BMRC ARCHIVES PORTAL
Discover Collections on Black Experiences
Discover the unique collections on Black experiences freely available to you in libraries, museums, archives, and other organizations in the Chicago area, through the Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) Archives Portal.
CHOOSE YOUR PORTAL PATH: Use keywords in the search box at the top of the page, browse a category, or click on one of the boxes BELOW: Curated Topic, online exhibit, or the "Try a Term" feature, where a new topic, place, or person appears when you refresh or re-visit this page.
Look for location and contact information on the collection finding aids/guides to find your way to the archives.
Learn more about the project or consult our Research Help.
Member Highlight
Shorefront Legacy Center
Shorefront Legacy Center is responsible for the collection, preservation, and education of Black History in Chicago’s North Shore. Collection strengths at Shorefront include the Melvin Smith Collection, the NAACP Evanston Branch Records, and the Evanston Photographic Negative Collection. Shorefront also has a press, and oral histories online.
Shorefront Legacy Center is open by appointment on Saturdays from 10:00am-2:00pm, and Thursdays/Fridays from 10am-1pm. Learn more about this repository and all the programs at the center..
View collections from Shorefront Legacy CenterAbout the BMRC
The Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) is a Chicago-based membership association of libraries, universities, museums, community/arts organizations and other archival institutions. The BMRC’s mission is to connect all who seek to document, share, understand and preserve Black experiences.
It is the vision of the BMRC to be essential to promoting discovery, preservation, and use of Black historical collections. Through consortial programs, the BMRC aids in expanding broad access to its members’ holdings of materials that document African American and African diasporic culture, history, and politics, with a specific focus on materials relating to Chicago.