graduate student Kristin Jorgensen. “Both sets of students added a lot to the conversation in terms of how we were approaching the project. Getting to see a range of ideas and perspectives was really valuable.”
Students visited the Drake Memorial Library and the Brockport Museum of Local History to access databases and unpack remnants related to Williams’s life and work including including her organ, scrapbook, and couch.
“Before this project, I didn’t know a lot about her,” said history major Cyan Carter. “Going through the library’s resources, our class would find different articles about Fannie Barrier Williams, her activism, and the specific time period she grew up in.”
After reviewing various news articles, books, essays, and speeches as a class, students were tasked with developing a Public History Project Proposal. Each student focused on a specific topic or event from Williams’ life and drew connections to contemporary issues like antiracism, women’s rights, African American employment, housing, and education.
“I chose one of Fannie Barrier Williams’ essays about the settlement house movement in Chicago,” said Jorgensen. “During her time, most of the settlement house movement was centered around white residents of the houses and white activists who were managing them, like Jane Addams. Williams advocated for settlement houses for Black residents, and I had no idea that there was any component of race involved in this movement, so uncovering the experiences that Williams had into a public history project was interesting.”
“This project was bigger than any one class, which is a great opportunity for students to engage with others.”
Kristin Jorgensen
During the same time as Kramer’s assignments, Associate Professor of Art Mitch Christensen tasked his graphic design students with creating illustrated timelines telling the life story of Williams and her accomplishments.
“The real goal was to work with students on a discovery of this figure that everyone kind of vaguely knows about, but isn’t as famous as Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, or Ida B. Wells,” said Kramer. “Even though I envisioned this project as a year-long inquiry, the things we’ve found are here to for others to carry on or take in new directions.”
Keep Up with the Project
The Fannie Barrier Williams Project plans to continue its efforts in unpacking more about Williams’ life, times, and historical significance. Stay up to date on the latest activities and discoveries from those involved.
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