“A Mighty Fist”: The Birth of the National Associations of Librarians of Color in the United States, 1970–1980

Since its creation in 1876, the American Library Association (ALA) has been the main professional association for librarians in the United States, and it was historically steered by white leaders. Between 1970 and 1980, several ethnic caucuses were founded. Five of those would eventually become affiliated with the ALA to increase representation within the association: the American Indian Library Association, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the Chinese American Librarians Association, and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking. This article enriches the existing literature on the formation of these associations of librarians of color in the United States, providing their origins’ background and historical framework through an examination of archival material and interviews with leaders of each of the five associations.