Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

University of Michigan alumnus who was a prominent campus activist and leader on issues of racial, economic, and social injustice during his doctoral studies with the Department of History. McCoy was involved in many activist organizations and campaigns including United Coalition for Racial Justice (UCRJ), the Coalition Against White Supremacy and the Ann Arbor to Ferguson protests. This collection includes correspondence, sound recordings, meeting minutes and notes, topical files, photographs, event programs, and flyers.

The Austin McCoy papers (1 linear feet, 8.76 GB) focus on McCoy's activism and leadership as a doctoral student at the University of Michigan. The collection features three series:

The Biographical Information series contains five sound recordings including a four-part oral history interview McCoy completed in 2015. The series also features McCoy's Student of the Year interview with The Michigan Daily in 2015. The sound recordings discuss McCoy's background, scholarship, inspirations and organizing career.

The Correspondence series contains digital copies of email correspondence from McCoy's University of Michigan and personal email accounts. The series also includes data from McCoy's twitter account and photographs downloaded from his Facebook account.

The Activism series contains notes, meeting minutes, flyers, photographs, topical files, news articles, and other writings. Specific organizing events featured in the collection include the Being Black at the University of Michigan (#BBUM) social media campaign, the Ann Arbor to Ferguson protests, and protests against racism on the University of Michigan campus.

Correspondence, 1861-1864, of family members who served in the Civil War, including brothers William Baird (Co. C, 6th Michigan Cavalry and later Co. K, 23rd U.S. Colored Infantry) and Henry C. Baird (Co. L, 7th Michigan Cavalry), cousins William E. Baird (Co. E, 22nd Michigan Infantry) and Frederick Diem (Co. C, 6th Michigan Cavalry); other family correspondence of the Civil War era, a reminiscence by William Baird of his family history and Civil War experiences, and miscellanea. William Baird's reminiscence includes an account of his parentage, life on a farm in St. Clair County, early schooling and teaching experiences, and his experiences in the Civil War. He enlisted in Company C, 6th Michigan Cavalry in 1862, and was in winter camp in Washington. The highlights of his journal are the battle of Gettysburg, where he was wounded; studying in a Philadelphia hospital to become a commissioned officer; the granting of his commission through the help of Representative Francis W. Kellogg, and his assignment as first lieutenant to Company K, 23rd U. S. Colored Infantry.