{"id":4110,"date":"2021-02-27T06:52:51","date_gmt":"2021-02-27T11:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/?p=4110"},"modified":"2021-02-27T06:52:51","modified_gmt":"2021-02-27T11:52:51","slug":"donald-milford-payne-african-american-historian-history-maker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/2021\/02\/donald-milford-payne-african-american-historian-history-maker\/","title":{"rendered":"Donald Milford Payne – African American Historian & History Maker"},"content":{"rendered":"

The annual commemoration of Black History Month is officially celebrated during February within the United States and Canada.\u00a0 The significance of this tribute has led other nations to celebrate the African Diaspora at different times throughout the year including the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom for example.\u00a0 These instances of wider tribute across the globe have been supported through the altruistic activities undertaken by Donald Payne, Sr., an alumnus of Seton Hall and New Jersey Congressman.\u00a0 Representative Payne was a noted advocate on behalf of education and human rights endeavors, but he also spent several years learning about, and lecturing upon a myriad of Black-centered history issues on both the local and international level during the course of his lifetime.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Donald Milford Payne, Senior Portrait, Galleon (Seton Hall University Annual), 1957<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Donald Milford Payne (1934-2012) was a native of Newark, graduate of Barringer H.S., and an alumnus of Seton Hall University earning his diploma in 1957 prior to doing post-graduate education at Springfield College (MA).\u00a0 He was an executive at Prudential Financial Services; Vice President for Urban Data Systems, Inc., and also taught within the Newark Public Schools system prior to entering the political arena.<\/p>\n

Congressman Payne spent a major portion of his public career as a United States Representative for the 10th<\/sup> District covering Newark, South Orange, and other neighboring communities from 1989-2012.\u00a0 He was a strong advocate on academic-related issues of various types including the School-to-Work Opportunities Act and National Literacy Institute.\u00a0 Counted among his many board-appointed accomplishments include a stint on the Democratic Steering Committee (2002) along with membership as part of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs.\u00a0 In addition, Congressman Payne was very active with peace negotiations in Northern Ireland and as a two-time (first ever individual re-appointed to this body twice) as a Congressional delegate to the United Nations (2003-2007) among other respected committee assignments.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Congressman Payne Newsletter, Summer 2003<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The work undertaken by Congressman Payne in Africa was particularly keen as he became an advocate for the citizens of Darfur, Sudan, the Western Sahara, and other parts of the continent as a former Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.\u00a0 In addition, a highlight included a six-nation tour of Africa with President Bill Clinton during the 1990s along with leading a separate political mission to Rwanda.\u00a0 Congressman Payne was also a member of the Board of Directors for the TransAfrica Forum, and involved himself with ending the Somalian conflict of the 2000s.<\/p>\n

Congressman Payne was also a trailblazer in his own right as the first African American President of the National Council of Young Men\u2019s Christian Associations (YMCA) during the early 1970s, and later as Chairman of the World YMCA Refugee and Rehabilitation Committee between 1973-81.\u00a0 He was also the earliest African American U.S. Congressman to represent any district in New Jersey history and served as the 14th<\/sup> Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (founded in 1969) and first ever from the Garden State.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Congressman Payne and Comments on the Transatlantic Slave Trade. September 26, 2007<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the course of his life and legislative career in particular, Congressman Payne addressed noteworthy remembrances related to various African American individuals, institutions, events, and eras.\u00a0 Solemnity and respectful reflection in relation to such celebrations as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Douglass Day in addition to Black History Month.\u00a0 Congressman Payne also brought important perspective about his activities in the African American community to his alma mater and local constituents over the last several decades.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Transcript of speech on the life of Frederick Douglass, c. 2000<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most lasting memorial related to Congressman Payne from a Seton Hall perspective can be found within the preservation of his legislative records within the Monsignor William No\u00e9 Field Archives & Special Collections Center.\u00a0 School officials acquired his files in 2013, a year after his death.\u00a0 Various web pages and blog posts related to the local connections have been archived for public reference over the past decade . . .<\/p>\n

Congressman Payne and Connections to Seton Hall University –\u00a0https:\/\/www.shu.edu\/search.cfm?q=donald+payne#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=donald%20payne&gsc.page=1<\/a><\/p>\n

Donald Payne Papers, Acquisition of Materials –\u00a0https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/2013\/11\/the-donald-m-payne-papers-come-to-seton-hall\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Donald Payne Papers, Open to Researchers Announcement –\u00a0https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/archives\/2014\/09\/donald-m-payne-papers-now-open-for-research\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Donald Payne Papers,\u00a0 Collection Inventory (ArchivesSpace) –\u00a0https:\/\/archivesspace-library.shu.edu\/repositories\/2\/resources\/242<\/a><\/p>\n

Within our collection, one can find that Congressman Payne left behind a significant amount of quality documentation in the form of legislative briefs, speeches, correspondence, and other informational contents of note.\u00a0 In more detailed terms, the Donald Payne Papers date from 1988-2012, and are primarily related to the legislation and advocacy of his lifetime of work. The Scope and Content notes from the Congressman Payne Papers reads in part:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe collection includes materials related to . . . legislative work, particularly for the House Committee on Education and Labor and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as on behalf of his district and state . . . There are significant files of material on Congressman Payne\u2019s trips abroad, which included trips to a number of African nations as well as nations in Europe and elsewhere . . . materials cover Congressman Payne\u2019s years in Congress including his African journeys and diplomacy and international relations work, national and legislative process efforts a good study in congressional protocols in general and local and national representation in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n

Link to the Donald Milford Payne Papers Collection –\u00a0https:\/\/archivesspace-library.shu.edu\/repositories\/2\/resources\/242<\/a><\/p>\n

As outlined above, there are several areas of research value, but in this month of February, it is important to note his work within African nations in particular and on behalf of Black History in its varied forms.\u00a0 When conducting a search that involves \u201cBlack History Month\u201d within this collection, the results page yields a number of different file folders that focus upon various tributes are documented within such formats including correspondence, notes, reports, memoranda, and other types of materials including details on the commemorations from 1995 and 1997 along with \u201cSpeeches 1989-2011;\u201d \u201cAfrican American History, 1992-2011;\u201d \u201cBlack History, Undated;\u201d \u201cBlack History, 1990-1995; and other subject areas found across this assemblage.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Article from the Donald Payne Congressional Newsletter, c. 2008<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In more specific terms, Congressman Payne also left behind a myriad of background information on African American History along with specific files including speeches and background notes for his lecture appointments in particular.\u00a0 Examples include . . .<\/p>\n