Temple University Adds Tupac Shakur Memorabilia to its Blockson Afro-American Collection
Tupac Shakur was a prominent voice of 1990s hip-hop and remains one of the most influential artists of his generation, having sold more than 42 million copies of his albums and singles. Temple University in Philadelphia has acquired a dozen documents handwritten by Shakur and two pieces of jewelry.
Washington and Lee University Removes Slaveholder’s Name From Building
Upon his death, John Robinson left his estate, farm, and 73 slaves to what is now Washington and Lee University. In 1836, the college sold the slaves and used the money to build Robinson Hall. Now the university is removing Robinson's name from the building which will now honor the school's first Black student.
University of Missouri Names Two Dormitories After African Americans
Lucile Bluford was denied admission into the journalism graduate program 11 times on the account of the color of her skin. George C. Brooks was director of financial aid at the university for 17 years and participated in efforts to desegregate local restaurants.
Rutgers University Launches Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center
Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Centers are a nationwide effort developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and funded by Newman's Own Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The latest center has opened on the Newark campus of Rutgers University in New Jersey.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Creates Digital Archive on Segregation in Local...
The Center for Arkansas History and Culture at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has completed work on a project to digitize 350,000 items relating to the history of segregation and integration of Arkansas's educational system.
Western Carolina University Will Name New Residence Hall After Levern Hamlin Allen
In 1957, Levern Hamlin Allen was the first African-American student to enroll at what is now Western Carolina University and was among the first Black students to be admitted to any of North Carolina's predominantly White state institutions of higher education.
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Examines Its Ties to Slavery
The investigation, led by three Black and three White faculty members at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, found no evidence that the school had a connection to the slave trade. However, the founders of the seminary collectively owned more than 50 slaves.
Remembering the Work of Early Black Classicists
Michele Valerie Ronnick, now a full professor in the department of classical and modern languages and literatures at Wayne State University in Detroit, has been a leader in the effort to highlight the pioneering work of early Black classicists.
University Students Examine Slavery at Richmond’s Wilton House
Students at Virginia Commonwealth University spent the fall semester studying the enslaved population at Wilton House, the main building at a former, 2,000-acre tobacco plantation.
Silent Movie Shows the Earliest Depiction of African American Affection Captured on Film
Researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of Southern California recently discovered a silent movie that was filmed in 1898. The film, entitled Something Good-Negro Kiss, is believed to be earliest depiction of African American affection captured on film.
The State of Illinois Now Requires Public Universities to Offer Courses on Black History
A new bill passed into law in the state of Illinois requires all state-operated colleges and universities in the state to include at least one course on Black history. The educational institutions can meet the requirement by offering an online course.
University of Cincinnati to Decide What to Do About Its Slave-Owning Founder
When McMicken died in 1858, he left money and property to the city of Cincinnati "to found an institution where White boys and girls might be taught." He owned slaves and reportedly fathered children with enslaved women.
The Revival of Frederick Douglass’ The North Star
In 1847, 172 years ago, Frederick Douglass and Martin Delany started The North Star as the leading abolitionist newspaper of the day. Now, with the blessing and permission of the family of Frederick Douglass, The North Star is being revived.
Construction on Memorial to Enslaved Laborers Begins at the University of Virginia
Slaves, rented from local property owners, were used to construct many of the earliest campus buildings. Once the university opened, slaves were used for manual labor on campus. Some faculty members owned slaves.
Harvard Students Create Exhibit on Relationship Between Christianity and Slavery
"The Yoke of Bondage: Christianity and African Slavery in the United States" features documents, including rare books, that range from 1619, when the first slaves where brought to Virginia, to the Civil War's end in 1865.
Saint Elmo Brady Honored With a National Historical Chemical Landmark
Professor Brady was the first African American to earned a Ph.D. in chemistry. He will be honored with plaques at the University of Illinois, where he earned his doctorate, and at schools where he served on the faculty: Fisk University, Tuskegee University, Howard University, and Tougaloo College.
New Residence Hall at James Madison University Will Honor Paul Jennings Who Was Enslaved
Jennings was the personal "manservant" for James Madison on his estate in Virginia and also in Washington, D.C. After Madison's death, Jennings secured his freedom and worked in the U.S. Pension Office.
Georgetown Students Will Vote on Fee to Aid Descendants of Slaves Sold by the...
The $27.20 per semester fee, which would be added to students' tuition, would contribute to a fund to benefit the descendant community of the 272 enslaved individuals who were sold to pay off Georgetown's debt in 1838.
Cornell University Asks Public to Help Build Digital Database of Ads That Sought Fugitive...
The insights the ads provide on the experiences of enslaved Africans and African-Americans are especially valuable because so little information about these individuals has been preserved.
Student Uncovers and Debuts Exhibit on Racism in the History of the Maryland Institute...
The exhibit features curated photos and documents that show how the college reacted after being forced to admit African-American student Harry T. Pratt in 1891. After Pratt was admitted, the college established a policy to only admit "reputable White people."
The Debate Over Confederate Monuments Spreads to the University of Mississpppi
On March 5, the Associate Student Body Senate at the University of Mississippi voted unanimously on a resolution asking university administrators to move a Confederate soldier monument from its prominent spot on campus to a Confederate cemetery.
New Website Highlights African American Contributions to World War I Effort in Arkansas
A recently graduated master's degree student and archivist at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has recently launched a website that highlights the contributions that Black communities in Arkansas made to the World War I effort.
African-American Burial Ground Found Underneath University of Pennsylvania Property
The university learned last year that the property had previously been used as a burial ground. In response, the institution issued two sequences of field testing, which has recently conclusively confirmed the presence of graves.
College of William & Mary Honors 18th Century School for Enslaved and Free Black...
The marker's establishment was part of the Lemon Project, a long-term research initiative at the college that seeks to explore the university's involvement in slavery and segregation and its continued relationship with the African-American community.
Predatory Lending Targeting Blacks Had Its Roots in the Antebellum South
Amanda Gibson, a Ph.D student at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, has recently complied evidence that traces today's predatory financial practices to economic victimization of free and enslaved African-Americans in the pre-emancipation South.
University of California Scholars Update Website on the American Slave Trade
The website houses detailed information on the slave trade from the 16th century to the 19th century The research team updated the site by adding 11,400 records on slave voyages within the Americas.
Princeton Theological Seminary Students Demand Reparations for School’s History With Slavery
A group of faculty and students from Princeton Theological Seminary were a part of a colonization movement that aimed to send freed slaves back to Africa because they believed the former slaves could not co-exist with Whites.
Georgetown Students Approve a Fee to Benefit the Descendants of the University’s Slaves
The student body at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., overwhelmingly approval a measure that will add $27.20 to their tuiition bills each semester. The fee will be used to create a fund that will benefit the descendants of the 272 people who were enslaved by the university.
University of Florida Acquires the Archives of African-American Musician Bo Diddley
The acquired items that will make up the Elias B. McDaniel (Bo Diddley) Collection include musical instruments, stage costumes, posters, photographs, documents, and memorabilia.
Wisconsin Law School Establishes First Endowed Chair Named for an African American
Professor James E. Jones, a 1956 alumnus, joined the law school faculty in 1969, making him the first African-American faculty member. Professor Jones died in 2014.
Jackson State University Debuts the Dr. Henry T. Sampson Jr. Collection
The collection features the historic contributions of African-Americans to motion pictures, performing arts, music, radio, and television broadcasting in the United States between 1865 and 1970.
College of William & Mary Selects a Concept for a Memorial to Enslaved African-Americans
The winning concept resembles a brick fireplace where the community can gather to honor the work of the enslaved, many of whom worked at a similar hearth.
New Online Database of Court Records of Cases of Enslaved People Seeking Their Freedom
The Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recently debuted an online database of more than 500 court cases in which enslaved persons had sued to gain their freedom.
Emory University Launches Exhibit on Portraits of African American Nannies With White Children
Many of the nannies depicted in these images are anonymous. The backs of the photos often bear the child's name, but not the caregivers. Most of the information about the relationship between these nannies and their charges comes from the White family’s perspective.
University of North Carolina at Asheville Displays Works From its Isaiah Rice Photo Collection
A local deliveryman and beverage distributor, Isiah Rice also was an amateur photographer who used small cameras to take pictures of everyday life in Asheville's African American community during the post-World War II era.
Furman University in South Carolina Takes Measures to Atone for its Ties to Slavery
The university will change the name of James C. Furman Hall. The building is named after the university's first president who was a slave owner and a strong opponent of abolition. The board of trustees also agreed to erect a statue on campus honoring the university's first Black undergraduate student.
