The Architecture of Black Education: Interpreting the Architectural Legacies of Historically Black College and University Chapels, 1899 – 1978

Session Submission Type: Panel Session

Abstract

Historically, churches have played a significant role in the development of black education. Many historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) trace their beginnings to a variety of religious denominations eager to provide a Christian education to the newly emancipated masses. As a testament to this mission, colleges often constructed chapels or dedicated space within classroom buildings to act as chapels. These chapels came to symbolize not only the religious mission of these colleges, but they also served as visual signifiers on the landscape denoting the importance of these structures to not only the college, but to the public. As sacred spaces on college campuses, these structures were shaped by the experiences of people over time and they became imbued with meaning. They act as markers of campus traditions and historical events while never abandoning their original purpose. Ultimately, this session aims to drive scholarly discourse on the performance of architecture on HBCU campuses toward a more complex and fuller understanding of how these structures were shaped by and contributed to black education.

Sub Unit

• 102nd Annual Meeting and Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History

Chair

• Torren Leon Gatson, Middle Tennessee State University

Individual Presentations

• Structures of Faith: Historically Black College and University Chapels and their Role in Black Higher Education, 1899 – 1931 - Tiffany Nicole Momon, Middle Tennessee State University

• The Importance of Four HBCU Chapels as both Sacred & Public Symbols - Arthur Clement, Architect & Independent Scholar

• Nuanced Roles: The Howard University Chapels as the Place for Religion, Ritual, and Repose - Hazel Edwards, Department of Architecture, Howard University

Commentator

• ASALH Audience, .