Events

DORIS offers programs, tours, and activities related to our holdings. Join our mailing list to be the first to know about exhibition openings, upcoming events, recent blog posts, and much more.

Note: If you require an auxiliary aid or service in order to attend a DORIS event, please contact the Disability Service Facilitator.

Note: To request language interpretation services, please contact the Language Access Coordinator at least three (3) business days before an event.

Lunch & Learn - "No Trouble From the Women": Black Women, the UNIA, and a Global Movement

Online (Zoom)

Wednesday, March 11 - 1:00-2:00pm

Join the NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) each month for our virtual Lunch & Learn Series – an intimate conversation with agency staff and special guests focusing on the collections of the Municipal Archives and Library and the history of New York City.

In 1925, a group of women took over the convention floor during a meeting of the largest social justice organization of the 20th century, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Guided by an activist strategy they called “efficient womanhood,” they were determined to modify the UNIA’s constitution and formally assert the rights of dues-paying women members.

On March 11, Dr. Natanya Duncan, author of the award-winning book An Efficient Womanhood: Women and the Making of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, will delve into the distinct activist strategies employed by UNIA women, bringing to light how the women scripted their own understanding of Pan-Africanism, Black Nationalism, and constructions of Diasporic Blackness.

Discover the impact these “efficient women” had on the UNIA - from its origins in Kingston, Jamaica to its imprint on modern-day movements such as Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name - and consider the lessons their activism offers for our current moment.

RSVP to join us by clicking here.

Lunch & Learn: Fabulous Fountains of New York

Online (Zoom)

Tuesday, March 24 - 1:00-2:00pm

Join the NYC Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) each month for our virtual Lunch & Learn Series – an intimate conversation with agency staff and special guests focusing on the collections of the Municipal Archives and Library and the history of New York City.

On March 24, author Stephanie Azzarone and photographer Robert F. Rodriguez will present highlights from their new book, Fabulous Fountains of New York, an exploration of the city’s most distinctive fountains.

Ranging from the classical and ornate to the modern and abstract, discover how New York fountains are more than decorative. The structures commemorate heroes, celebrate culture, and have even served as a tool for temperance. Discover the surprising stories behind their creation and legacy.

RSVP to join us by clicking here.