From the week of July 17 to July 23, 2022, the University of Wyoming hosted the Social Justice Summer Institute, which provided high school students with the opportunity to research the story of the Black 14. On Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, The UW Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted a reception to celebrate their work.
“The students at the summer institute this last summer, spent a good portion of the week that they were here looking at the primary source materials in the American Heritage Center,” Courtney Titus, Senior Project Coordinator at the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said.
“The students’ materials you see here and on the digital exhibit, they selected all those materials themselves because they thought it represented the 14 story.”
While the event also featured guest speakers, dinner and live music, the primary focus of the event was the students’ exhibit.
“It’s a little bit different than maybe some other exhibits or things that we’ve done on the Black 14 because it’s student made; it’s in their own words,” Titus said.
“And you’ll see that we put everything up there. The students created it and nothing was edited or censored. It’s exactly as they wanted it.”
The students who participated reported being edified by the experience.
“It was really insightful because I got to see the Heritage Center, to find new, interesting articles,” Kyaria Fullington, a high school senior who attended the Summer Institute, said.
“For this to be like such a huge thing, it’s kind of crazy for us to never hear about it. And even though I’m from Colorado, it was just so crazy and enlightening to know that little stories about people don’t get shared.”
Those in attendance were very impressed with the students’ work and exhibit.
“I think the students did a really great job. You can see their exhibit and all the work that they put in for the summer,” Darrah Short, a student at UW, said.
“It’s incredible that high school students, paired with college faculty and other university students, were able to dig so deep into the history of the members of the Black 14.”
Many in attendance voiced that before the event they knew very little about the Black 14 and are appreciative of the university’s attempts to showcase the story.
“I think it’s important to know the roots of the University of Wyoming, and that is partially the Black 14. I didn’t really know much about it before coming to this,” Gabi DeVoogd, a UW student, said.
“When I knew that they were putting on this event, I knew that it was something worthwhile. I’ve seen the Black 14 statue in the union, and I’ve always been curious to know more about it.”
Zebidah Hall, the Vice President of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, expressed that the event was intended to “keep the Black 14 story alive” and that he was pleased with the event.
“Sometimes when we don’t understand the historical context, we tend to let it repeat itself. Even if it doesn’t repeat itself the exact same way, [it can] repeat itself in different ways,” Hall said.
“The more that we tell the story, the more we can be mindful, especially when our students need resources. And at that point in time, I felt like the Black 14 needed resources that weren’t available to them.”
The exhibit is intended to help educate about the Black 14, share their story, and help promote a more united campus culture.
“The story of the Black 14, I feel like it’s not super well known. It’s such a shame. You know, it’s a big part of our history. So hopefully you know, the Black 14 having this exhibit here will help to share their story,” Maia Marces, a Summer Institute team leader and Multicultural affairs Grad Student, said.
“It’s just kind of a justice to the Black 14 as well. We only apologized to them in 2019, so I think the healing process just needs to continue in whatever way we can, and I think this exhibit is a great way to continue that.”
The exhibit is on display on the second floor of the Wyoming Union, just outside the ASUW Senate Chambers, and will be on display through the end of March. A digital exhibit can be viewed online.
