A volunteer group of local professionals, educators, parents & youth promoting diverse
African-American heritage, Black culture, and racial equity 365 days a year.
Dunmore and Eliza Gwynn, Members of the Conway Colony who arrived in Yellow Springs in the 1860s Yellow Springs Historical Society
Yellow Springs Village Council Meeting During Discussion of Civil Rights Issues, 1964 Yellow Springs Historical Society
James “Jazz” Johnson, The Village Cobbler, Yellow Springs Historical Society
Dunmore and Eliza Gwynn, Members of the Conway Colony who arrived in Yellow Springs in the 1860s Yellow Springs Historical Society
Introduction
Blacks in Yellow Springs:
An Encyclopedia History
A community history developed by residents of Yellow Springs.
The idea for this Blacks in Yellow Springs Encyclopedia can be traced to a small brochure (at the right) by the same name, developed in 2006 by Antioch College African American History Professor Jahwara Giddings and his students. The brochure highlighted events and individuals who had contributed to the rich history of African Americans in Yellow Springs.
In 2016, the 365 Project updated the brochure and reprinted it in collaboration with the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce. With the publication of the new edition of the brochure, many longtime Yellow Springs residents pointed out key people or events that had not been included in the brochure. The omissions they identified represented the challenge of producing a brief document about a rich history.
These suggestions from Yellow Springs residents also brought to light information that was unknown to those updating the brochure, pointing out a challenge of documenting local history. Often individuals or events that are very visible during one era are not known to succeeding eras. If they are documented at all, those documents are not widely available, and are often in sources such as newspapers or held in the memories of the people who knew of or participated in these events.
This Encyclopedia is meant to address these challenges and we encourage you to help us.
The Submissions Process
Send Us Your Stories!
This Blacks in Yellow Springs Encyclopedia is a work in progress, and we encourage you to submit entries for people, places, and events of local interest to add.
To contribute please send your submissions via:
Email: the365projectys@gmail.com
Mail: The 365 Project, P.O. Box 165, Yellow Springs, OH 45387.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Editorial Committee:
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Phyllis Jackson
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Joseph E. Lewis
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Kevin McGruder
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Karen McKee
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Isabel Adams Newman
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William B. Simpson
Buy the Blacks in YS Encyclopedia HERE!
Our First Edition is published! Get your copy here or help contribute to the ongoing development of this community resource by submitting your own entries (see below).
Click here to download a pdf of our Blacks in Yellow Springs history brochure.