In partnership with the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism, the University of Waterloo Archives (UWA) conducted a series of interviews to capture the voices of Black students, faculty and staff connected to the University of Waterloo. The goal for the Black Oral Histories project was to preserve histories in a way that is familiar to Black identity and Blackness as the African diaspora has a deeply embedded oral history culture.

Interviewees were selected by members of an advisory committee that was struck to ensure the project captured a cross-selection of individuals from the Waterloo community. Working with Jermal Jones, Associate Director, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access, Library, six people were interviewed.

The interviewees include:

• 1. Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae, artist, poet, and associate professor in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Waterloo

• 2. Darrell Adams, Head Coach for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and formerly the Associate Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator for the University of Waterloo men's football team

• 3. Lannois Carroll-Woolery, Manager of Data Analytics & Reporting for the Department of Institutional Analysis & Planning at the University of Waterloo, and current President of the Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region (CCAWR)

• 4. Dr. Murchison Callender, Professor Emeritus, School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Waterloo

• 5. Samantha Lange, student studying physics in the Faculty of Science at the University of Waterloo

• 6. Dr. Vershawn Young, an artist, actor, diversity consultant and joint appointed professor in Communications Arts and English Language and Literature at the University of Waterloo where he has been the director of Waterloo's Black Studies program since its launch in 2022

The collection contains the audio recordings and transcripts for each of the interviews.