From goal met to greater access—let’s keep building together.
Black Spartan stories built this university. Now it’s time to make sure they’re never forgotten.
For more than a century, Black students have shaped San José State University — breaking barriers, leading change, and redefining what was possible. Yet their stories remain scattered across Spartan Daily newspapers, obscured in boxes, yearbooks, and handwritten records.
Today, if a student asks, “Who was the first Black graduate in my department?” or a family wonders, “What sorority did grandma join?” — the answers might exist, but finding them can take weeks of research.
The Black Spartans Project has already uncovered the names, experiences, and achievements of more than 30 Black students who attended SJSU between 1904 and 1965 — trailblazers whose legacies deserve visibility. These remarkable Spartan stories have been shared across campus and the local community through exhibits, and the responses from our communities prove we need to do more work!
Now we’re ready for the next step.
We are building a public, searchable, and expandable online database that will transform a wellspring of archival records into an accessible digital resource — one that students, alumni, scholars, organizations, and families can explore for generations to come.
This is more than a database.
- It’s a reclamation of history.
- It’s a resource for researchers.
- It’s a point of pride for alumni.
- It’s an investment in belonging.
- It’s a shoutout to our ancestors.
With your support, we can ensure that the contributions of early Black Spartans are not just preserved — but seen, searchable, and celebrated.
Help us make this history and legacy of so many Spartans easy to discover. Your donation, whether $1,000 or $10 will fund dedicated student employees necessary to prepare the collected data and assist the passionate faculty who will guide the way, to build a Black Spartans Legacy Portal.
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