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The Black Metropolis Research Consortium Launches Open Call for Board of Directors Positions
July 23, 2025

The Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC), an expanding coalition of 28 archives, libraries and museums whose mission is to connect all who seek to document, share, understand and preserve Black experiences in Chicago is looking for new board members who share and support our vision to build a stronger and more sustainable organization as we turn 20 years old in 2026!
The BMRC is looking for five new board members, four (4) who work at one of our member institutions (in any capacity) that do not currently have an employee on the board [see list at end of call] and one (1) community member who is not affiliated with any of our existing members.
We are especially interested in energetic and committed individuals with the following backgrounds:
- Philanthropy and fundraising
- Non-profit organizational management
- Black (African American and other African diaspora) history
- Chicago history
- Critical Archival and Library studies
If approved to join the board (via a vote by current board members), board members would be expected to serve for at least one three-year term. Board members should be open and ready to serve in officer positions on the board including secretary, treasurer, vice-chair and chair of the board. The board meets six times a year. We're looking for members who to donate a few hours every other month for meetings, plus additional time as needed for committee work. Service on the board is voluntary and not monetarily compensated.
If you are interested in applying for a BMRC BoD position, please submit a short biography (max. 200 words), CV/resume, and a motivation statement (max. 300 words) here. In your motivation statement, please highlight what kind of future initiatives, growth, or improvements you envision for the BMRC in the coming years. Applications will be accepted until end of day on Friday, August 15th.
[i] Institutions currently represented on the Board are: Northwestern University, IIT, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago Public Library, The Newberry Library, Chicago State University, Shorefront Legacy Center, The Art Institute of Chicago, and Dominican University. Preference will be given to candidates from institutions without current representation.