Category: Events

January 18, 2022 at 6:00-7:00PM EST

A new historical marker on Rutgers–New Brunswick’s Livingston campus explains its namesake William Livingston’s deep involvement in slavery and his halting efforts to abolish slavery as New Jersey’s first governor.

In this virtual presentation, Robert Snyder LC’77, a professor emeritus of journalism and American studies at Rutgers–Newark, will talk with Jesse Bayker SGS’19, digital archivist for the Scarlet and Black Project at Rutgers–New Brunswick, who will discuss Livingston’s life.

Brooke A. Thomas, an African American history doctoral candidate at Rutgers–New Brunswick, will share the importance of Livingston College to Rutgers, why it was created, and how activism was one of its important contributions to Rutgers. Thomas is also a co-author of the chapter “We the People: Student Activism at Rutgers and Livingston College, 1960–1985” in Scarlet and Black, Volume 3.

Livingston College graduates Snyder and Debra O’Neal LC’87 will share their experiences of educational innovation and campus activism from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. The discussion will end with a question-and-answer forum.

This event is sponsored by the Rutgers University Alumni Association, the Livingston Alumni Association, and the Rutgers Alumni Association.

Dr. Michelle Stephens, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice, sat down with Dr. Deborah Gray White, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of History, to talk about the research, legacy, and future of the Scarlet and Black Project.

This webinar took place on October 8, 2021, and was sponsored by the Rutgers University Alumni Association.

Watch the webinar recording:

On September 30, 2021, Scarlet and Black contributors shared their experience studying slavery at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the 3-day symposium called In the Wake of Slavery and Dispossession: Emory, Racism, and the Journey towards Restorative Justice. This symposium highlighted the ongoing efforts and research in the areas of slavery, dispossession, and restorative justice, with a focus on the legacy of racism and its enduring effects at Emory University. The sessions included creative interpretations and dialogue, with a primary focus on the perspectives of Black, Native American, and Indigenous peoples.

You can learn more about the symposium and view videos from all sessions on the symposium website.

Watch the session recording:

Panel Discussion: Rutgers Experience in Studying Slavery and the Development of the Scarlet and Black Project 

Presenters:

• Jesse Bayker, Research Project Manager and Digital Archivist for the Scarlet and Black Project (moderator), Rutgers University–New Brunswick
• Miya Carey, Assistant Professor of History, Binghamton University
• Beatrice Adams, Assistant Professor of African American History, College of Wooster
• Tracey Johnson, Scarlet and Black Postdoctoral Fellow, Rutgers University–New Brunswick

The Scarlet and Black Project celebrated the release of our newest books from Rutgers University Press with a 2-day virtual symposium on April 29-30, 2021. Thank you to all of our speakers and attendees for participating in our celebration and making it a success!

All symposium sessions and President Jonathan Holloway’s keynote address were recorded and are now available on our website. View the videos here.

The New Jersey Historical Commission is pleased to present Exploring Black History in New Jersey: New Research and Discoveries, a webinar exploring projects that uncover and share African American history in the Garden State.

This virtual event took place on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, and featured speakers from the Scarlet and Black Project, the 313 Project, and Monmouth County Historical Association discussing their work. Attendees learned about the latest research, historical stories, and ways to access and support Black history in New Jersey.

Watch the webinar recording:

Featured speakers in order of appearance:

• Reverend Doctor Wanda Lundy, Siloam Hope First Presbyterian Church and the 313 Project
• Joe Zemla, Associate Curator, Monmouth County Historical Association
• Dr. Alexandria Russell, Rutgers University Scarlet & Black Postdoctoral Fellow
• Dr. Jesse Bayker, Digital Archivist, Scarlet & Black Project

Resources from the webinar:

On October 26, 2017, Rutgers University–New Brunswick dedicated Will’s Way, the Sojourner Truth Apartments and the James Dickson Carr Library to honor an enslaved man, a renowned abolitionist and Rutgers’ first black graduate.

Watch the dedication event recorded by RU-tv:

For more about the dedication events, check out today’s article by Neal Buccino: Newly Named Campus Landmarks Honor African Americans Linked to Rutgers History.

On November 18, 2016, the Committee on Enslaved and Disenfranchised Populations in Rutgers History presented its findings to the university community at an event held at the College Avenue Student Center. The event was livestreamed by Rutgers iTV Studio, and you can view the recording below:

Message from Chancellor Edwards about the event:

A year ago, I wrote to all of you announcing that the university would embark on an exploration of its early history, specifically examining to what extent our early trustees and benefactors were involved in slavery, how Rutgers came to inhabit land that once belonged to local Native American tribes and how our institution may have benefited from these realities. To achieve a fuller understanding of this aspect of our early history, I created the Committee on Enslaved and Disenfranchised Populations in Rutgers History, which has been chaired by Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of History Deborah Gray White and composed of faculty, students and staff.

I am pleased to announce that Professor White and her committee have delivered on my charge and will present their findings in an event entitled “Scarlet and Black” that will take place on Friday, November 18 from 4 to 6 p.m., at the College Avenue Student Center Multipurpose Room. A reception will follow in the adjacent Fireside Lounge. Please register for the event by emailing scarletandblack@rutgers.edu.

The committee’s work has been published by the Rutgers University Press in a book, Scarlet and Black, Volume 1: Slavery and Dispossession in Rutgers History. The book is co-edited by Professor White and Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and History Marisa Fuentes, and major contributors include undergraduate and graduate students, as well as university faculty and staff. The work roughly spans the 100 years from the founding of Queen’s College in 1766 to the designation of Rutgers College as a Land-Grant institution in 1862.

It is my sincere hope that you will join me on Friday for this important event, one that continues our pursuit of knowledge and a fuller understanding of the university we hold so dear.

Sincerely,

Richard L. Edwards, Chancellor
Rutgers University–New Brunswick