University Of Alaska Anchorage: Celebrating Black History In Alaska In New Book

Press release from the University of Alaska Anchorage:

February 2, 2022

1. About UAA

   1. 
      About UAA
      
      

      UAA is the premier university in the heart of Alaska's largest city with campuses throughout
      Southcentral Alaska. Where culture, innovation and adventure converge, the unique
      locations provide unparalleled access to industry connections, Arctic research, outdoor
      recreation and more, facilitating once-in-a-lifetime experiences, groundbreaking education and
      impactful careers.

Popular links

1. UAA 2025: Strategic Plan
2. Chancellor
3. Equity, Compliance and Title IX

Popular links

1. Visit and Tour
2. Academic Programs
3. Transfer to UAA
4. FAFSA, Aid and Scholarships

Locations

1. Enrollment Services Center

1. 
   About UAA
   
   

   UAA is the premier university in the heart of Alaska's largest city with campuses throughout
   Southcentral Alaska. Where culture, innovation and adventure converge, the unique
   locations provide unparalleled access to industry connections, Arctic research, outdoor
   recreation and more, facilitating once-in-a-lifetime experiences, groundbreaking education and
   impactful careers.

   Popular links

   1. UAA 2025: Strategic Plan
   2. Chancellor
   3. Equity, Compliance and Title IX

2. About UAA

   ---

   1. Diversity and Inclusion
   2. Equity, Compliance and Title IX
   3. Green and Gold News

3. Administration

   ---

   1. Chancellor
   2. Academic Affairs
   3. Administrative Services
   4. Advancement
   5. Student Affairs

4. Campuses

   ---

   1. Kenai Peninsula
   2. Kodiak
   3. Matanuska Susitna
   4. Prince William Sound

5. UAA 2025: Strategic Plan
   

   ---

   1. About UAA 2025
   2. Putting Students First
   3. 
      Embracing Diversity and
      Inclusion
      
   4. Community Partner
   5. Impact through Innovation
   6. 
      Excellence Through
      Continuous Improvement
      

1. UAA 2025: Strategic Plan
2. Chancellor
3. Equity, Compliance and Title IX

1. Diversity and Inclusion
2. Equity, Compliance and Title IX
3. Green and Gold News

1. Chancellor
2. Academic Affairs
3. Administrative Services
4. Advancement
5. Student Affairs

1. Kenai Peninsula
2. Kodiak
3. Matanuska Susitna
4. Prince William Sound

1. About UAA 2025
2. Putting Students First
3. 
   Embracing Diversity and
   Inclusion
   
4. Community Partner
5. Impact through Innovation
6. 
   Excellence Through
   Continuous Improvement
   

1. 
   Academics
   
   

   UAA offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs that consistently prepare students for success after
   graduation. State-of-the-art classroom instruction and hands-on learning collide in UAA's innovative academic
   programs, which feature unique courses that train students to lead Alaska into the future.

   Popular links

   1. Academic Programs
   2. Advising
   3. Dates and Deadlines
   4. Academic Affairs

2. Colleges and Schools

   ---

   1. Arts and Sciences
   2. Business and Public Policy
   3. Engineering
   4. Health
   5. Community and Technical
   6. Honors
   7. School of Education
   8. Graduate School

3. Provost

   ---

   1. Apprenticeship Programs
   2. Continuing Education
   3. Business Enterprise Institute

1. Academic Programs
2. Advising
3. Dates and Deadlines
4. Academic Affairs

1. Arts and Sciences
2. Business and Public Policy
3. Engineering
4. Health
5. Community and Technical
6. Honors
7. School of Education
8. Graduate School

1. Apprenticeship Programs
2. Continuing Education
3. Business Enterprise Institute

1. 
   Admissions and Financial Aid
   
   

   Learn more about admissions processes, taking
   classes, tour UAA in-person or virtually, and find out more about Financial Aid available at UAA. Whether you are a new or continuing student,
   the Office of Financial Aid is available to offer support and advice so you can make informed decisions regarding
   college funding options. Get help at the Enrollment Services Center: offering virtual and walk-in appointments to
   help students apply to UAA; get help with financial aid, scholarships, and the FAFSA.

   Popular links

   1. Visit and Tour
   2. Academic Programs
   3. Transfer to UAA
   4. FAFSA, Aid and Scholarships

   Locations

   1. Enrollment Services Center

2. Admissions

   ---

   1. How to Apply
   2. Transfer to UAA
   3. Academic Programs
   4. Visit and Tour
   5. Request more Info
   6. Contact Admissions

3. Financial Aid

   ---

   1. FAFSA, Aid and Scholarships
   2. Additional Payment Options
   3. Check your Status
   4. Student Responsibilities
   5. 
      Cost of Attendance, Aid Types and Planning Tools
      
   6. Military and Veteran Student Services
   7. Student Accounts and Refunds

1. Visit and Tour
2. Academic Programs
3. Transfer to UAA
4. FAFSA, Aid and Scholarships

1. Enrollment Services Center

1. How to Apply
2. Transfer to UAA
3. Academic Programs
4. Visit and Tour
5. Request more Info
6. Contact Admissions

1. FAFSA, Aid and Scholarships
2. Additional Payment Options
3. Check your Status
4. Student Responsibilities
5. 
   Cost of Attendance, Aid Types and Planning Tools
   
6. Military and Veteran Student Services
7. Student Accounts and Refunds

1. 
   Athletics
   
   

   From 13 competitive NCAA teams to recreation and intramural and club sports, students have the opportunity to
   excel in athletics at every level. The Alaska Airlines Center and Seawolf Sports Complex offer recreation as well
   as hosting community events and concerts. Students can take advantage of cheering for SeawolfNation with free
   tickets to many games.

   Popular links

   1. Seawolf Online Store
   2. Recreation
   3. Intramurals

   Locations

   1. Alaska Airlines Center
   2. Seawolf Sports Complex

2. Go Seawolves

   ---

   1. Upcoming Seawolves Games
   2. Tickets
   3. Staff Directory

3. Women's Sports

   ---

   1. Basketball
   2. Cross Country
   3. Gymnastics
   4. Skiing
   5. Track and Field
   6. Volleyball

4. Men's Sports

   ---

   1. Basketball
   2. Cross Country
   3. Hockey
   4. Skiing
   5. Track and Field

1. Seawolf Online Store
2. Recreation
3. Intramurals

1. Alaska Airlines Center
2. Seawolf Sports Complex

1. Upcoming Seawolves Games
2. Tickets
3. Staff Directory

1. Basketball
2. Cross Country
3. Gymnastics
4. Skiing
5. Track and Field
6. Volleyball

1. Basketball
2. Cross Country
3. Hockey
4. Skiing
5. Track and Field

1. 
   Research
   
   

   UAA is a hub for cutting-edge theoretical and applied research in health, engineering, and the physical and
   social sciences. In nearly every discipline, undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to join
   research teams and collaborate with experienced faculty mentors.

1. Sponsored Programs
2. Research Integrity and Compliance
3. Graduate School

1. 
   Student Services
   
   

   Explore the wide variety of services and resources available at UAA to help promote your
   academic and personal
   success and well-being. From academic advising to student clubs and residence life, we're
   here to help you have an
   amazing university experience.

   Popular links

   1. Advising
   2. Bookstore
   3. Dates and Deadlines
   4. Transcripts
   5. USUAA Student Governance
   6. Library
   7. 
      Student Health and
      Counseling Center
      

   Locations

   1. Student Union
   2. Enrollment Services Center
   3. Student Health and Counseling Center

2. Current Students

   ---

   1. Advising
   2. Bookstore
   3. Registration, Dates and Deadlines
   4. Military and Veteran Student Services
   5. Degree Progress
   6. Transfer Credit
   7. Graduation
   8. Career Services
   9. Student Account (Bursar)
   10. Dean of Students
   11. Disability Support Services

3. Student Life

   ---

   1. Engage
   2. Organizations and Clubs
   3. Activities and Programs
   4. Student Union
   5. Multicultural Student Services
   6. Recreation

4. Residence Life

   ---

   1. Housing Options
   2. Apply for Housing
   3. Current Residents
   4. Info for Parents/Guardians
   5. Contact Residence Life

5. Student Leadership
   

   ---

   1. USUAA Student Governance
   2. Student Media
   3. Concert Board
   4. Green Fee Board
   5. Club Council
   6. Emerging Leaders Program

1. Advising
2. Bookstore
3. Dates and Deadlines
4. Transcripts
5. USUAA Student Governance
6. Library
7. 
   Student Health and
   Counseling Center
   

1. Student Union
2. Enrollment Services Center
3. Student Health and Counseling Center

1. Advising
2. Bookstore
3. Registration, Dates and Deadlines
4. Military and Veteran Student Services
5. Degree Progress
6. Transfer Credit
7. Graduation
8. Career Services
9. Student Account (Bursar)
10. Dean of Students
11. Disability Support Services

1. Engage
2. Organizations and Clubs
3. Activities and Programs
4. Student Union
5. Multicultural Student Services
6. Recreation

1. Housing Options
2. Apply for Housing
3. Current Residents
4. Info for Parents/Guardians
5. Contact Residence Life

1. USUAA Student Governance
2. Student Media
3. Concert Board
4. Green Fee Board
5. Club Council
6. Emerging Leaders Program

1. 
   Alaska Natives
   
   

   Located in the ancestral homelands of the Dena'ina, Ahtna Dene, Alutiiq/Sugpiak, Chugachmiut and Eyak peoples,
   Alaska Native curriculum at UAA provides an in-depth perspective on contemporary Alaska Native societies,
   languages, cultures, history, politics, art, governments and corporations.

2. Academic Programs

   ---

   1. 
      Alaska Native Studies
      — Anchorage Campus
      
   2. 
      Alaska Native Studies
      — Kenai Peninsula College
      
   3. 
      Alutiiq Studies — Kodiak
      College
      
   4. Alaska Native Business Management Minor

3. Student Support

   ---

   1. Native Student Services
   2. Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP)
   3. 
      Alaska Native
      Community Advancement in Psychology (ANCAP)
      
   4. 
      Alaska Native, Indigenous & Rural Outreach
      Program (ANIROP)
      
   5. 
      Recruitment and Retention of
      Alaska Natives into Nursing (RRANN)
      

1. 
   Alaska Native Studies
   — Anchorage Campus
   
2. 
   Alaska Native Studies
   — Kenai Peninsula College
   
3. 
   Alutiiq Studies — Kodiak
   College
   
4. Alaska Native Business Management Minor

1. Native Student Services
2. Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP)
3. 
   Alaska Native
   Community Advancement in Psychology (ANCAP)
   
4. 
   Alaska Native, Indigenous & Rural Outreach
   Program (ANIROP)
   
5. 
   Recruitment and Retention of
   Alaska Natives into Nursing (RRANN)
   

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, regiments from the Buffalo Soldiers arrived
in the gold rush town of Skagway, Alaska, to maintain order in the frontier city.
It's a little-known piece of Alaska history that Ian Hartman, associate professor and chair of UAA's Department of History, hopes his book, Black History in the Last Frontier, will shed light on.

Black history in Alaska is not widely known. Hartman, along with collaborators within
the state's Black community, historians and the Anchorage Museum, have worked to  spread the word of the rich and significant contributions that the
Black population has made in the 49th state.

Initially what began as a project in 2015 for Anchorage's sentinel celebration, Hartman,
along with other historians and notable historian and prominent community member Cal Williams, was asked to contribute a chapter to the book Imagining Anchorage. Six years and hours of interviews later, one chapter grew  into a whole book with
the collaborative efforts of UAA, the National Park Service, the Anchorage Museum, the Black community, UAA alum, David Reamer, and grants from
the Rasmuson and Atwood Foundations.

"One of the best ways someone can meaningfully contribute to the civil discourse of
their community is to learn about the history of their region and their community
and fully understand the range of contributions that people have made," said Hartman.

The late 1800s to World War II

According to Hartman, some of the earliest records of Black people in Alaska were
whalers participating in the Pacific commercial whaling trade in the mid-1800s. During
the Alaska Gold Rush, Black soldiers helped maintain law and order in the new territory.
From its early years as a town, there are records of Black settlers in Anchorage,
most notably Thomas Bevers, the settlement's first paid fire chief. Beavers' role
in creating Fur Rendezvous was central to the winter celebration we know and love
today. Hartman said Bevers' role in the community was significant and that in addition
to his role as the fire chief during the 1920s, he also served on several councils
and was one of the first investors in Fur Rendezvous.

Throughout the World War years, Alaska's cities and towns rapidly expanded. The development
of the Alaska Highway brought jobs and people. According to Hartman, roughly 40% of
the project's workforce building the new highway was Black, constructing stretches
of road running from north to south and containing some of the highway’s most treacherous
terrain. He said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not provide their Black regiments
with the power tools and materials they did for their white counterparts to complete
the monumental project. Despite the hardships, Hartman said the U.S. Army Corps' Black
regiments persisted and completed their portion of the highway's construction in just
under a year, compared to the multi-year projection the work had been slated for.

"There's this history of racism within the military that you can unpack, but then,
at the same time, it's also a triumphant story, too," said Hartman. "Because it really
demonstrates the valor these men displayed in building this road, against all odds."

After World War II, Hartman said many African Americans trekked north to Alaska to
work in the construction industry and the military.

Post World War II

"In some ways, once you get into the post World War years, the story of why African
Americans are in Alaska is basically the same as why white or anyone who isn't Alaska
Native is here," said Hartman. Like many Alaska stories, Hartman explains, they are
brought here by jobs or family.

Hartman said he hopes his book will open a dialogue about the essential contributions
African Americans have contributed to our state. This will also provide a stepping
stone to tell Alaska's more diverse and inclusive history. He hopes that his work
and other historians will help shift the historical focus from a "white/Euro-centric
frontier history" to include all people, groups and cultures that have contributed
to our state's past, present and future.

North to the future

He hopes what began as one chapter in one book but grew to six years of work, hundreds
of hours and collaborations with the Alaska and the Cook Inlet Historical Societies,
the Rasmuson Foundation and countless interviews with prominent Black elders in the
community, that this project will result in collaborative work with the Anchorage
Museum and possibly take him on the road.

Hartman said that ultimately the goal of this project — any history project, really
— is to understand the context of people and places. He said to understand our current
moment, it's crucial to understand the past — in its entirety.

"The bigger project is to start building that history right," said Hartman. "We start
with inclusion. This project emphasizes Alaska’s Black community, but ultimately we
want to have a history that is deeply inclusive, and that is reflective of the state
and of the contributions of everybody."

This press release was produced by the University of Alaska Anchorage. The views expressed here are the author’s own.