Guilford College formed an initial working group over Summer 2019 to establish institutional capacity for this important work. Initial priorities and area of interest were developed through a campus workshop on April 2, 2019 and results of that process are provided below.
Investigate the descendants of African-American workers at Guilford College and/or descendants of the enslaved communities from the New Garden area.
Ongoing project in partnership with area churches and individuals with longstanding connections to Guilford College. Special thanks to Ruby Sapp Leach for her information sharing and knowledge as a family member of those who worked at the institution in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Erect more prominent signage on Guilford’s campus and the surrounding area related to the history of slavery. First priority is placement of a historical marker in honor of Vina Curry, the African American woman who worked at New Garden Boarding School. She allowed her husband’s freedman’s papers to be used by fugitives.
Formal marker commemorating Lavina Curry installed in 2022 at the college's Friendly Avenue main entrance.
Build coursework or experiences into the Guilford curriculum related to the college’s history with slavery and its legacies.
Work begun but set aside due to 2020 pandemic crises and staff changes.
Prioritize which files should be digitized in the Quaker Archives for greater accessibility. Develop an online repository for all work related to research on slavery and its legacies at Guilford.
Ongoing as staffing and capabilities allow.
Conduct asset mapping to determine the work that is already being done on campus related to slavery.
Work begun but set aside due to 2020 pandemic crises and staff changes.
Pursue an opportunity to host Universities Studying Slavery Conference on Guilford College’s campus.
Hosted conference in collaboration with Wake Forest University in March 2022. https://www.guilford.edu/news/2022/03/guilford-plans-universities-studying-slavery-conference