Historian energizes the field of African-American history

Darlene Clark Hine, Ph.D.

Age: 55
Residence: East Lansing
Occupation: History professor, Michigan State University; director of the Comparative Black History Ph.D. program
Honored: For pioneering the fields of African-American women’s history and comparative black history

’60s childhood in Chicago left her wondering why the world was so hurtful.
“I was completely bewildered by the things I saw on television and hateful things I heard people say,” Darlene Clark Hine said. “And I desperately wanted to know the dynamics behind black rage and white fear.”

    So she went out and became one of the best known historians in the country, one who’s also recognized as a pioneer of African-American women’s history. The John A. Hannah Professor of History at Michigan State University is a lecturer and author, and co-editor of the two-volume encyclopedia Black Women in America. That 1993 encyclopedia continues to bring Hine frequent recognition.

    “Finally, there was a source that one could go to that provided the history of black women in this country,” said Paulette Granberry Russell, director of Affirmative Action, Compliance and Monitoring at MSU. “It gave us an opportunity to understand the profound effect of the contributions of black women. And it is out there for the world to witness.”

    Hine is working on a book about lawyers, doctors and nurses who, from 1890 to 1955, helped lay the foundation for the civil rights movement. She also is the third black president of the Organization of American Historians. Her work, said MSU Provost Lou Anna Simon, is instrumental in helping those who are not black gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of African Americans.

    It is a spiritual endeavor for Hine, one that she says is driven by her belief that purpose lies in making the world a better place. So the single mother of one is always looking for ways to impress upon others the complexity of the black experience. It is not, Hine said, a simple story. That passion makes her a remarkable force in the classroom.

    “She is one of the most outstanding intellectuals I know, and to say that some students worship her is an understatement,” said Lewis Siegelbaum, chairman of the history department. “She has virtually pioneered the field of comparative black history.”

    Marshanda Smith, Hine’s research assistant, changed her major from engineering to history after studying with Hine. Smith said the professor is a stern taskmaster — because she wants her students to learn all they can about black history.

    Hine began designing the comparative program 10 years ago, trying to prepare the next generation of college professors to teach black history more effectively. Comparative black history is the study of people of African descent, examining the complexity of black identity and how politics, lifestyles and historical experience shape lives in different parts of the world.

    “Comparative black history challenges your perspective and gets you to ask questions like, ‘What is black?’,” Hine said. “It has different meanings. In Latin America for instance, being black is not equated with racial color but economic status. Money whitens.”

— Delores Patterson