ATHENS, Ohio –– Amid the aftermath of the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, Mount Zion Black Cultural Center acquired numerous archives from the now-closed Pride, Multicultural and Women’s Center.
The Advance Ohio Higher Education Act led to the closures of university centers that included diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Those centers had collections of different archives that were at risk of being lost forever.
Mount Zion’s Communication and Media Director, Trevellya Ford-Ahmed, knew that she wanted to preserve that history.
“I’m a retired professor who is rapidly becoming a philanthropist — I’m interested in, of course, our history and preserving that history,” she said. “Which is what led me to go to the annex and seek some of the wonderful things that were coming out of the Multicultural Center.”
Mount Zion was able to collect archives and collections from each center.
“It was a sad and tragic situation at the moment, so I had pretty much free range, even though I was not prepared; had I known, I would have brought a wagon,” she said.
Ford-Ahmed was able to acquire posters, flags, books and more.
The Multicultural Center, in particular, had posters from all the guest speakers it had hosted since it opened — and some posters were signed.
Ford-Ahmed was concerned about the future of the materials if they were not given to an individual or institution.
“I never did get a real definitive answer, other than they’ll go away somewhere or some of it will be recycled into paper for new books,” she said. “That was scary and startling, looking at some of the things that were there.”
Mount Zion President Ada Woodson Adams said the acquired archives speak to the importance of preserving American history for future generations.
“It’s very important that we have historical sites and histories of people,” Woodson Adams said. “We’re a disposable society at this time and when you dispose of your history, you eventually dispose of the people because they have no past.”
Woodson Adams said that although they couldn’t save all the archives, what the center did acquire will be shared openly with the public.
The materials Mount Zion collected will be displayed in the upcoming Mount Zion Black Cultural Center. The center will be located at the restored Mount Zion Baptist Church and will serve as a community hub and museum. The center is expected to open in October 2026.
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