University of Virginia School of Law Establishes the Education Rights Institute
The new institute, led by law professor Kimberly Jenkins Robinson, aims to ensure that all students receive a high-quality K-12 education and help schools understand how to address obstacles facing disadvantaged students.
Kerry James Marshall’s Portrait of Henry Louis Gate Jr. Donated to Cambridge University
Kerry James Marshall has donated his portrait of Harvard's Henry Louis Gates Jr. to the University of Cambridge. Professor Gates holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in English language and literature from Clare College at the University of Cambridge. The work is Marshall's first portrait of a living person.
University Press of Kentucky Launches New Imprint to Discover Creative Black Writers
Screen Door Press is dedicated to discovering unique, exceptional, and varied voices within Black literary traditions. The goal of Screen Door Press is to publish thought-provoking books that feature relatable characters, strong narratives, and beautiful language to champion diverse views from throughout the Black diaspora. The new imprint will be edited by Crystal Wilkinson, Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor at the University of Kentucky.
Vanderbilt University Acquires the Dom Flemons Collection
The collection includes research materials on Black cowboys, musical instruments, an Edison phonograph with several playable wax cylinders, historical sheet music, art pieces, memorabilia, personal gifts, autographed records, and materials documenting Flemons’ 20-year professional music career.
Alicia Fontnette Appointed Executive Director of the National Council for Black Studies
The National Council for Black Studies has selected Alicia Fontnette as the organization's executive director. Dr. Fontnette is an assistant professor in the department of African studies at the University of Delaware, which will serve as the council's new headquarters.
The Slavery North Initiative Gets a Boost in Funding from the Mellon Foundation
The University of Massachusetts Amherst received its largest ever Mellon Foundation grant to support the Slavery North Initiative. The program is led by founding director Charmaine Nelson, provost professor of art history.
Global Black Writers in Translation Series Is Launched by Vanderbilt University Press
Global Black Writers in Translation, a new trade series launched by Vanderbilt University Press, will publish works by African-descended authors translated into English in an effort to expand public knowledge of Black literature.
Yale Library Acquires Digital Collection of Langston Hughes Papers
In a recent December upload, the Yale University Library added a collection of papers from Black poet Langston Hughes to the school's online archive. The collection contains correspondence between Hughes and other authors and civil rights activists of his time.
Black Film Project and Film Studies Fellowships Established at Harvard University
Henry Louis Gates Jr., professor and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University, will direct the newly established Black Film Project, an initiative aiming to support independent films focusing on Black history and culture.
Kean University Establishes New Center for Africana Studies
“This new center epitomizes the university’s commitment to equity and to serving our state, particularly our urban communities,” said Kean University president Lamont Repollet.
Chicago Library Receives $2 Million to Digitize Collection of African American History and Literature
The Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection housed within the Chicago Public Library will soon be available online to the public thanks to a $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Johns Hopkins University Launches New Major and Center for Critical Study of Racism, Immigration,...
The new Chloe Center for the Critical Study of Racism, Immigration, and Colonialism will provide research opportunities and educational events for the Johns Hopkins University community. As part of the new program, the university has announced a new undergraduate major in critical diaspora studies.
Center for Politics and Race in America at Rutgers University Newark Renamed for the...
“Lt. Gov. Oliver’s legacy will continue to inspire our center as we expand access to public service as a profession and promote research and public policy that confronts systemic inequalities," said James Jones, co-director of the Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America at Rutgers University Newark.
California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College
Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.
Tina Post Wins National Book Circle Award for Book on Black American Identity and...
Dr. Post has been on the faculty at the University of Chicago for the past six years, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in the university's department of English language and literature.
Jack A. Kirkland Donates Collection of Papers to Washington University in St. Louis
Kirkland has served as an associate professor in the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University for over 50 years. His collection of papers includes materials from the early days of the university's Black studies program.
Saida Grundy Wins Race, Gender, and Class Book Award From the American Sociology Association
Dr. Grundy's book, Respectable: Politics and Paradox in Making the Morehouse Man, explores the culture and experiences of graduates from Morehouse College in Atlanta, the country's only historically Black college for men.
In Memoriam: Nathan Hare, 1933-2024
Dr. Hare was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement throughout the 1960s and was a strong advocate for equal educational opportunities for Black Americans. In 1968, he founded the country's first Black studies program at San Francisco State University.
Study Examines Changing Viewpoints of Black Nationalism Over the Past Forty Years
Historically, supporters of Black nationalism were more likely to be men, younger in age, and from a lower income or educational background. The new study found none of these factors predicted Black nationalism, and the belief system is now found among a wider audience of Black Americans.
Institute of Museum and Library Services Awards $6 Million in Grants to African American...
Since its establishment in 2006, the Institute's African American museum grant program has awarded nearly $36 million to institutions across the country. This year, three grants were awarded to projects in higher education.
Two Black Historians in Higher Education Receive Prestigious Dan David Prize
Keisha Blain of Brown University and Cécile Fromont of Harvard University have received 2024 Dan David Prizes for their outstanding achievements as academic historians.
Tuskegee University Students Travel to UC Santa Barbara for Screenwriting Scholars Program
Ten students from Tuskegee University will travel to the UC Santa Barbara campus and spend the summer learning about screenwriting and other film and television areas of study. In the fall, Tuskegee will launch a film and media studies concentration, with plans to establish a full bachelor's degree within the next two years.
Vanderbilt University Launches Digital Collection of Papers From Rev. James M. Lawson
Lawson enrolled in Vanderbilt Divinity School in the 1950s, and was soon expelled for organizing peaceful protests in the downtown Nashville. Since then, Vanderbilt has recognized Lawson's contributions to the civil rights movement through several awards and university initiatives named in his honor.
Florida A&M University to Establish New Center for African and African American Studies
The Henry Luce Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation have donated a total of $550,000 to establish the Center for African and African American Studies at Florida A&M University.
AUC Acquires Archival Collection From Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Clarke Franklin
In November 2001, Franklin became the first Black woman mayor of any major city in the southern United States. She served in this role for two-terms, focusing her efforts on supporting the local arts and improving the city's infrastructure.
Three Black Authors Named Finalists for Yale’s 2024 Frederick Douglass Book Prize
The finalists are Kerri Greenidge, professor at Tufts University; Sarah Johnson, professor at the University of California, San Diego; and Emily Owens, professor at Brown University.
W. Paul Coates Honored With a Lifetime Achievement Award From the National Book Foundation
Coates served as the African American studies manuscript and reference librarian in the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University for over a decade. He also taught as an adjunct instructor of African American studies at Sojourner-Douglass College in Maryland.
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.
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.
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.
Barbara Savage Receives Book Award for Her Recent Biography of Merze Tate
The Before Columbus Foundation has honored Barbara Savage, professor emerita at the University of Pennsylvania, with their 2024 American Book Award for her book, Merze Tate: The Global Odyssey of a Black Woman Scholar.
Kimberlé Crenshaw Honored With Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal
Presented by Harvard University, the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal is considered the university's highest honor in the field of African and African American studies.
In Memoriam: Edward Cox, 1943-2024
Dr. Cox was a professor of history at Rice University for nearly three decades. He was a member of Rice's Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice, an advisor for the Black Student Association, and founding director of the Mellon Undergraduate Fellowship program.
Gerald McWorter Donates Archival Materials to the University of Illinois
Dr. McWorter - also known as Abdul Alkalimat - has donated a collection of his papers to the archives at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he is a professor emeritus of African American studies. The donation includes materials on the history of the Black studies field and the civil rights movement, as well as personal family records.
Morehouse School of Medicine Launches New Course on Racial Disparities in Pain Treatment
In a previous survey conducted by Morehouse, Advil, and BLKHLTH, roughly 93 percent of Black participants said pain impacts their daily life and 83 percent said they have had a negative experience when seeking treatment for their pain.
Sherita Johnson Appointed Director of the Africana Research Center at Pennsylvania State University
Sherita Johnson is a scholar of nineteenth-century African American literature and print culture. She has conducted extensive archival research on the experiences of Black writers, activists, and public intellectuals.
