African American History

20 Mar 2025 Jayland Sexton

Black Digital Humanities, Historic Preservation, Intro to Public History (Spring 2025), PVAMU Events African American History, HBCUs, Institutional History, Prairie View A&M University, public history, Racial Desegregation

Unveiling the Hidden Legacy: Racial Segregation and the Erasure of Institutional History at HBCUs

HBCUs served as vital educational establishments for African Americans during the period of segregation when other institutions denied African Americans access to higher education. The inception story of HBCUs remains excluded from public recognition mostly because of systematic racial divisions which blocked educational institutions from proper development. According to Christopher T. Emdin in his book Urban Science Education for the Hip-Hop Generation institutions established to serve vulnerable populations suffer from institutional amnesia because historical accounts about their essentialness fade through economic funding shortages and political resource redirection.

Both racial segregation practices and resource uneven distribution at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) suppressed its expansion relative to majority-white schools while removing essential information about its institutional history. Major HBCUs remain absent from such larger discussions about national educational histories. Future generations and scholars will be deprived of the complete history of college cultural achievements because these institutions’ whole narrative has been erased.

The Erasure of Institutional History

The elimination of institutional historical information at HBCUs stems from both past racial segregation and current structural inequalities that affect these institutions. Derrick P. Alridge in The Educational Legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities demonstrates that maintaining and promoting HBCU historical records receives insufficient funding. Public history initiatives select predominantly white colleges over the valuable heritage of minority institutions when creating their projects. The present disparity both decreases public understanding regarding the vital importance of HBCUs and fails to fully demonstrate what these institutions accomplished throughout African American historical development.

The notable Texas HBCU PVAMU maintains an extended Nigerian-American legacy of fighting African American education battles during civil rights yet public history scholars do not adequately explore these significant events in their research collections. The absence of substantial funding together with institutional backing threatens to eliminate PVAMU and comparable institutions from the historical canon thus preventing students both present and future from developing their connection to their past.

Achieving Racial Desegregation Through Public History at PVAMU

Achieving meaningful racial desegregation through public history at PVAMU requires active efforts from the university together with its stakeholders to restore and position the African American historical narratives related to the university’s background. The history of PVAMU needs to achieve stronger integration within national and state-level discussions of higher education as well as civil rights and African American culture.

Public history should receive both financial backing along with organizational expansion to highlight HBCU stories which remain unknown to most people today. The HBCU Digital Preservation Project operates as a key initiative toward documenting HBCU histories through digital archiving of oral memories to enable scholars better understanding of these universities’ historic contributions to American history. PVAMU together with other HBCUs needs to integrate their history into standard historical research to battle the widespread cultural memory loss from racial divisions while they reconstruct authentic historical narratives.

PVAMU students have the opportunity to engage in historical projects by conducting interviews with alumni together with faculty members and staff members. Students who take part in collecting these stories would discover an authentic understanding of university history while strengthening their authority over their institution’s historical authority. Public history operations serve as a racial desegregation method when communities preserve and feature histories which represent marginalized populations.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

HBCUs faced marginalization because racial segregation and systemic resource hoarding resulted in the disappearing of their institutional histories which otherwise would have enriched the United States social and academic and political landscapes. Public history initiatives allow us to reverse historical mistreatment and promote actual racial integration in America. The protection and continuation of PVAMU stories will lead future generations to fully encounter American higher education history which involves the historical perspectives and achievements of African American culture.

By critically addressing the impact of racial segregation on the history of HBCUs, this post highlights how public history can serve as a tool for both reclaiming erased histories and fostering meaningful racial desegregation. Through initiatives like digital preservation and student engagement in history-making, HBCUs can take an active role in reshaping how history is remembered and shared.

John Smith

CEO

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Prairie View A&M University campus, highlighting students and the historical significance of the HBCU.

A view of the exterior of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, reflecting the importance of shared authority in telling African American history.

20 Mar 2025 Jayland Sexton

Intro to Public History (Spring 2025) African American History, Historical Scholarship, Museums, public history, shared authority

Shared Authority in Historical Research: A New Era of Collaboration and Inclusion

What is Shared Authority?

In the realm of historical research and scholarship, “shared authority” refers to the collaborative process where historians and other stakeholders—such as community members, local experts, or descendants of those being studied—contribute equally to the creation and interpretation of historical knowledge. This concept challenges the traditional hierarchical model of scholarship, where experts hold the sole authority over research and narratives. Shared authority aims to democratize history, ensuring that multiple voices are heard and valued in the research process.

How Does It Impact Historical Research, Scholarship, and Exhibition?

The concept of shared authority profoundly impacts how history is researched, interpreted, and presented. By engaging communities in the process, shared authority introduces new perspectives, challenges dominant historical narratives, and enriches historical scholarship. As historian Lauret Savoy argues in her work, the inclusion of diverse voices in the research process not only creates a more accurate and nuanced understanding of history but also empowers communities to reclaim and tell their own stories. This approach emphasizes the importance of local knowledge and lived experiences, giving authority to those who have historically been marginalized.

Shared authority transforms historical exhibitions by incorporating community input into the design and content of museums or public history projects. For example, exhibitions that include the perspectives of Indigenous groups, African American communities, or other marginalized populations ensure that their histories are not reduced to footnotes in mainstream narratives but are told in their own words.

Connecting Shared Authority to Current Events and Public History Projects

A powerful example of shared authority in action can be seen in the recent Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum actively involves the African American community in the curating process, ensuring that exhibits reflect the experiences and voices of those directly affected by the events. By incorporating community members in the development of the museum’s exhibits, the museum fosters a deeper connection to the past, encouraging visitors to experience history in a way that is both educational and emotionally resonant.

Additionally, the National Parks Service and its recent initiative to reframe the narratives around American slavery and Indigenous rights offer another example of shared authority at work. This initiative includes input from descendant communities and local historians, ensuring that exhibitions reflect more than just the perspectives of policymakers or academic historians. This is a critical step in ensuring that the national narrative evolves in ways that are inclusive and accurate.

Photo of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

: SmithsonianAfricanAmericanMuseumD.C-scaled

Conclusion

Shared authority transforms historical research, scholarship, and exhibitions by making them more inclusive and reflective of diverse perspectives. By embracing collaboration and valuing community contributions, historians, scholars, and institutions move toward a more equitable and authentic portrayal of the past. As the world continues to reckon with issues of race, identity, and historical injustice, shared authority offers a promising path toward a more just and comprehensive understanding of history.

By reflecting on shared authority in both research and public exhibitions, we open the door to a richer, more inclusive dialogue around history—one that highlights the importance of collaboration and diverse perspectives in our understanding of the past.

Title: Shared Authority in Historical Research: A New Era of Collaboration and Inclusion Tags: Shared Authority, Public History, Historical Scholarship, Museums, African American History, Inclusive History Categories: History, Public History, Scholarly Discussion Date Published: 01/31/2025

7 Mar 2025 Dena Miles

Intro to Public History (Spring 2025) African American History, Black women, Heroes, Historic Preservation, public history

Un-Sung Heroes of Historic Preservation

Un-Sung Hero’s of Historic Preservation

Dena Miles

History isn’t just about dates and names but about the stories and perspectives of the individuals who dedicated their lives to ensure those stories are never forgotten. Today, I want to highlight the often-unsung heroes of African American historical preservation: Black women. Faith Davis Ruffins’ article, “Lifting as We Climb,” beautifully illustrates the pivotal role of black women and their contributions through traditional oral and written works. Ruffins highlights that Black women preserved African American heritage through “oral transmission,” “written interpretation,” and “building collections of books or artifacts.” These efforts often occurred in crucial yet undervalued roles like librarians and teachers. These women actively bolstered organizations like the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASALH), although men typically held leadership roles. Ruffins notes that “the bulk of the membership has always been comprised of women,” highlighting their grassroots activism is a social practice initiated by community-led initiatives and social movements.

Black women have been overlooked in mainstream narratives for too long. This has shaped our experiences, demanding resilience and innovation in our preservation efforts. Churches were critical centers for organizing and preserving history, and Black women frequently served as archivists and leaders. They safeguarded cultural heritage and identity through memorabilia, oral traditions, and artistic expressions. Despite factual errors and embellishments, oral history offers invaluable benefits for historic preservation. It provides personal perspectives and lived experiences that written records often miss. Oral histories capture diverse narratives, enriching our understanding of the past and fostering a deeper connection. This form of preservation ensures traditions and memories are passed down, maintaining community identity and heritage. Two distinct preservation narratives reveal a gender conundrum in African American history. While no single place is devoted to preserving her memory and interpreting her legacy to a contemporary audience, expensive interactive exhibits are designed to preserve the sacred story. Frederick Douglass transformed himself into a national figure for freedom, a stance he conveyed through his prolific writings. Let’s commit to recognizing and celebrating the contributions of Black women in preserving African American history. Their dedication, resilience, and innovative approaches have enriched our understanding of the past and continue to shape our present. By acknowledging their pivotal role, we honor their legacy and ensure that their stories continue to inspire future generations.