Center for Studying Structures of Race
The Center for Studying Structures of Race (CSSR) was formed to provide thoughtful, creative and innovative responses to the problems of race in local, national and international contexts. The name intentionally invokes the physical structures on and around the Roanoke College campus that reveal histories and legacies of slavery and institutional racism, including campus buildings constructed by enslaved workers, a former slave quarters and a Confederate monument, while also emphasizing the necessity of examining forms of structural racism from an interdisciplinary perspective. The CSSR attempts to both expand and complicate the ways in which we teach, research and learn about race, creates a space for unique and experiential student learning activities, and works to establish connections with the broader community.
Projects
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Designed by artist Sandy Williams IV, Authors & Architects honors the legacies of the men, women and children who were enslaved by Roanoke College founders between 1842 and 1865. The memorial's title recognizes the roles of enslaved people as creators and founders in the history of the college.
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This free, public database contains information about more than 6,000 enslaved people who lived in Roanoke County, Virginia, from 1840 to 1865. The database was made possible by student researchers and records preserved in courthouse archives. Research work is ongoing.
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CSSR maintains two archival collections. Both utilize object-based learning to encourage critical, creative, and conceptual thinking about the history of race, and asks researchers to make connections between past and contemporary forms of structural racism. Student researchers are involved in all aspects of the archive’s management.
News
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Years of research and collaboration have contributed to a memorial sculpture that recognizes and honors the role of enslaved laborers at Roanoke College. The college dedicated the memorial during a campus ceremony on April 4.
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Clover Archer devoted months of research to a new exhibit co-sponsored by the Center for Studying Structures of Race and Olin Hall Galleries.
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The sculpture, “Authors and Architects” by Sandy Williams IV, was selected in partnership with Creative Time and will be situated on campus to memorialize enslaved people connected to Roanoke College history.
