Projects

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.

This project focuses on the specific history of slavery at Roanoke College and the surrounding region. The research attempts to identify the enslaved people whose labor helped build the college. Moreover, it supplements efforts to think about the epistemic genealogy of Roanoke College and the role that slavery and institutional racism played in shaping our college.

At the request of the Roanoke College Board of Trustees, the CSSR produced the History of Enslavement Report in 2025 to summarize its extensive research, to date, on the role of enslaved people in the history of the college and surrounding area. The report includes an abundance of details from official records that establish the fact that Roanoke College directly benefited, and even grew stronger, as a direct result of the widespread practice of enslavement.

CSSR supports the Education Department’s Bridges Program by co-sponsoring reading groups, guest lecturers for courses and community engagement events.