Roanoke College recently established The Center for Studying Structures of Race to address systemic racism and further explore the institution’s history with slavery.
After partnering with other institutions to develop the Universities Studying Slavery consortium in 2014, Roanoke College began to study its own history. Though the school did not own slaves, several buildings on campus were constructed using enslaved labor, according to the college’s website.
“We are really interested in thinking about our college’s history and historical connections with institutions of slavery at our own institutional level,” said Dr. Jesse W. Bucher, an associate professor of history at Roanoke College and director of the new center. “But also, we are interested in putting effort into restoring and preserving historic structures that were connected with slavery as well.”
The new center will be housed in a renovated building that was once a slave quarter. It was built in 1853 and was acquired by Roanoke in 2002. The process to establish the center began a few years ago.
“It’s something that we’ve actually really been working on for a longer period of time, especially when you include the preservation work that went into setting up the building itself,” said Bucher.
“The center will ensure a continuing institutional focus on racism and its pernicious effects in American society,” said Dr. Richard Smith, vice president and dean of Roanoke, in a statement. “Its events will provide opportunities for students, faculty and staff to understand more deeply the legacies of racism, to discuss remedies to address them and to take action to promote change.”
The center’s bottom floor is dedicated to an academic community learning space to host events and classes. However, not everyone can reserve a space in the center. The course or event must be related to the space itself or engage in similar conversations.
