The Streetside Boosters Records, 1976-85, consists of minutes, reports, correspondence, by-laws, membership lists, activity schedules, student papers, articles of incorporation, job descriptions, clippings, student papers, employment and legal records, poetry, manuscripts, musical compositions, thank-you notes, research records, newspapers, photographs, film, audio and video tapes, grant applications and financial records documenting the organization's philosophy and goals; civic, cultural and educational activities; and financial affairs.

Topics include Springfield's Eastside neighborhood, juvenile delinquency, community organizing, minority youth and education in Springfield, neighborhood newspapers, and blues and African music; Blacks, Whites and Blues Festivals; Blues-in-the-Schools Program; opposition to the construction of the Madison Street Expressway through the John Hay Homes area; SSU student involvement with the Boosters, under the leadership of Townsend; redlining in Springfield; campaigns to save the East Branch Library and Palmer School; hiring practices of the Illinois State-Journal Register; juvenile involvement in the Springfield police and court systems; CETA employment of Springfield youth; Eastside murals and sculpture; publication of the Booster's newspapers, People's Press and Social Justice Reporter; and other neighborhood issues.

Includes 47 audio and video tapes of musical performances at the Blues-in-the-Schools Program and the Blacks, Whites and Blues Festivals.

Non-profit community organization operating on Springfield's Eastside, founded in 1975 as a SSU project by professor Michael Townsend. Dedicated to reducing the amount of crime and delinquency in census tracts 8, 15, 16 and 17, and to fostering Eastside citizen involvement in analyzing and remedying neighborhood problems. Sponsored numerous cultural, civic, athletic and educational activities involving Eastside youth and their families, including the Blues-in-the-Schools program, and the annual Blacks, Whites and Blues Festival.

The collection has been divided into nine series: General Papers, 1976-85; Juvenile Delinquency Study Records, 1974-76; People's Press and Social Justice Reporter Records, 1975-84; Blues-in-the-Schools and Festival Records, 1977-85; C.E.T.A. Youth Employment Records, 1979-80; Madison Street Highway Records, 1979-85; Grant Applications and Financial Records, 1975-85; Photographs and Videotapes, 1976-85; and Oversize material.

Series Description

Series I: The GENERAL PAPERS, 1976-85 (Boxes 1-3), consist of Board minutes, reports, correspondence, membership lists, by-laws, articles of incorporation, job descriptions, newspaper clippings, student papers, and employment and legal records. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic and documents the objectives, activities and programs of the Streetside Boosters, particularly in its work with the Springfield Eastside community. Papers documenting SSU student involvement with the Boosters, under the leadership of Professor Mike Townsend, are included. Topics include redlining in Springfield, Booster campaigns to save the East Branch Library and Palmer School, and other neighborhood issues.

Series II: The JUVENILE DELINQUENCY STUDY RECORDS, 1974-76 (Boxes 3-4), consist of collected data and census map profiles, reference material, computer cards and correspondence with the Sangamon County Circuit Court judge. The series documents the 1976 SSU class project which compiled statistical studies of juvenile involvement in the Springfield police and court systems and provided a profile by census tract of Springfield "Youth in Trouble" for the years 1974-75.

Series III: The PEOPLE'S PRESS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE REPORTER RECORDS, 1975-84 (Boxes 5 and 5A) contain drafts of articles and poetry, manuscripts, correspondence, news releases, collected news clippings and reference material. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic and documents the publication of the Streetside Booster's neighborhood newspaper, which began publication in 1976 as the People's Press and was renamed The Social Justice Reporter in 1983. Microfilm of the People’s Press, 1976-79, and originals of both newspapers, 1976-84, is included. (Also refer to Series IX.)

Series IV: THE BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS AND FESTIVAL RECORDS, 1977-85 (Boxes 6-9), consist of biographical profiles, promotional material, correspondence, grant applications and proposals, personal notes and planning papers, and news clippings and financial records. This series is arranged in chronological order and documents the Illinois Humanities Council-sponsored Artists-in-Residence program, 1977-81, which brought blues and African musicians to conduct workshops in Springfield's elementary and high schools. Of note are the elementary school students' thank-you notes, and the high-school students' journals, musical compositions and evaluations of the Blues Program. This series also contains SSU students' self-evaluations from a course which focused on the Blues-in-the-Schools project. Also documented are the Annual Blacks, Whites and Blues Festivals. Audio and video tapes concerning the Blues-in-the-Schools Program and the Festivals can be found in the Archives' tape collection. Related photographs can be found in Series VIII.

Series V: The CETA YOUTH EMPLOYMENT RECORDS, 1979-80 (Box 9), consist of applications, proposals, correspondence, evaluations, reference material, CETA regulations and financial records. This series is arranged chronologically and documents the training and/or employment of Springfield youth through the efforts of the Streetside Boosters. Also included in this series are the 1979 Summer Youth Program records concerning CETA youth working at SSU.

Series VI: The MADISON STREET HIGHWAY RECORDS, 1979-85 (Boxes 9-10) consist of correspondence, reports, news clippings, posters, flyers, and reference material documenting the Streetside Booster's role in mobilizing opposition to construction of an eastside section of the Madison Street Highway through the John Hay Homes area. Collected pro-expressway letters, an environmental impact statement, tape and transcript of the 1980 public hearing, and tape of a protest at a 1985 Department of Transportation meeting are included.

Series VII: The GRANT APPLICATIONS AND FINANCIAL RECORDS, 1975-85 (Boxes 10-14), consist of grant applications, project proposals, contracts, evaluation reports, correspondence, personal notes and news clippings. This series is arranged chronologically by grant received; for each funded grant, the general papers precede the financial and personnel records. Also included at the end of the series are grant proposals not having financial records, and sundry financial records of the Boosters.

Series VIII: PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEOTAPES, 1976-85 (Boxes 15-24) consist of black and white and color photographic prints, negatives and slides chiefly concerning the Blues-in-the-Schools Program and the Blacks, Whites and Blues Festivals. The photographic prints have, where possible, been arranged alphabetically by event/topic; corresponding negatives have been assigned numbers (which are recorded as well on the back of each print) and are filed numerically. Of particular note is an 8mm film featuring preparations and activities at the 1977 Blacks, Whites and Blues Festival. The videotapes consist mostly of 3/4" U-Matic videocassettes of the Blacks. Whites and Blues Festival of July 28, 1984, showing the Bogan-Armstrong Tennessee Blues String Band and Yank Rachel.

Series IX: OVERSIZE. Posters of Boosters events, copies of the newspapers "People's Press" and "Social Justice Reporter," and 1908 Springfield Race Riot research material. (Also refer to Series III.)