African-American History

New Database Provides Insights Into Black Americans Born Before Emancipation

A team of scholars from several partnering organizations has identified the names of 2 million Black Americans born before emancipation who were included in the 1900 census. The database opens the door for numerous future research applications and could serve as a resource for people seeking to discover their family history.

Dillard University Memorializes African Americans Whose Remains Were Used in Nineteenth-Century Pseudoscience Research

In the 1880s, a New Orleans physician sent the skulls of 19 deceased African Americans to a German scientist to be used in racially biased research. Now, the remains have been returned to New Orleans and memorialized by Dillard University.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Wins the Newberry Library Award

Throughout his long career in academia, Dr. Gates has made groundbreaking contributions to understanding the genealogical history of African Americans. His work has resulted in dozens of books, documentaries, and the popular "Finding Your Roots" series on PBS.

Three Black Professors Receive 2025 Pulitzer Prizes

Percival Everett of the University of Southern California, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins of Yale University, and Edda Fields-Black of Carnegie Mellon University have received Pulitzer Prizes in fiction, drama, and history, respectively.

University of New Mexico Acquires Historical Collections From Two Black Professors

The University of New Mexico has launched two archival collections featuring materials from Charles Becknell, Sr., founder of the university's Africana studies department, and Harold Bailey, an alumnus and former director of the Afro-American studies program.

Emory’s Crystal Sanders Wins Two Awards for New Book on Graduate Education During the Jim Crow Era

Crystal Sanders' award-winning book, A Forgotten Migration: Black Southerners, Segregation Scholarships, and the Debt Owed to Public HBCUs, explores Black southerners' efforts to secure post-baccalaureate education during the era of legal segregation.

Institutional Archives Returned to Simmons College of Kentucky

The University of Louisville has housed Simmons College of Kentucky's institutional archives for over 50 years. Recently the physical collection has been returned to the HBCU, where it will remain and be developed into an accessible digital archive.

Southern University Partners With Getty Images to Digitize Archives

The project was made possible through Getty Images' HBCU Photo Archive Grant Program. Since the initiative was launched in 2021, Getty Images has supported nine historically Black colleges and universities in digitizing and restoring fragile archival materials.

Roanoke College Unveils Sculpture to Recognize Its Historic Ties to Slavery

Roanoke College's new memorial sculpture, "Authors and Architects," is dedicated to the enslaved people who constructed some of the college's original campus buildings. The installation is the latest effort from the Virginia-based college's work to recognize its historic ties to slavery.

Harvard Acquires Publicly Available Database on the Atlantic Slave Trade

“SlaveVoyages’ databases build on the curiosity of Harvard students who catalyzed the University’s ongoing reckoning with its ties to slavery. The initiative can help amplify knowledge-sharing and visibility, empower scholars and students worldwide, while also reaffirming our commitment to truth," said Sarah Bleich, head of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative

VCU Archaeology Project to Document Grave Markers in Richmond’s Black Cemeteries

The Virtual Curation Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University is in the midst of an ongoing project that involves 3D-scanning grave markers in historically Black cemeteries throughout Richmond.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

Duke Professor Pledges Half of Her Book’s Royalties to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Deondra Rose, endowed professor at Duke University and author of The Power of Black Excellence: HBCUs and the Fight for American Democracy, has pledged 50 percent of the book's royalties to support the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

St. Louis University’s Formal Apology for Its Ties to Slavery Canceled After Descendants Refuse to Participate

Robin Proudie, executive director of the Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved, stated the university's plan to reconcile for its historic ties to slavery "was completely dismissive of [DSLUE's] efforts and priorities. Their plans showed a blatant disregard for the descendant-led process we had worked so hard to establish."

Harvard Study Documents How Black World War I Veterans Shaped the Civil Rights Movement

"For many Black soldiers, the Great War entailed a battle not only against German aggression abroad, but also against racial oppression at home," the study authors write.

Georgia State University to Launch Historical Database to Identify Enslaved People in Georgia

The Data Mining and Mapping Antebellum Georgia project, led by Elizabeth West, the John B. and Elena Diaz-Verson Amos Distinguished Chair in English Letters at Georgia State University, aims to create an online, public database of the names and locations of thousands of enslaved people across the state of Georgia.

New Documentary Highlights the Experiences of Black Women Faculty at Northwestern University

The film, "Hearing Silences: 50 Years of Black Women Faculty at Northwestern," documents the history and experiences of Black women scholars at Northwestern, beginning with the institution's first Black women tenured professor, Joyce Hughes.

The Hampton University Museum Reopens With Expanded Exhibits

“The Hampton University Museum is not just a repository of art; it’s a living testament to the resilience of Black artists and the power of storytelling through art,” said museum director Vanessa Thaxton-Ward.

University of Michigan Publishes New Edition of the First Cookbook Authored by a Black American Woman

Nearly 160 years after its original publication, the University of Michigan has released a new edition of Malinda Russell's A Domestic Cookbook, the oldest known cookbook authored by a Black American woman.

The University of Texas School of Architecture Names Its Library After Its First Black Graduate

John Chase graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin in 1952, making him the school's first-ever Black graduate. Over seven decades later, the university has established the John S. Chase Architecture and Planning Library in his honor.
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Albert Mosley Named the Eighth President of Bethune-Cookman University

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"I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, and I look forward to all that God has in store as I partner with our faculty, staff, students, alums, donors, and community partners in shaping a bold and inspiring future for B-CU," said Dr. Mosley. His presidency is set to begin on July 7.

Teresa Hardee Selected to Lead Bennett College in North Carolina

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“I am truly honored to serve Bennett College at such a pivotal time,” said Dr. Hardee. “Bennett’s legacy is unmatched, and its future holds even greater promise. Together with the Bennett community, I am committed to building on its strengths and charting a bold path forward.”

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