Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Background Materials, consists of a single scrapbook of photographs, newspaper clippings and other materials related to the dedication of the Goldman Room in 1954.

The first series, Background materials (1974-1989), consists of leaflets presenting the WCC, its history and activities. Included as well are training manuals used by the staff of the Center.

The Baker Furniture, Inc. series contains interesting material dating chiefly from the 1940's and 1950's. This includes a notebook containing internal production reports, memos written by Merriam to the foremen of various departments and speeches given by Merriam to foremen and crew leaders. These materials reflect a concern with productivity and, increasingly, with labor costs. Especially interesting is a folder of letters and flyers representing both management and labor viewpoints during an unsuccessful 1953 CIO union drive.

The Band Tour Papers series contains materials produced and collected by King during the 1961 Michigan Band Tour. It includes personal correspondence, a journal, invitations received by the band, several books acquired during the trip, postcards, photo souvenirs, travel guides and materials, news clippings, press releases, concert programs and some published material. Additionally, tour materials include itineraries, travel preparation documents and telegrams. The journal provides a detailed daily account of the tour from their parting date in February 19, 1961 until May 29, 1961. The correspondence folder contains letters sent home, received, and a few telegrams and postcards. Among the miscellaneous items are a Leningrad circus ticket, a ticket to the Swan Lake ballet, Postcards of Yuri Gagarin and actor Genadii Yudin, pins given by audiences to band members and a khaffiyeh holder. The subseries are arranged in alphabetical order.

The Band Tour Papers series contains seven files arranged in alphabetical order. The first of these includes coins, paper money and stamps from the countries visited in the tour. The second holds a journal kept by Mark during the trip with very detailed daily entries from February 18, 1961 to May 30, 1961. The entries cover traveling, performances, and observations about events, places and countries attended. Other files include newspaper clippings, concert programs and tour documentation.

The series includes: Thompson's selected writings and speeches; a transcript from his keynote address from "2015 Unity: Journalists for Diversity Regional Media Summit"; a signed copy of volume 1 of Obama and Black Loyalty; a copy of Bankole Thompson: Portrait of a Quintessential Journalist; a flier from a 2006 Detroit Public Library Symposium; brief biographical information; and copies of briefs and other court documents related to Edwards vs The Detroit News and Thompson.

In 2019, articles written by Thompson in 2018 and episodes of his "Redline with Bankole Thompson" radio show from 2015 and 2016 were added to the collection.