University of Virginia Library

Two Black History Courses
Set To Begin This Semester

Two courses dealing with the
history of the Negro in America
will be offered this semester
through the School of General
Studies of the University.

Both courses will make use of
the taped television course,
"Americans From Africa: A
History," which is shown on
educational channels throughout
the state of Virginia. Edgar Toppin,
Professor of History at Virginia
State College, teaches the course
which traces the history of the
black man in America from slavery
to the present struggle over "Black
Power."

One of the courses offered will
meet for one hour each week to
view the taped replays of Mr.
Toppin's lectures. Carrying one
hour of credit, the course will be
free to students on the Grounds.
There will be no reading
requirement and the final exam will
be based solely on the information
in the filmed lectures, although
students wishing only to view the
lectures are welcome to attend the
course. The first class meeting is
tonight at 7 in Cabell Hall 123.

The second course being offered
also uses Mr. Toppin's lectures as its
basis but will be worth three
semester-hours credit. This course
will meet on Thursday evenings in
Cabell Hall 122 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.
The first hour will be spent each
week in viewing Mr. Toppin's
lectures and the remaining time will
be devoted to lectures and
discussions of outside readings.

Hugh Hammett, a graduate
student in history at the University,
will conduct the discussion period.
Since the course is being offered
through the School of General
Studies, there will be a $54 fee and
students may register at the first
class meeting tomorrow night.

There will be no specific text
book used by students in the
course. Instead, reading will consist
of a number of selected paperback
publications including "The Negro
in the Making of American
History," by Benjamin Quarles;
"The Peculiar Institution," by
Kenneth Stamp; "Slavery," by
Staley Elkins; C. Vann
Woodward's "The Origin of Jim
Crow;" and Elliot Rudwick's "W.
E. B. DuBois."

Interested students should check
with their dean's office to be sure
they are eligible to receive credit
for the second course. These
interested in receiving further
information about the course
should contact Peter Henriques,
Coordinator of History, at either
924-3281 or 296-6371.

Mr. Henriques told The Cavalier
Daily yesterday that the two
courses might be merged into one if
the enrollment does not warrant
two. If the courses prove successful,
an instructor in black history may
be hired by the U. The History
department has tried to hire Mr.
Toppin, he added, but the Virginia
State professor decided to retain his
present position.

Mr. Henriques stated that, aside
from the attempt to bring Mr.
Toppin to the University, he did
not know of any further efforts
being made to bring black
educators into the School of
General Studies or the history
department.

The idea for a course on black
history was developed in the
history department, primarily
under the direction of Mr.
Henriques. The number of
educational institutions throughout
the country offering such study is
growing as part of a larger effort to
make known the heritage of the
American Negro.