Oral Histories

The following oral history summaries of student activists who attended Pratt during the 1960s and early 1970s were conducted as part of an effort to address gaps in the historical record as it is represented by Pratt’s archives. After conducting historical research about activism and engaging with the Black Student Union, current students have helped the project fill in some of these silences through interviews with alumni. This work has also begun to expose some of the historical continuities that connect the circumstances faced by Black alumni who attended Pratt decades ago to those facing similar challenges in the present. Please contact us if you know someone whose story should be shared

Beyond and Between Pratt’s Gates

This course (ADE-634) explores how social reformers and activists addressed racial, economic and social inequalities beyond and between Pratt’s gates across the 20th century through to historical sites, guest speakers and archival research.   Students explore why, and how—those with power and those with little power—encouraged, or discouraged, community partnerships for equitable access to the benefits of education for politically and economically disenfranchised communities.