In honor of Black History Month, the National Civil Rights Museum is sitting down with award-winning historian Crystal R. Sanders to host a virtual book talk on her book, A Forgotten Migration: Black Southerners, Segregation Scholarships, and the Debt Owed to Public HBCUs.
Taking place on Feb. 13 at 6:00 pm CT, the event features a compelling discussion on the overlooked history of segregation scholarships and their enduring impact on Black higher education. The virtual book talk furthers the museum’s mission to spark meaningful conversations linking historical struggles to current issues in education and civil rights.
“We are thrilled to host Dr. Sanders once again and bring attention to this crucial aspect of American history,” Dr. Russ Wigginton, president of the National Civil Rights Museum said in a press release.
“Her work continues to shed light on the enduring legacy of segregation and the long fight for educational equity.”
In A Forgotten Migration, Sanders explores a little-known chapter of history about how Southern states, before Brown v. Board of Education, avoided integrating graduate programs by funding Black students to attend schools out of state. This practice imposed significant financial and emotional burdens on Black students while reinforcing the systemic underfunding of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Sanders sheds light on the resilience of these students and the lasting effects of educational segregation.
tom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad3">The virtual book talk is Sanders’ second appearance in the museum’s Book Talk Series, following her 2017 discussion of A Chance for Change: Head Start and Mississippi’s Black Freedom Struggle. She currently works as an associate professor of African American Studies at Emory University and a leading historian specializing in African American history, Black women’s history, and the history of Black education.
The online event is free and open to the public. Educators from Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS) who attend the full session will earn professional development hours in PLZ. Registration for the event can be done HERE.
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