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As students in the University of Delaware’s fall 2021 seminar “Race and Inequality in Delaware” conducted their research into the period before the Civil War, they quickly learned one thing: The lives and stories of Black Americans have often been overlooked, minimized or mischaracterized in official records and historical accounts.
The students think that should change — and they hope their work in the seminar can serve as a starting point for Delaware and the University.
“That’s why I wanted to do this [research],” said Kate Uray, a senior in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and one of the students who discussed their work in a public presentation on Tuesday, Dec. 7, in UD’s Morris Library. “Because their stories are hard to find, but they’re important.”
The seminar included both graduate and undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines across campus. Led by Dael Norwood, assistant professor of history, and Laura Helton, assistant professor of English and history, the students conducted their research using materials from Special Collections in Morris Library and from University Archives. They focused on the antebellum period of the 1830s through 1850s, looking specifically at Delaware College (UD’s predecessor institution), the town of Newark and other nearby areas.