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Old photo of Frederick Douglass and historical documents

Combining a broad array of disciplines

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Students discussing a topic

Incorporating multiple perspectives and approaches

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Gerald Early Lecture

Offering broad exposure and in-depth mastery

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September 28-29, 2023

Frederick Douglass Fall Symposium

We invite you to the 2023 Fall Symposium: Black Visual Culture | Black Visual Life, hosted by the University of Rochester Frederick Douglass Institute and Department of Black Studies.

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Degree Program

Our interdisciplinary program in Black studies integrates the social sciences and humanities.

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Careers & Outcomes

Black studies students pursue graduate studies and professional careers at prestigious institutions and organizations.

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Collaborations

We partner with numerous other institutes, departments, and centers from across the University.

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From left: Jordan Ealey and Philip V. McHarris smiling at the camera.

Feature Story

Department of Black Studies welcomes new faculty

Jordan Ealey and Philip V. McHarris bring their scholarly expertise in Black creativity and Black geographies to Rochester.

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Director Jeffrey McCune giving a speech at a podium.

Announcement

University of Rochester establishes Department of Black Studies

The University’s Board of Trustees approved the creation of a Department of Black Studies in Arts, Sciences & Engineering. The new academic department will work in close collaboration with the University’s Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African-American Studies, which was established in 1986. “The study of Black people in the world is a major project encompassing geography, culture, political science, sociology, economics, and creativity,” says Jeffrey McCune Jr., director of the University’s Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African-American Studies. “All of that is robust and deserves to be studied seriously.”

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Upcoming Events

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Dancers at the Rochester Dinner Revue.

Participate in or attend film screenings, dance festivals, lectures, poetry slams, community outreach, conferences, performances, and symposia.

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Calendar of Events

Bust of Frederick DouglassHistoryand Culture
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Daguerreotype of Frederick DouglassResearchand Scholarship

Want more information about the Frederick Douglass Institute? Contact us.