{"id":19413,"date":"2022-09-09T13:30:37","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T18:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?p=19413"},"modified":"2023-12-05T10:49:34","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T16:49:34","slug":"clayborn-benson-an-alum-and-a-history-student-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2022\/clayborn-benson-an-alum-and-a-history-student-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Clayborn Benson: An alum, and a history student again"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You can never learn enough about what history has to teach you.<\/div>\n
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That\u2019s why 73-year-old history graduate student Clayborn Benson, who leads the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum, is still educating himself and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cMentally I wasn\u2019t ready before, but I\u2019ve been back for a year and a half and I\u2019ve been blessed to receive mostly A\u2019s,\u201d he said. \u201cI take one course per semester, and I\u2019m able to manage that one course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benson retired from WTMJ in 2007 after 39 years (1968- 2007) as a video journalist, and still works five days a week at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society\u2019s Museum at 2620 W. Center Street.<\/p>\n

He is used to juggling many roles.<\/p>\n

While working as a news cameraman, he decided to improve his skills through a photography training program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Then mid-career, after years of covering events all over Milwaukee and around the world, he decided to come to 51ÁÔÆæ to earn his bachelor\u2019s degree in fine arts in film in 1987.<\/p>\n

Sparking an interest in history<\/h3>\n

In working on that degree, Benson received a grant to do a three-part series, \u201cBlack Communities,\u201d on the history of people, communities, housing and migration in Wisconsin. (It is still available on the museum Facebook page<\/a> and through the Milwaukee Public Library<\/a>.) That experience sparked his interest in history and a desire to collect and preserve the widely scattered documentation of the Black experience in Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

For the past 35 years, Benson has been sharing that history through stories on social and public media, presentations to community groups as well as celebrations, exhibitions and events at the museum. (Most recently the museum was the site for the announcement of Milwaukee\u2019s first Black female assistant fire chief, Sharon Purifoy-Smoots.)<\/p>\n

He has received numerous awards for his work as both a visual journalist and historian. He was honored at a Milwaukee Bucks game during Black History Month this year and featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel\u2019s \u201cDifference Maker\u201d series<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From the time he was a youngster hanging out in a barbershop to now, Benson has always enjoyed telling stories. His work now gives him the opportunity to talk about the individual experiences of Black people as well as larger stories of events that have shaped Milwaukee and Wisconsin history.<\/p>\n

An important resource<\/h3>\n

With the help of his daughter, who works there full-time, and volunteer staffers, the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and the museum have become a go-to resource for students and scholars, the media and others interested in learning more.<\/p>\n

Benson is particularly interested in reaching out to schools and students to pass on what he and other elders have learned to the next generation. Among the many activities the museum offers are genealogy sessions for young people.<\/p>\n

He advocates for the university to get even more involved with elementary and high school students, particularly in urban schools. He has faith in these students\u2019 abilities to overcome challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing any one of those kids can\u2019t get over and learn how to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Step by step<\/h3>\n

He bases that optimism on his own life experiences. \u201cI would be embarrassed to tell you what my educational levels were. It took a great deal of work to raise my levels so I could be a good student in school.\u201d<\/p>\n

His experiences at 51ÁÔÆæ and the support of family have helped him educate himself and others. That\u2019s why he continues to work toward a master\u2019s degree \u2014 one semester at a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to say my real identity and understanding of who I am has come out of my learning here at 51ÁÔÆæ. My readings have really helped me get a clear understanding of the choices I\u2019ve made in my life and what I want to devote my life to. All good things come out of education. It totally changed my life, not only the way I see myself, but it empowered me.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Kathy Quirk, University Relations<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You can never learn enough about what history has to teach you. That\u2019s why 73-year-old history graduate student Clayborn Benson, who leads the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum, is still educating himself and others. \u201cMentally I wasn\u2019t ready before, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32664,"featured_media":19414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[1848,1734],"tags":[1859],"class_list":["post-19413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-student-news","category-in-focus-2022","tag-september"],"yoast_head":"\nLetters & Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2022\/clayborn-benson-an-alum-and-a-history-student-again\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Clayborn Benson: An alum, and a history student again\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You can never learn enough about what history has to teach you. 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