Slavery and the University: Histories and Legacies

by Leslie Harris (editor), James Campbell (Editor), Alfred Brophy (Editor)

Slavery and the University is the first edited collection of scholarly essays devoted solely to the histories and legacies of this subject on North American campuses and in their Atlantic contexts. Gathering together contributions from scholars, activists, and administrators, the volume combines two broad bodies of (1) historically based interdisciplinary research on the presence of slavery at higher education institutions in terms of the development of proslavery and antislavery thought and the use of slave labor; and (2) analysis on the ways in which the legacies of slavery in institutions of higher education continued in the post–Civil War era to the present day.The collection features broadly themed essays on issues of religion, economy, and the regional slave trade of the Caribbean. It also includes case studies of slavery’s influence on specific institutions, such as Princeton University, Harvard University, Oberlin College, Emory University, and the University of Alabama. Though the roots of Slavery and the University stem from a 2011 conference at Emory University, the collection extends outward to incorporate recent findings. As such, it offers a roadmap to one of the most exciting developments in the field of U.S. slavery studies and to ways of thinking about racial diversity in the history and current practices of higher education.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Education

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2019

Reviews

[Sarah Schulman]

Harrowing information about the criminal roots of our most powerful universities.

[Koltyn Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slavery and The University Histories and Legacies was a wonderful read that kept my attention from the beginning of the novel all the way to the end. The information that the authors provide while it was very informative it made me sick knowing how many of the American universities that people love and cherish are the same universities that enslaved Africans. I would recommend this novel to anyone that is interested in the history of our American universities and, are wanting to know the history about the enslaved labor that happened on these campuses.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of essays on various northern and southern universities' connections to slavery, as well as contemporary reckonings with that legacy.

[PatriceReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very well aware of the connection between my alma mater and slavery, but learning about the connection between slavery and other universities was insightful. This was a frustrating read, but I recommend it.