My Papers Indexed

It looks like the collection of papers about the University of Michigan I donated to the Bentley Historical Library is now listed in Mirlyn. The small collection includes a variety of papers I collected doing activism, writing for the Michigan Daily, conducting private FOIAs, and in the process of writing my thesis. I’ve also uploaded a PDF copy of the library’s finding aid they provided to me, which will eventually be posted to the library’s online finding aids database.

• Mirlyn: Robert Goodspeed Papers, 2000-2004
• Robert Goodspeed Papers Library Finding Aid
• See my description of the contents of the papers

The collection is available for unrestricted access at the Bentley Historical Library on the University of Michigan North Campus. With all the interest in Michigamua recently it seems worth noting my papers include a directory of every member of the organization through 1997, as well as a variety of other interesting documents.

Who’s In the Fan Club?

During the 2000 Michigan Union Tower Occupation, names of the current Michigamua members were made public in part because the group had been using the (at the time) public directory.umich.edu website for their email lists. After the lists were reported about they were quickly deleted.

Now, an anonymous tipster implies the group has made a similar move, sending me a link to the Facebook group The Bob Ufer Fan Club. With only 37 members including confirmed Michigamua members Justin Bright, Andrew Hrovat, Brian Hull, and Jaya Soni, is this eclectic group of U-M students that includes an even distribution between graduation years simply a collection of students passionate about the man who was the voice of Michigan football, or members of another organization?

Michigamua Update

I recently learned that well known University of Michigan campus activist Sam Woll has joined Michigamua, an organization I have spent time publishing information about on my website. To complicate matters, we have a personal relationship and I consider her a friend. I have decided I must publish it — as I publish all names — and have invited her to submit a statement to go with this informaiton. That statement is below.

> See my main Michigamua page
> Michigamua Posts from 8/04-6/05
> All other mentions of Michigamua (excluding above time period)

I published a few names last summer: Lisa Yang, Dana Baki, Antonina Nina Catalfio, Jaya Soni, Neal Pancholi. To add to that list now in addition to Sam is Brian Hull.

Sam will do doubt complain that aligning her photo with the 1966 photo of the all white male class in faux headresses is unfair. I would argue not: Michigamua has racked up a history so extreme and blatantly racist they cannot be reformed in the way Sam thinks it can be.

I’m extremely disappointed in her, as I am in every “leader” who believes Michigamua is a benevolent force. I believe it is a hurtful remnant of an era of accepted institutionalized racism and bastion of elitism in privilege on a campus which I would hope to make more democratic.

Here is her statement:

Personal Statement from Sam for use on Goodspeedupdate.com:

* Please publish this statement verbatim. You do not have my permission to publish any excerpt from the following statement and may only use it in its entirety. Thank you *

Yes, I am a member of Michigamua. I joined this organization in order to work with other leaders on campus to serve the University. I know that my membership may be a surprise to many people. However, I saw potential to continue to drive positive changes within Michigamua in order to better serve campus and truly represent a diverse group of leaders committed to
making the University a better place. Additionally, I acknowledge and recognize the organization’s past including the painful parts of its history.

I hope that the fact that I am in Michigamua will not lead you to question the sincerity of any of my past and future involvements on campus. Anyone who knows me and my passionate commitment to working for social justice knows that I would never be a part of organization that would betray these principles. I am still proud to be a capital “F” Feminist, Jew, Democrat,
strong supporter of Affirmative Action and member of the student coalition to cut the University’s contracts with Coca-Cola corporation.

Although there are still many misconceptions about Michigamua, we are diligently working on ways to communicate recent changes and efforts to the larger University community. My intention in this statement is to let you know that I am committed to both Michigamua and other organizations that I have always been committed to on campus. This was not an easy
decision for me and it took meticulous discretion. I invite those who wish to further understand my decision to email me at swoll (at) umich.edu. Please include a phone number if you so choose and I will do my best to speak with you in person. Thank you.

When people like Sam join I feel as if I have failed to adaquetly explain the true history and impact of the organization. The story is not without a bright spot, however — the decisions to join made by Sam, Jaya, Neal and others have forced their respective organizations to learn about and deal proactively with the organization. Furthermore, there is a documentary being made about the organization and I am optimistic the Daily will continue to cover the controversies under their new leadership.

Michigamua Update

I was contacted today by a student doing some research on Michigamua, and I realized I had not plugged the various resources I have recently. I just posted a 12-page research paper (PDF) I wrote in 2004 on the organization. It was rather hastily thrown together for a class, however I believe it is a good basic primer on the organization’s history.

Here’s what else I suggested:

Go to the Bentley Historical Library on North Campus and request to view the Michigamua collection. They hold two boxes of historical information about the organization that can give you a feel for their history at the University. You’ll be surprised to find that all of the written documents for nearly 100 years are written in what can best be understood as stylized English akin to the idiom developed in blackface minstrelsy. There are also memos and letters of high ranking administrators who were members and information about their role raising money for the Union. …

Also, the SCC made a video in 2000 you may want to check out. The University library has two copies – check Mirlyn. Here’s the record I pulled:

Inside the Michigamua “Wigwam” [videorecording] : opening the doors of institutional racism at the University of Michigan / Students of Color Coalition.

Bentley Historical 0294 Aa 2
Askwith Media Library – Rm. 2002 | VIDEO 39642-H

Here’s the paper and other resources:

>> Download my 12-page history paper: Michigamua: An Investigative History (PDF)
>> Michigamua Member Listing
>> Michigamua Images Page and see all my Michigamua images
>> See all my posts that mention Michigamua