About Us

The Institute began as a project of the Women's Pavilion at Pan Am 2001. It was one of the groups organized by the Pavilion to commemorate the centennial of the 1901 Pan American Exposition. The Uncrowned Queens project sought to honor the history of African and African American participation in the 1901 Exposition and to expressly recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of African American women. The project derived its name from the 1917 poem “America's Uncrowned Queens” by Oklahoma pioneer and poet Drusilla Dunjee Houston. The poem honors "tireless, self-sacrificing black women who work for the betterment of family and community."

In 2001, the UQ Project developed and launched an award-winning website featuring hundreds of biographies and photos of African American "Uncrowned Queens" and the history of their involvement in the Pan American Exposition.  The webpage "Uncrowned Community Builders" at www.uncrownedcommunitybuilders.com was created. In 2003, the Uncrowned Queens project became a not-for-profit organization. The Institute created an archive of biographies, which it calls a “technopedia.” This archive can be searched by name, date, and location. Additionally, the inclusive website features an interactive tool, the Biography Tool, that enables Internet users to upload new biographies, photos, and captions.  In 2007, the archive was expanded to include men, Uncrowned Kings.

The Institute's impact and contributions to the local community are tangible and ongoing. It's used by thousands of students, individuals, organizations, and groups nationwide. The site supports numerous research activities, including educational research for papers and dissertations; educational curricula; family history research; resources for individuals' obituary articles; employment applications; and awards and honors. New biographies are added frequently, and the archive is continually expanded.

The Institute's founders research, write, and publish books, articles, and videos on local history and individuals. They have also played a key role in preserving local records, i.e., the 1861 records of St. Philip's Episcopal Church and the Church Directory of the Michigan Street Baptist Church, on display at the Nash House Museum. A historic marker recounts the history of the East Presbyterian Church in downtown Buffalo. Two markers in Forest Lawn mark the graves of 19th-century community builders, Mary B. Talbert and Henry Moxley. Dr. Brooks-Bertram has written extensively on the life of Drusilla Dunjee Houston.

The Institute launched several oral history projects and hosted a television series, "They've Got Stories to Tell". A radio series, "Uncrowned Queens," funded by NPR, was created in partnership with WNED.  Dr. Nevergold has co-authored numerous research articles on early African Americans in Buffalo. She is the principal narrator of a documentary film about Andrew Jackson Smitherman, a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre. She also wrote a biography of Ida Dora Fairbush, Buffalo's first public school teacher.

Drs. Brooks-Bertram and Nevergold deliver countless presentations to churches, community groups, schools, and other organizations. The Institute offers the Mary Crosby Chappelle and Ida Dora Fairbush Scholarships to high school students. The Institute also created a mentoring program, "Big Sister, Little Sister," in collaboration with the Buffalo Public Schools from 2020 to 2023.

With support from a dedicated Board of Directors, the organization has remained committed to its mission and will mark 25 years of service in 2026.