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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: Race, Place, and Migration

The impact of internal migrations both before and after Emancipation, such as the “Great Migration” of Southern blacks to Northern cities that began in the early 20th century and spurred new forms of spatial segregation (such as “redlining”).

Reflections…

Reflections on the Legacies Initiative: Lewis University

22 May 202516 May 2025
Between 2020 and 2025, Lewis University in Romeoville, IL, served as a Regional Collaboration Partner in CIC’s Legacies of American Slavery network. The university is located near the terminus of…
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 27, 2025: L.A. Fires, Civil Rights Struggles Up North, Black History

27 Jan 202527 Jan 2025
In 2008, the Museum of the City of New York commissioned artist Mike Alewitz (via the Puffin Foundation) to create a mural celebrating the history of labor and social justice…
Links and Resources

Legacies Links for December 9, 2024: African Soil, American Soil, and Other Links

9 Dec 20249 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…
Reflections

Race and Place in Appalachia: The Watershed Project at Emory & Henry College

12 Apr 202412 Apr 2024
The Highlands of Southwest Virginia are home to CIC member Emory & Henry College. Photo courtesy of Talmage Stanley. Guest contributor: Talmage Stanley Through its Watershed Project, Emory & Henry College…
Reflections…

Incarceration and the Afterlife of Slavery: How a College and a Prison in Illinois Use Art to Reckon with the Past and Present

5 Oct 20234 Oct 2023
Guest contributor: Tennille Nicole Allen* It takes me four minutes to drive the five miles from the gates of Lewis University, where I chair the sociology department, to the gates…
Uncategorized

Legacies links for September 11, 2023: roadside markers, histories of Black displacement, and more

11 Sep 2023
As always, the editorial team at the Legacies blog encourages you to share this post with friends, students, colleagues, etc. A link does not imply agreement or endorsement by the…
Uncategorized

Legacies links for August 28, 2023: MLK’s Dream at 60 (and counting)

28 Aug 202328 Aug 2023
As always, we encourage you to share this post with friends, students, colleagues, etc. A link does not imply agreement or endorsement by the Council of Independent Colleges. Today is…
Links and Resources

Legacies links for July 17, 2023: the Memphis massacre, college admissions, geographic racism, and more

17 Jul 202316 Jul 2023
As always, we encourage you to share this post with friends, students, colleagues, etc. A link does not imply agreement or endorsement by the Council of Independent Colleges. Scenes in…
Links and Resources

Legacies links for April 3, 2023: DNA, ChatGPT, and Historic Preservation

3 Apr 2023
As always, we encourage you to share this post. A link does not imply agreement or endorsement by the Council of Independent Colleges. Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School in Eatonville,…

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Commemoration and Memory Contested Citizenship Critical Race Theory Cultural Creativity Economic Disparities Environmental Justice Halloween Hispanic Heritage Month Institutional Histories John Brown Mass Incarceration Museums Phillis Wheatley Poetry Public History Race Race, Health, and Medicine Race, Place, and Migration Racial Violence and Resistance Reading Lists Reflections Religion and Slavery Reparations Slavery tourism Teaching about Slavery Teaching slavery


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Council of Independent Colleges

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legaciesproject@cic.edu #CICLegacies
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David W. Blight, Director

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

 

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