Jack Olsen was a jou
rnalist who wrote for Sports Illustrated and later wrote true crime books. His was the very first biography of Muhammad Ali. UO Special Collections and University Archives has Jack Olsen’s Papers, check out the finding aid here.
Listen to an excerpt from the book Black is Best: The Riddle of Cassius Clay (New York Dell) of an excerpt of an Ali recording that Jack Olsen made and read the audio transcript. Continue reading
“If there is going to be racial justice, there has to be social action.” – Dr. Charles W. Thomas II, Eugene Register- Guard, 1964
Keeping with our Black History Month series that highlights the work of historian Herman L. Brame, we present psychologist Dr. Charles W. Thomas II, who was part of the first group of African American professors to teach at the University of Oregon, which began the integration of the faculty in the early 1960s. Although the campus and Eugene community did not possess a diverse population, he joined the UO faculty because the campus was pleasant and intellectually stimulating in regards to debates addressing the Vietnam War and civil rights. Dr. Charles W. Thomas II was an active member for racial equality on the UO campus, Eugene community, and wherever he went. Continue reading
Clifford F. Johnson is our third feature in our series honoring Black History Month that highlights the work of historian Herman L. Brame. Johnson was raised in Illinois and decided to join the US army after graduating from high school. While in the army, Johnson served at Fort Lewis, Washington during World War II. During his time there, he faced racial segregation. Recreational facilities and the chapel were segregated and he, along with a large number of other African Americans, felt restricted while at Fort Lewis. However, in 1945, a basketball team comprised of Johnson and other African Americans beat the visiting Harlem Globetrotters in two out of their three games. In 1946, Johnson was honorably discharged as a chief warrant officer and became an undergraduate student at the University of Oregon in the same year. There he would have a successful academic career that would land him national attention. Continue reading
“My family has always had to fight, and we have maintained a creditable position in Salem, where I have lived all of my life. I do not feel that I am a “foreigner” and that I should be segregated from other students, although I do not want to make trouble for anyone.” – Maxine Maxwell, Eugene Register, October 2, 1929
Continuing our series highlighting the work of historian Herman L. Brame in honor of Black History Month, we bring you the story of Maxine Maxwell. She was raised in Salem, Oregon and was a member of a resilient family that was highly respected and well known. Her father, Charles Maxwell, was a successful businessman who operated the restaurant “Fat Boy Barbecue” and a shoeshine shop in the Hollywood district of the city. He also ran a small neighborhood publication that enabled him to have significant political influence among the African American community. Despite his success, not everyone was enthused about his accomplishments. The 1920s were the heydays of the Ku Klux Klan in the state of Oregon, and Mr. Maxwell’s success drew their attention. In 1922, Mr. Maxwell received a letter from Klansmen that stated, “We have stood you as long as we intend to stand you, and you must unload, if you don’t we will come to see you.” However, Mr. Maxwell had no intention on leaving his home and responded by allowing his letter to be published in the Capitol Journal. He bravely called out the Klansmen and declared himself unafraid of their threats. His daughter, Maxine Maxwell would show similar courage and resilience when she attended the University of Oregon. Continue reading
In honor of Black Heritage Month, the UO Special Collections and University Archives is highlighting the work of historian Herman L. Brame and his research examining individuals who are considered the “firsts” or are honorable figures in the context of African American history at the University of Oregon. Our first feature in our series is Nellie Louise Franklin. Similar to the first African American student at the University of Oregon, Mabel Byrd, Franklin lived in Portland, attended Washington High School, and would eventually attend the University of Oregon. However, what sets these two historic women apart is that Franklin would eventually become the first documented African American woman to graduate from the UO.
