As an organization dedicated to documenting and sharing the regional history of African Americans, the Uncrowned Queens Institute has maintained a record of its activities, featuring examples of our research, the growth of the technopedia, the tangible histories we’ve reclaimed over the past 25 years, and the educational resources we’ve produced.
The 25th Anniversary program included a small exhibit featuring numerous artifacts and documents from past and ongoing projects. The following provides information on just a few of the programs, research activities, projects, and educational resources we’ve produced that were part of the exhibit.
We have learned that this work requires many strategies, including tireless research, diligent documentation, and creating diverse vehicles to share our results. Looking back over the past 25 years, I am pleased to share what we’ve accomplished and to thank the community for the support and assistance we’ve received. Our “technopedia” continues to grow, and others across the country have replicated our model! Through the 4-volume UQ Books series; countless journal articles and papers; oral histories; hundreds of speeches; three national conferences; PowerPoint presentations and class lectures; media documentaries and interviews; an NPR radio series; and an ongoing television broadcast, we’ve contributed significantly to this community’s African American historical archives.
We also wrote and edited an award-winning book of letters to the new First Lady entitled “Go, Tell, Michelle, African American Women Write to the New First Lady” in 2009; recorded an audiobook; and adapted “Go, Tell Michelle” into a play of the same name. In 2019, Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts drama students re-created the performance for a standing-room-only crowd.
In 2003, the Institute established the first project of an ongoing partnership with the Buffalo History Museum. A major exhibit of the Seals Ebony Studio African American photographic series was installed as part of the Museum’s “Neighbors’ Exhibit”. The photographs, by Rev. W. B. Seals, are black-and-white images from the late 1940s through the 1960s. These photographs offer a portrait of Buffalo’s Black community through the lens of an African American photographer. Rev. Seals was the father of Dr. Nevergold. The community has been shown this collection on several occasions. The latest was in 2026, for Black History Month at the Seneca One building, sponsored by M & T Bank.
When men were added to the “technopedia,” the Institute rebranded its webpage as the Uncrowned Community Builders. We must also highlight numerous partnerships between the UQI and community organizations, including: The University at Buffalo, which housed the Institute for 3 years; a national radio program funded by NPR; the State of Oklahoma, which selected the Institute to launch the UQ of Oklahoma for that state’s centennial; and schools, faith-based institutions, and other community organizations. We have also been recognized and honored by numerous organizations and governmental groups for our work.
In 2018, the Institute reintroduced an idea that was first launched in 2007: The Uncrowned Queens and Kings in the Wings: Emerging Community Builders. This program refocused attention on recognizing young people ages 13 to 20 who are “Emerging Community Builders.” The Western New York region has hundreds of young people already giving back through volunteerism and involvement in extracurricular activities at their schools, churches, and youth groups. Like their elders, many of these young people contribute their time and talents selflessly, without seeking acknowledgment. They are laying the foundation for a lifelong commitment to building and sustaining our community, living up to the statement that they are our future.
We have also established a scholarship program for high school seniors named for two of this community’s beloved educators, Mary Crosby Chappelle and pioneer educator Ida Dora Fairbush, the first African American teacher hired by the Buffalo Public Schools. We have given away nearly $10,000 over the last 8 years.
In 2019, the Institute partnered with the Buffalo Schools and launched a mentoring program we named “Big sister, Little Sister Dialogues.” The program served 32 high school junior girls of color beginning in their junior year and continuing into the senior year and post-high school. The program goals were to positively impact student achievement. Although COVID-19 severely impacted the program in 2020, we developed a virtual component to continue the project through the 2021 school year.
In 2023 and 2024, the Institute created the “Say Their Names: Honor Their Legacies”, an oral history project that captured the stories of 24 seniors, aged 75 to 100. The Institute taped these interviews, and the recordings are available online. Two major exhibits were developed featuring these seniors, in partnership with the Buffalo History Museum and photographer Yves Blanc.
The exhibit featured examples of these programs, newspaper articles, books, photos, and much more that illustrate the Institute’s achievements and contributions.
