Professor Brier’s discussion of the CUNY Digital History Archives (CDHA) is a succinct retelling of the history and development of CUNY, buttressed by three important references and uses of the archive: the founding of Medgar Evers College, the inception and legacy of SEEK, and the introduction of Open Admissions at CUNY. The piece was written to promote the work of the archive and invite pedagogues to use the archive within their courses when they are inclined to incorporate serious scholarship of the history of our university system.

I am immediately provoked to ask where my CUNY alma mater stands in the development of its own digital archive—Macaulay Honors College. Though the institution is barely legal, there is a story to tell of privilege, access, tension and reputable success. There was a student group who formed a Macaulay General Assembly, wrote on the quality of access that Macaulay students receive in context with their classmates, and presented at a conference. I wonder if that could be incorporated in the 2010 – Present time period.

The collections present on the CDHA present a wealth of archival work that I had not considered when thinking of the university, even critically. For one, the criteria for President of “Community College No. 7” aka Medgar Evers College, possessed a number of interestingly alarming physical and experiential traits (what in the world is urban-orientation?) used to secure its president. One that struck me was residence—that the president was willing to reside in community, meaning Bedford-Stuyvesant. Now that we are fifty years away from this, what would it mean for faculty and administration to live in close proximity to the university.

Another striking image from the Medgar Evers collection involves a demonstration in Albany in 1976. There’s an individual standing with a poster that reads, “Don’t let them assassinate Medgar Evers again! Keep alive the only four-year college in our community!!” This is a powerful illustration that complements Brier’s contributions to CUNY’s snuggles in light of the fiscal crisis.

The last image I will share is much lighter. It’s a letter addressed by former CLAGS president Martin Duberman to Audre Lorde. Now we read Lorde, Walker, and Rich as canonical, so it’s astounding to see them referenced here.

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