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Legacies of American Slavery

Legacies of American Slavery

an initiative of the Council of Independent Colleges

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  • About UsLearn more about the Council of Independent Colleges and the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University.
    • A Timeline of the Legacies of American Slavery Initiative
    • Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)The Council of Independent Colleges is the nation’s leading association of smaller private colleges and universities.
    • Gilder Lehrman Center (GLC)The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at the MacMillan Center (Yale University) is dedicated to the investigation and dissemination of knowledge concerning slavery and its legacies across all borders and all time, from the distant past through the present day.
    • Meet the Project Team
    • Funders
  • Legacies and ThemesDefining the “legacies” of slavery.
    • What Is a Legacy (Now)? Afterlives and the Turbulent PresentA reflection on the Legacies of American Slavery initiative by David Blight, looking back from 2025.
    • What Is a Legacy?An introductory essay by David Blight (2020).
    • Legacy ThemesThis project is organized around nine “legacy themes” that help define the afterlives of slavery.
  • Network MembersSeven private colleges and universities serve as the backbone of a growing national network of higher education institutions and community partners.
    • Regional Collaboration PartnersSeven institutions serve as coordinating hubs for the national network.
    • Institutional AffiliatesTwelve additional colleges and universities support regional activities as part of the Legacies network.
  • ResourcesWhat are CIC institutions doing to reckon with the legacy of slavery? Find resources and examples here.
    • Resource DatabaseA publicly available, searchable, and sortable database of existing resources at independent colleges and universities related to the legacies of slavery.
    • Virtual Symposium (2022)CIC and the Gilder Lehrman Center hosted a virtual symposium on the Legacies of American Slavery in April 2022.
    • Virtual Sessions: Independent Colleges and the Legacies of Slavery (September 19 and 21, 2024)
  • Archived ProgramsClick on the menu items below to learn more about previous programs, including a national conference in 2024.
    • Conference: Independent Colleges and the Legacies of Slavery
    • Summer 2023 Programs for Faculty and Staff from CIC Colleges (and Community Partners!)
    • Regional Conference Schedule, Fall 2022

Tag: Commemoration and Memory

The selective commemoration and remembrance of slavery, the Civil War, emancipation, and segregation—as well as the expansion of civil rights and the celebration of African American history and identity—through memorials, statues, architecture, place names, or other expressions.

Links and Resources

Legacies Links for February 17, 2025: Memory and Preservation

17 Feb 202517 Feb 2025
Frederick Douglass (1818-1895): abolitionist, author, and orator, pictured here in 1879. Douglass died 130 years ago this week. Source: Wikimedia Commons Happy Presidents’ Day! A good time to remember that…
Links and Resources

Legacies Links for February 3, 2025: Black History Month 2025

3 Feb 20252 Feb 2025
Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) is credited as the “Father of Black History Month,” which began as “Negro History Week” 99 years ago this month. As always, we encourage you…
Links and Resources

Legacies Links for January 13, 2025: Not Even Past

13 Jan 202513 Jan 2025
As always, we invite you to share this post with students, colleagues, and anyone else who is interested in the legacies of slavery. A link here does not imply agreement…
Links and Resources

Legacies Links for December 16, 2024: Histories of Slavery, Black Farmers, and More

16 Dec 2024
As always, we invite you to share this post with students, colleagues, and anyone else who is interested in the legacies of slavery. A link here does not imply agreement…
Links and Resources

Legacies Links for December 2, 2024: Normalized Racism, Unique Histories

2 Dec 20242 Dec 2024
As always, we invite you to share this post with students, colleagues, and anyone else who is interested in the legacies of slavery. A link here does not imply agreement…
Links and Resources

Legacies Links for November 18, 2024: Politics, Cultural Creativity, Preserving Black History

18 Nov 202424 Jan 2025
As always, we invite you to share this post with students, colleagues, and anyone else who is interested in the legacies of slavery. A link here does not imply agreement…
Links and Resources

Legacies links for November 11, 2024: White Supremacists, Abolitionists, and Updates from CIC Colleges

11 Nov 202411 Nov 2024
As always, we invite you to share this post with students, colleagues, and anyone else who is interested in the legacies of slavery. A link here does not imply agreement…
Links and Resources

Legacies links for September 30, 2024: Politics, Cultural Creativity, and Other Topics

30 Sep 202430 Sep 2024
We’re back from our conference in Memphis on Independent Colleges and the Legacies of Slavery! Did you miss the sessions that were streamed live? No problem — you can watch…
Links and Resources

Legacies links for September 16, 2024: Civil Rights, Memory, and Resistance

16 Sep 202416 Sep 2024
We look forward to seeing you at the Legacies conference in Memphis this week, either in person or virtually (there’s still time to register for the live streams)! As always,…
Reflections…

Uncovering Connections to Slavery on a Florida Campus

29 Aug 20246 Nov 2024
Guest contributors: Claire Strom and Rachel Walton* Rollins College (Winter Park, Florida) c. 1901 and today. Source: Rollins College (left image, right image). The Locating Slavery’s Legacies database (LSLdb) has been developed by…

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© Council of Independent Colleges except where otherwise indicated.

Council of Independent Colleges

1 Dupont Circle NW
Suite 320
Washington, DC 20036
legaciesproject@cic.edu #CICLegacies
202-466-7230

Organized in collaboration with

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David W. Blight, Director

With generous support from


and additional support from

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed on this site do not necessarily represent those of the NEH.

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