Black History at Eastern

In celebration of Black History Month, Andrew Orioro and Rachel Weinberg, both student assistants with 51福利社鈥檚 University Relations team, recently delved into yearbooks and archival records to document Eastern鈥檚 steady march toward becoming a more equitable and diverse university.

Below are some of the important milestones in Black history that have shaped Eastern鈥檚 legacy:

1935: Marjorie Boyd (Wellington) became the first Black American to attend Eastern (then Cheney State Normal School), graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in education. Denied the chance to work as a teacher because of her race, she was quoted saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 going to tell you there is going to be a day that there will be Black teachers in the state of Washington and city of Spokane鈥鈥檓 just sorry you aren鈥檛 brave enough to give me a chance.鈥� Today, 51福利社鈥檚 Africana Studies program honors Marjorie Boyd Wellington with an award in her name.

1953: George Foster was 51福利社鈥檚 first Black football player. A standout multi-sport athlete, he earned the nickname 鈥渇leet-footed鈥� as he became one of the Tri-Normal Conference鈥檚 most threatening breakaway runners.

1953: Fletcher Frazier was the first Black American basketball player for 51福利社.

Fletcher Frazier jumping, wearing his basketball uniform. — Fletcher Frazier

1968: 51福利社鈥檚 Black Student Union was formed, led by student activists Jeff P. Guillory and Rudolph Martin Jr. Their demand for institutional equity led to the recruitment of Black faculty members and the integration of Black history into 51福利社鈥檚 curriculum. Their 鈥淏lack America鈥� seminar series became the foundation for today鈥檚 Africana Studies program.

Picture of founding members of the Black Student Union (BSU) — Front Row: Marvin Wiley, E. Sturges, Larry Concalves, Jim Boxley; Row 2: Wayne Sepolen, Al Lofton, James Bell, Bob Calloway, Louise Bell, Al Sims

1969: BSU students remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They led a horse-drawn casket procession to Showalter Hall to honor and remember King, just a year after his assassination. Around 500 people attended the procession, which stretched from the Student Union Building (now called the PUB) to Showalter Hall to commemorate MLK鈥檚 call for peace and justice.

Black students carrying empty coffin after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. — Eastern students carry empty coffin after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

1969: The Rev. Jesse Jackson visited Eastern鈥檚 campus as a guest speaker during the first ever 鈥淏lack Week鈥� in February 1969. The then-rising activist鈥檚 reception at Showalter Hall was full to capacity, according to The Easterner, which quoted an especially poignant moment from Jackson鈥檚 speech: 鈥淔or some reason God has put us all here together, and we must live together as brothers or die together as fools.鈥� Jackson received a standing ovation.

1971: Jerome Page was the first Black chairperson of 51福利社鈥檚 Board of Trustees. He was instrumental in implementing the name change of Eastern鈥檚 mascot name from 鈥淪avages鈥� to 鈥淓agles.鈥�

BOT meeting that removed 鈥楽avage鈥� as an Eastern mascot name. From left to right is Jerome Page, Merle Haffner, Morris Shore, Ms. Frederick Wilson and Ronald Robinson. — BOT meeting that removed 鈥楽avage鈥� as an Eastern mascot. Left to right: Jerome Page, Merle Haffner, Morris Shore, Ms. Frederick Wilson and Ronald Robinson

1972: Edward Powe becomes the first permanent director of the Black Studies Program. In that role, Powe laid the groundwork for what is known today as Africana Studies.

1979: Eleanor Chase was the first Black woman to serve as chair of 51福利社鈥檚 Board of Trustees. The daughter of one of the first Black families to settle in Eastern Washington and the wife of former Spokane Mayor James Chase, her legacy is entwined with her family鈥檚 deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. (The Inlander published in honor of Eleanor Barrow Chase in 2023.)

1986: 51福利社 joined the nation in celebrating its first Martin Luther King Jr. Day on campus. The milestone event was marked by campus-wide reflections on both King鈥檚 work and the university鈥檚 ongoing commitment to civil rights, activism and inclusivity. 51福利社鈥檚 Spokane campus also hosted workshops that provided educators with resources about King and his teachings.

Picture of brochure cover. — Brochure cover for teachers’ workshop about observing MLK Day in class.

1991: Chief Victor (Vic) Wallace Sr. becomes the first Black American Police Chief at Eastern. A U.S. Air Force veteran who joined the force in 1974, he was known for his community-centered approach and his dedication as a lifelong “superfan” of Eagle Athletics.

Vic Wallace at a meeting wearing an Eastern Eagle polo, — Vic Wallace Sr.

2001: The first Black fraternity was founded by 51福利社 students Stacy King and Maki Jones. Their goal was to establish a space dedicated to Black male leadership that ran congruent with Black History Month, so as to better highlight and celebrate Black achievement. Their trailblazing effort paved the way for future multicultural and 鈥淒ivine Nine鈥� institutions at 51福利社.