Alfred Bright, the first Black faculty member at Youngstown State University in Ohio, died on October 28. He was 79 years old.
Professor Bright was a graduate of Youngstown State University, where he majored in art education. He held a master of fine arts degree in painting from Kent State University in Ohio. Professor Bright joined the faculty at Youngstown State in 1965. He was the founding director of the Black Studies (Africana Studies) program at the university from 1970 to 1987.
Jim Tressel, president of Youngstown State University, issued a statement that read in part: “Professor Bright’s legacy at YSU is large, as both a graduate, as the university’s first African-American full-service faculty member, as the founder of the Black Studies/Africana Studies program and, of course, his artwork, which was featured in more than 100 solo exhibits. He was a tireless advocate for YSU, for our students and for the entire Mahoning Valley region.”
Professor Bright’s works are featured in permanent collections at The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; Kent State University Gallery, Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts, Northeastern University, The Harmon and Harriet Kelly Collection of African-American Art in San Antonio, and the Canton Museum of Art in Ohio.
