African American Studies Granted Departmental Status at the University of Virginia
The Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia was established in 1981. Now, 36 years later it has been granted departmental status allowing it to function autonomously to develop curriculum and hire faculty.
The University of Virginia Establishes the Center on Race and Public Education in the...
The new center is being led by Derrick Alridge, a professor in the Curry School of Education at the university. Professor Alridge also is the director of “Teachers in the Movement,” an oral history project that explores the ideas and pedagogy of teachers during the civil rights movement.
Emory University Acquires a Collection of Letters Written by Barack Obama in His 20s
Rosemary Magee, director of the Rose Library at Emory University, stated the letters "reveal the search of a young man for meaning and identity. While intimate in a philosophical way, they reflect primarily a college student coming to terms with himself and others."
Harvard University Acquires Massive Drawing by Kara Walker
Harvard University has acquired a collage of drawings by contemporary artist Kara Walker entitled "U.S.A. Idioms." The collage is the largest work in the more than 250,000 works held by Harvard University.
Tuskegee University to Develop a Minor Program in African American Studies
The new, multidisciplinary African-American studies program is a collaborative project between the university’s Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science and the department of history and political science in the College of Arts and Sciences.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice Debuts an Online Archive on Slavery in New...
The new online archive includes more than 35,000 records. The index includes census records, slave trade transactions, cemetery records, birth certifications, manumissions, ship inventories, newspaper accounts, private narratives, legal documents and many other sources.
New Research Verifies Glass Was Manufactured in Africa Before the Arrival of Europeans
Abidemi Babatunde Babalola, a visiting fellow at Harvard University with a Ph.D. in anthropology from Rice University in Houston, finds that that glass was being produced in sub-Saharan Africa as early as the 11th century, well before the arrival of Europeans.
New Black Issues in Philosophy Blog Now Available Online
A new blog series produced by an editorial team in the philosophy department at the University of Connecticut, is being featured on the website of the American Philosophical Association. Lewis Gordon, a professor of philosophy, is the executive editor.
University of New Mexico Creates a Living/ Learning Community on the Black Experience
Living/learning communities have been shown to improve student success at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Only One HBCU on the List of the “50 Most Amazing College Museums”
College Rank recently published its list of the "50 Most Amazing College Museums." Only one museum at a historically Black college or university made the list; the Howard University Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
University of Montana’s New Online Archive of Black Criminal Justice History in the State
The timeline, which includes entries from 1864 to 2018, includes archival photos, interpretive commentary and hundreds of individuals and events. The timeline was produced by Julia Sherman, a graduate of the University of Montana's African American studies program.
Washington State University to Form the School of Languages, Cultures and Race
Washington State University has announced plans to combine the departments of foreign languages and cultures, the department of critical cultures, gender and race studies and the interdisciplinary programs in humanities and social sciences to form the new School of Languages, Culture and Race.
University of Oregon Unveils Plans for Its Black Cultural Center
The $2.2 million center has has been designed to accommodate an array of activities, including studying, student meetings, academic support and even small classes. The center also will showcase cultural pieces and artwork that celebrate Black heritage.
Michigan State University’s New Critical Race Studies Residency Program
The new program will bring an artist-in-residence and a designer-in-residence to campus with the goal of enriching the life of student experiences and the greater community by facilitating practices of inclusion through art and design.
Rutgers University-Newark Acquires the Archives of Jazz Legend Count Basie
The Count Basie Collection includes his pianos, Hammond organ, photos, correspondence, concert programs, business records, housewares and press clippings. Nearly 1,000 artifacts are included in the collection.
University of New Mexico Creates an Africana Studies Advisory Team
The group will support administrative efforts that will lead to department status for the Africana studies program and identify and engage funding sources to support the academic, research, and public/community service projects of Africana studies.
Princeton University Library Establishes Collection of African-American Newspapers
The Princeton University Library has established a collection of current newspapers published for African American audiences throughout the United States. The new collection contains printed copies of 72 newspapers from various cities and towns in 32 states.
Columbia University on Verge of Creating an African American and Diaspora Studies Department
Pending a final vote of approval from the board of trustees, this new department will be the first independent department established solely for African-American studies at Columbia University.
Princeton University’s Tera Hunter Wins Book Awards From the American Historical Association
Tera W. Hunter, the Edwards Professor of History and professor of African American studies at Princeton University in New Jersey, has been awarded the Joan Kelly Memorial Prize in women's history and/or feminist theory as well as the Littleton-Griswold Prize in U.S. law and society from the American Historical Association.
Florida State University Launches a New Civil Rights Institute
The mission of the new institute is to honor and study the United States civil rights movement and to promote civil rights and social change. It will host speakers and events, curate museum exhibits, develop an interactive website and publications, and support education and research.
Tulane University Researchers Launch Sexual Health Website Aimed at Young Black Men
Researchers from Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans have created the Check It website, which is specifically designed for young Black men to promote sexual health and screening for sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia.
Northwestern University’s New Exhibition Will Showcase Art From Medieval African Kingdoms
"Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa" is the first major exhibit to highlight West Africa's global reach in the medieval period. Many of the items in the exhibit have never been seen before in the United States.
UCLA Renames Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance to Honor Herbie Hancock
The change is in line with a decision by the Washington, D.C.-based Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz following a request by the Monk estate regarding the continued use of Thelonious Monk’s name.
Rutgers University to Launch the Samuel D. Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice
Samuel DeWitt Proctor was a Rutgers faculty member for 15 years. He served as the first Martin Luther King Jr. Chair and visiting professor in the Department of Africana Studies. Proctor was the first Black faculty member at Rutgers to have an endowed professorship named in his honor.
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.
Four Academic Powerhouses Join Forces to Study Racial Issues in the Humanities
Academic centers at four leading universities have entered into a partnership to investigate the connections between the study of race and racism and academic fields in the humanities. The four participating institutions are Yale University, Stanford University, Brown University and the University of Chicago.
Michigan State University Establishes a Department of African-American and African Studies
A major goal of the new department is to establish an undergraduate major within the next five years. It is hoped that the new department will help re-establish the African-American and African studies Ph.D. program as a national and international leader in the field.
Washington University Establishes the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, & Equity
The Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, & Equity at Washington University in St. Louis, will support student research, attract visiting scholars, and create opportunities for collaboration among faculty, students, and members of the St. Louis community.
University of Kansas Offering New Minor in African & African Diasporic Languages
The study of foreign languages and cultures will be a foundational element of the minor, as well as regional competency and cultural understanding.
Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center Designated as a “Distinctive Destination”
The Black Cultural Center at Purdue University has been designated as a "Distinctive Destination" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Purdue's Black Cultural Center is only the sixth location in Indiana to receive this honor.
University of Oregon Seeking Nominations for Naming of Its New Black Cultural Center
The new center is scheduled to open prior to the fall 2019 semester. It will serve as a home base for academic and social activities of Black students and a place where other students and visitors can learn about the Black student experience at the University of Oregon.
Vanderbilt University Establishes Partnership With the National Museum of African American Music
As a part of this new agreement, Vanderbilt will pledge $2 million in contributions and direct financial support to the museum. These funds will expand the museum's archival collection, contribute to innovative programming, support the completion of the facility, and more.
New Boise State University President Pressured to End Diversity and Inclusion Programs
A letter from 28 GOP members of the Idaho House of Representatives urged the new president of Boise State University to abandon at least some of the university's diversity and inclusion programs. The letter said that such initiatives were "antithetical to the Idaho way."
Penn State Hires Nine Scholars in African American or Diaspora Studies
Pennsylvania State University has announced that it has hired nine scholars who will all be affiliated with the university's department of African American studies. Seven of the nine hires are Black scholars.
University of Glasgow Agrees to Pay £20 Million in Reparations to the University of...
The sum of £20 million was the amount paid to slave owners as reparations by the British government when it abolished slavery in 1834.
Boston College Now Offering a Major in African and African Diaspora Studies
Black studies was established a half century ago at the college, but until now there has not been a major in the subject. The new major explores the history, culture, and politics of Africans on the continent and African-descended peoples in the U.S. and around the world.
