Dr. Irma McClaurin, Black Feminist Archive Founder, is one of “UMass Women Philanthropists You Should Know”

In 2018, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Alumni Association  recognized black feminist speaker, Dr. Irma P. McClaurin as one of  UMass women philanthropists people should know.  Dr. McClaurin, a noted black feminist speaker,  has received multiple degrees from UMass Amherst (’76 MFA, ’89 MA, ’93 PhD). At the ceremony naming her a “Distinguished Alumni” in 2016, McClaurin announced the establishment of the Black Feminist Archive. Her philanthropy background also encompasses previous work as a Program Officer for Education and Scholarship at the Ford Foundation. While at FF (2005-2007), McClaurin managed an annual $10M portfolio and was responsible for securing million dollar endowments for the Spelman College Women’s Research and Resource Center, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the Schomburg’s Fellow’s Program, and the National Council for Research on Women now known as Re:Gender.

The “Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive” is a collaboration between Dr. McClaurin, the W.E.B. Du Bois Library’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) and the W.E.B. Du Bois Center.  As the Black Feminist Archive Founder, McClaurin considers herself an “ambassadress” for the Archive and is working with SCUA to write grant proposals and raise funds. She has also developed a “roadshow” as part of her repetoire as a black feminist keynote speaker and presents at national conferences about the Archive.

For information  on how to support the archive, click here:

To find out more about contributing your own or the papers, books, artwork, speeches, and journals of other black women activists, artists, and scholars to the Black Feminist Archive, write Dr. McClaurin, the Black Fminist Archive Founder at: blackfeministarchive@gmail.com.

If you would like to book Dr. McClaurin as a black feminist speaker or to present on the Black Feminist archive, click here.