Virginia Colleges and Universities Join Together to Discuss Their Shared Historical Legacies

Slaves-on-a-shipA new consortium of 12 colleges and universities in Virginia recently held its first meeting to discuss how the educational institutions have dealt with and will deal with the issue of slavery. The Virginia Colleges and Universities Studying Slavery group held its first meeting at Morven Farm at the University of Virginia.

Representatives of Washington & Lee University, the College of William and Mary, Virginia Commonwealth University, Roanoke College, Longwood University, the Virginia Military Institute, Norfolk State University and the Virginia University of Lynchburg joined the host University of Virginia in discussions. Other institutions – including Hampton University, Sweet Briar College, Virginia Union University, and Virginia Tech – will be included in future meetings.

Kelley Fanto Deetz, who was hired last fall to a three-year postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research on the role of slavery in the history of the University of Virginia, hosted the first meeting. She said “this is just the start of what I hope will become a large-scale working group that will eventually span into addressing contemporary issues dealing with race and higher education, inequalities, and the complicated legacy of slavery in our state and in our country.”

Dr. Deetz, who is a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and holds a Ph.D. in African American studies and a Ph.D. in African diaspora studies from the University of California, Berkeley, hopes to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of the first slaves who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, when the anniversary occurs in 2019. “It is my hope that we as a collective can organize statewide events, propose curricular changes, and support one another to achieve common goals.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

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.

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.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs