During a directed study spent working in the archives of the Lawrence History Center, history major Jaden Belizaire learned a lot 鈥� including how to read cursive in old, handwritten letters.
He also learned that he enjoys archival research, and now plans to pursue it as a career.
鈥淚鈥檓 in a quiet setting, just doing my work and learning about my subject and about the period,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 worked with really great people here, too.鈥�
Belizaire says his interest in history was encouraged by his teachers at the Catholic schools he attended while growing up in Lawrence, Massachusetts. But the Civil Rights Movement and other struggles for racial equality, such as the Haitian Revolution, were often glossed over or minimized in his classes and texts. He realized he鈥檇 have to learn more about them on his own.
鈥淚 really liked my teachers, even though history was a little sugar-coated 鈥� and it was the one subject I was always good at,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 always reading history books ... because I鈥檝e always wanted to know why we are where we are right now.鈥�
Belizaire鈥檚 professors at UMass Lowell, including his advisor, Prof. Robert Forrant, a labor and immigration historian, and Prof. Chad Montrie, who specializes in U.S. environmental and social history, helped him delve more deeply into his areas of interest.
Then, in spring 2021, he took a class in archival methods with History Department chair Prof. Christopher Carlsmith. Although the class was mostly virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students also met in small groups at the , where they worked on organizing the records of the Essex County Jail, including arrest reports from the 1912 Bread and Roses strike.
鈥淢y experience in that class made me look more into archiving as a viable career,鈥� he says.
Belizaire asked Forrant鈥檚 advice, and Forrant, who is on the board of the Lawrence History Center, encouraged him to keep working there through a directed study course for credit.
With guidance from Collections Manager Amita Kiley, Belizaire decided to catalog the belongings and papers of Everett Marshall, a Lawrence native who became a famed singer and actor in variety shows, operettas and radio from the 1920s to the 鈥�50s.
Although Marshall was born in Lawrence, he didn鈥檛 spend much time in the city. Still, Belizaire says, it was fascinating to read through, summarize and catalog the fan mail Marshall received, as well as his personal letters, publicity photos, programs, sheet music and more.
鈥淚t was pretty interesting to see how a celebrity received fan love at the time,鈥� Belizaire says, citing letters from women gushing over Marshall鈥檚 singing and acting.
Belizaire, who finished his classes in December, is working full time as a behavioral health technician at an addiction treatment center while he applies to graduate schools for archiving. He also plans to continue as a volunteer at the Lawrence History Center.
He says it鈥檚 important to diversify the field of history so that in future, the history books won鈥檛 whitewash or overlook the stories of marginalized people and groups.
And history, he says, holds lessons for today.
鈥淲hen I see injustices, I wonder why some countries and some groups of people are struggling so much,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n history, I鈥檓 hoping we can find some answers to help.鈥�