Teaching, Research and Scholarship

Guided by the belief in the transformative power of education, and inspired by the College’s statement of purpose, Davidson has a responsibility to demonstrate the crucial value of scholarly inquiry to public life and to fulfilling this country's promise.

To seek a full understanding of the college's history with respect to slavery and race is to honor the college's commitment to the quest for truth, as we strive to prepare students for thoughtful, creative lives of leadership in service to humanity.

Scholar Who Gives Voice to Untold Stories of Slavery, Reconstruction

Hilary Green, a U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction scholar, joins Davidson as the second Vann Professor of Ethics in Society. Green has focused her recent scholarship on how African Americans remembered and commemorated the Civil War and on the often-unacknowledged history and legacy of slavery on university campuses.

Shared Stories, Shared History

Working through a community advisory group, Shared Stories, Shared History captures the photographs, oral histories and recordings of individuals, clubs, schools, churches and businesses, to document the lives and contributions of African-Americans in the area of Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville, North Carolina.

Fostering Inclusivity and Respect in Science Together (FIRST)

Davidson received a $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to advance diversity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The college will use the funding to explore ways to remove barriers, be more welcoming, and help make science and scientists more diverse.

The Silent Minority Davidsonian Article 1986

Inclusive Histories

Historians recognize that history — both as an academic discipline and as a term referring to evidence-based stories we tell about the past — changes over time. Inclusive Histories is a collection of hidden histories, of stories that are not typically understood as integral to the history of Davidson College despite their incredible importance.

Stories Yet to Be Told: Race, Racism and Accountability on Campus

Through the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation the college received received $250,000 to support faculty- and student-initiated projects that transform key campus spaces (virtual, physical, temporal) into interactive sites for exploring the legacies of slavery, how ideas about race emerge and why racism persists.

Disorienting & Reorienting

The “Davidson Disorientation” was an alternative campus tour, recovering and analyzing legacies of colonialism, slavery, and white supremacy at Davidson College. The project began in 2018 by Tian Yi (‘18) and Sarah HD Mellin, as part of the student organization Davidson Teach-Ins.