Abstract

The records of the Minority Coalition’s At What Cost?: Black Representation in the Arts campaign include e-mail correspondence, advertising and programming for the Underground Railroad Game performance and other shows, meeting minutes, newspaper articles, photographs, and oral interviews.

Background Information

History: The At What Cost?: Black Representation in the Arts campaign was started by the Minority Coalition (MinCo) as a result of the performance of the Ars Nova show Underground Railroad Game. The campaign was run by Zeke King Phillips with the help of other MinCo members and close friends. The campaign was executed through posters, digital communications, conversations, and panels. This collection was created through the College Archives with the hope of preserving student activism for future conversation. By creating an institutional memory around the campaign, this collection aims to create a body of history that recognizes the need for continued conversation, organizes materials for future action, and acknowledges the work that remains to be done in order to improve the experiences of Black students. These records were generated by Zeke (as co-chair of MinCo) and by other departments, committees, or individuals on campus in response to the campaign and the performance. The records were organized and entered into the College Archives by John Rodríguez.

COMPLETE FINDING AID: John-Rodriguez_Archive Finding Aid

Selected Artifacts

AUDIO

D’Oliveira, Danielle. Personal interview. 7 May 2018. [3-minute excerpt]

DOCUMENT

Advertisement for Underground Railroad Game (Poster #2). Williams College CenterSeries, February 2018. Poster.

ARTICLE

Cabrera-Lomelí, Carlos. “Dark Comedy Plays with Provocative Themes.” The Williams
Record [Williamstown, MA], 7 March 2018, p. 8.