M.A. History Orientation
August 16, 2020
The M.A. in History orientation will be held on Sunday, August 16. The graduate teaching assistant orientation is from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM. The incoming cohort of graduate students will meet from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Location to be announced.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Second Annual Greer Lecture
October 6, 2020
Save the date: October 6 at 6:00 p.m. to hear from Erika Denise Edwards, associate professor of Latin American History at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, at the Second Annual Harold and Laura Greer Lecture titled Hiding in Plain Sight: Black Women and the Making of a White Nation. Online, free and open to the public. Registration coming soon.
Silver Veins, Dusty Lungs
July 7, 2020
Professor Rocio Gomez’s latest book, Silver Veins, Dusty Lungs has been published by University of Nebraska Press. In the book, Professor Gomez illustrates that the human body and the environment are not separate entities but rather in a state of constant interaction.
Meika Downey Wins Outstanding Master's Thesis Award
July 7, 2020
Recent History M.A. graduate Meika Downey won the 2020-2021 VCU Graduate School, Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award in the Humanities & Fine Arts category, for her thesis: "'Island of Integration': Desegregation of the Women's Army Corps at Fort Lee, Virginia, 1948-1954”.
A Day in The Life: Documentary Editing
June 26, 2020
If you are wondering what you can do with an MA in History, our alumni provide some interesting examples in our public history blog - from opening a surf cultural museum, reimagining a historical site with dynamic preservation, advancing the mission of a museum, to transitioning from internship to a rewarding career.
Our latest blog, A Day in The Life: Documentary Editing, written by History M.A. alumna Kerry Dahm provides a fascinating look into creating the definitive edition of Thomas Jefferson’s correspondence.
Confronting the Memorial Landscape
June 24, 2020
History professors Michael Dickinson, Emilie Raymond, and Ryan Smith note that we are “witnessing a watershed moment in the history of Virginia’s commemorative landscape.” Read what they have to say about the historian’s role of informing and contextualizing “discussions about memorialization, Richmond history, and racial oppression.”
Virginia’s recognition of Juneteenth a ‘step in the right direction,’ VCU history professor says
June 18, 2020
Professor Michael Dickinson says the holiday’s recognition by Virginia is a step in the right direction and should signal increased efforts to address the nation’s legacy of racial inequality.
Black Realities and White Statues
June 18, 2020
Professor Michael L. Dickinson shares Black Realities and White Statues: The Fall of Confederate Monuments - featured in Black Perspectives by the African American Intellectual History Society.
Removal of Aunt Jemima brand is ‘long overdue,’ VCU history professor says
June 17, 2020
With news breaking about the discontinuation of the Aunt Jemima brand, Professor Gregory Smithers provides his expertise on the history of the brand, and why its removal is long overdue.
History Diversity and Inclusion statement
June 15, 2020
We, the VCU History Department, support the efforts of our students, the university, and the community to root out the systemic racism present in our nation both in the past and in the present.
Rumors of War Arrives in the South
May 26, 2020
Artist Kehinde Wiley’s "Rumors of War" at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts "viscerally bridges past and present while pointing a challenging way forward," writes professor Ryan Smith in the American Association of History article, Rumors of War Arrives in the South.
The media needs historians
May 29, 2020
“Impeachment. Electoral battles. Pandemics. Economic collapse. Political polarization. When so much feels unprecedented and uncertain, historians understand not just how we got to where we are today, but the deeper lessons of how individuals, leaders, and governments have grappled with these challenges before.” That is why the media needs historians, explains WaPo's Made by History co-editor Katheryn Brownell.
Covid-19 has been brutal in Indian country
May 20, 2020
COVID-19 has been brutal in Indian country - just like past epidemics were, writes professor Gregory Smithers in his latest perspective piece for the Washington Post.
Alumnus honors memorable faculty heroine with memorial scholarship
April 24, 2020
Alumnus Fred Wayne recently established the Dr. Ruth Douglas See Scholarship to support students who, like Dr. See, have an academic interest in or work on issues of social and economic justice.
Public History Internships in the Time of Quarantine
April 3, 2020
History MA student Alexandra Zukas wrote about her public history internship at the Richmond Public Library and pivoting her projects in this time of quarantine.