The Black Archives was founded in 1977 by Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields to ensure that manuscripts, letters, photographs, articles and other materials documenting South Florida's Black community were preserved. Teachers, students, researchers, historians, and the community at-large have access to these essential resources, as The Black Archives operates a manuscript/photograph center for research and educational purposes.

As a repository for manuscripts, photographs and ephemera which record the history of the African-American experience in South Florida since 1896, The Black Archives' Collection includes family albums, photographs, documents, souvenir programs from churches and organizations, news articles, and other source materials that have been preserved.

The Black Archives is committed to the preservation of the history of the African American experience in South Florida, and Dr. Fields after twenty-nine years of service is determined to strengthen the intellectual integrity of the institution. We implore you to take part in this committment by one or all of the following:

1) Donating items to the archives
2) Becoming a financial member
3) Using the archives as a source of education
4) Telling someone about us

Please visit our Researcher's Welcome Page for details on our research procedures.