The Michigan Tech Archives and Center for Diversity and Inclusion are pleased to host visiting researcher Dr. Valerie Bradley-Holliday for “Northern Roots: African Descended Pioneers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,” at 7:00 p.m. on September 28, in Dow 642.
What do Sampson Noll, a 19th century runaway slave, and Charlotte Preston, a member of the first class to graduate from Northern State Normal School (now NMU) have in common? As it turns out, two things. Both of these people lived in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and both were Americans of African descent.
Dr. Valerie Bradley-Holliday will tell these stories and more on Tuesday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 642 of the Dow Building. The event is free and open to the general public.
Bradley-Holliday, a resident of Marquette, is an avocational historian and the author of several books, most recently Northern Roots: African Descended Pioneers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She has a PhD in social psychology from The Union Institute and University, and masters in social work from Wayne State University. She is currently researching an African American settlement at the Elmwood logging camp in Iron County, Michigan. Copies of Northern Roots will be available for purchase at the event.
Her visit is jointly sponsored by the Michigan Tech Archives and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. The Michigan Tech Archival Speaker Series features researchers whose work makes use of the rich resources in the Copper Country Historical Collections. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion supports programs that promote diversity and build an awareness of social injustice issues.
For more information contact the Archives at 906-487-2505, or email copper@mtu.edu.