Black Studies Program

In 1974, 10 years after the Civil Rights Act was passed, the University of Richmond received two grants from the Grace Foundation, totaling $3,000, to implement a Black Studies program at the University of Richmond. This exhibit page includes a page of over 100 potential courses in Black Studies and correspondances discussing how to allocate funding. While this program never materialized, the University did allocate the funds in a budget to create a Sociology course (323) called “The Black Community in Urban America.” We can see below former president E. Bruce Heilman discussing the importance of having Black Studies courses.

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Memo from former president E. Bruce Heilman explaining why he believes Black Studies courses are important.

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Article explaining Virginia Education Association's Department of Higher Education meeting at the University of Richmond, where educators discussed the values of Black Studies programs.

The merits of a Black Studies curriculum were not lost on the University educators. From President Heilman's letter to a Collegian article, both show that college educators understood the values of having a Black studies curriculum. They understood that it equipped students to live in a cosmopolitan society and that it makes up for "the big knowledge gap their absence has created."

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Letter thanking the Grace Foundation for its grant funding a Black Studies program.

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Letter proposing a budget for new sociology course entitled "The Black Community in Urban America".

Here, we can see correspondances between administrators themselves, and between administrators and the Vice President of the Grace Foundation about money allocated for a Black Studies program. The University received $3,000 in grants to create a Black Studies program. It is s interesting to note that these letters and the grants appeared around the same time (1973-1974) that college educators nationwide (as seen above) were agreeing on the merits of Black Studies. It shows that the University seemed to follow a nationwide trend of urging Black Studies courses.

List of potential black studies courses

Here, we can see a list of potential black studies courses that could have been offered- there are over 100 potential courses. These include courses in African languages, literature, and African American politics and culture.