Hidden Legacies, Enduring Excellence

Join doctoral researchers Jordan D. Ross and Marquis Taylor as they uncover the histories of HBCU alumni, Black educators, and the enduring connections between Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Harvard University during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Drawing on primary source materials from Harvard University Archives, this webinar explores how HBCU graduates pursued advanced study at Harvard, how Black educators leveraged Harvard Summer School to strengthen their institutions and professional networks, and how these educational journeys challenged racial barriers while reshaping the landscape of American higher education. Together, these groundbreaking research projects illuminate the intellectual networks, institutional partnerships, and enduring legacy of Black educational excellence that have too often remained hidden from history.

This webinar will explore: 

1. The educational journeys of HBCU graduates who continued their studies at Harvard before 1930.
2. The role of Harvard Summer School as a gateway for African American teachers, principals, and educational leaders between 1890 and 1930.
3. What these discoveries reveal about institutional partnerships, educational mobility, and the enduring legacy of Black excellence in higher education.
4. How this work advances Harvard University's Legacy of Slavery Initiative while strengthening partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities through the HBCU Digital Library Trust. 

This engaging conversation will provide historians, librarians, archivists, faculty, students, and members of the public with a rare opportunity to see history unfold through original archival research, demonstrating how forgotten records can reshape our understanding of America's educational past.