Uncrowned Queens Hosts the Uncrowned Kings Reception at the University at Buffalo

On Friday October 19, 2007, the Uncrowned Queens Institute held the Uncrowned Kings reception at the University at Buffalo, Allen Hall. The reception was the follow-up to the much heralded Uncrowned Kings Initiative and web-page which was launched on April 28th at the Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Public Library.  Over one hundred individuals, including Uncrowned Kings and their families, attended the first program. 

On Friday, October 19, 2007, more than two hundred participants crowded into the corridors and auditorium of University of Buffalo, Allen Hall. Eighty six men from Buffalo were celebrated with a stellar program and the Gallery of Kings, a corridor featuring twenty over-sized photos and bios of both past and present Uncrowned Kings of Buffalo and Western New York was the main attraction.  The histories and photos of all of these men can be found by clicking on the Biographies link above.

The Honorary Co-chairs of the event included John B. Simpson, President, University at Buffalo, Mayor Byron Brown, and the Superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools, Dr. James Williams. The key note speaker for the event was John W. Franklin, Program Manager for the Smithsonian Institution, National African American Museum of History and Culture.  Mr. Franklin has been in ongoing conversations with Drs. Bertram and Nevergold about the possibility of including the works of the Institute in the new museum on African American History.

Drs. Barbara Nevergold and Peggy Brooks-Bertram moderated the program and gave special recognition to Honorable E. Jeannette Ogden for her unceasingly commitment to identifying and nominating Uncrowned Kings.  Judge Ogden was presented with the Uncrowned Queens, Signature Pin, “Sisters,” a sterling silver pin representing the significance of women working together for the preservation of history and culture. Drs. Bertram and Nevergold briefly recounted the history of the Uncrowned Kings initiative.

As with the Uncrowned Queens, the Kings are individuals, who personally and collectively, have played a pivotal role in the history of this community.  Most are men whose contributions are un-documented and/or forgotten. The UQI Uncrowned Kings website features the biographies and photos of these community builders. Future publications, oral histories and other educational activities are planned for the Uncrowned Kings, African American Community Builders. 

Two commemorative posters featuring the photos of more than eighty Uncrowned Kings were also created for the event and are available for purchase.  In addition, each man and or his family were presented with an individual certificate.  The certificates and posters were designed by Thomas Slomka of the Digital Learning Center, formerly Educational Technology Center of the University at Buffalo.

Barbara Nevergold also discussed her success in securing a pardon for Andrew J. Smitherman, a Tulsa race massacre survivor who fled to Buffalo and made significant contributions to Buffalo through his newspaper the Buffalo Star, later re-named the Empire Star.
Once again, we thank the community, sponsors and friends for embracing this program, and in fact requesting it!  We have only begun to document the histories of these Uncrowned Kings and encourage Western New Yorkers and Oklahomans to submit the biographies and photos of the men in their community for this cultural and historical preservation initiative.  A Submission Form is available at: http://www.buffalo.edu/uncrownedqueens/K/UKsubmit.pdf.

We are also looking for the histories of black men's organizations, e.g., the Masons, the Elks and the fraternities.  We have developed a template that will be available on our website to facilitate the development of these histories.