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The Timuel D. Black Legacy Endowment Community Solidarity Scholar Fund

To learn more about the Timuel D. Black Community Solidarity Scholarship and how to apply for it, please contact Bart Schultz, the Executive Director of the Civic Knowledge Project, at rschultz@uchicago.edu. The award will be approximately $5000.

The endowment fund for this scholarship has been established, but we continue to accept additional gifts to enhance the support it will provide to our Scholar. Please consider making a gift to the Timuel D. Black Legacy Endowment Community Solidarity Scholar Fund to support a UChicago student carrying on the legacy of our South Side legend, the great historian, civil rights activist, and educator Timuel D. Black. You can read about Prof. Black's life and work in his award-winning memoir Sacred Ground.

[PDF] Timuel D. Black Centenary Weekend, celebrating Prof. Black's 100th Birthday

[Article] 100 Years of Hope: University Alum Timuel Black Awarded for Life of Civic Engagement

[Video] Timuel D. Black Jr.: 2020 Legendary Landmark. Landmarks Illinois honored Mr. Black at its 2020 Legendary Landmarks Celebration held March 5, 2020, in Chicago.

Annual Timuel D. Black Community Solidarity Scholar Fund amplifies civil rights activist’s legacy


Prof. Timuel D. Black

When University of Chicago alumnus and civil rights activist Timuel D. Black turned 102 years old on December 7, his [virtual] birthday party included a formal announcement of a new program honoring his life and work. The Timuel D. Black Community Solidarity Scholar Fund, an annual award offered through the Office of Civic Engagement's Civic Knowledge Project (CKP), will be given to an outstanding University of Chicago undergraduate or graduate student who exemplifies Black’s spirit and commits to furthering CKP’s mission.

Prof. Timuel D. Black

"We're in a position to make this a very fitting tribute to Tim, amplifying his legacy," said Bart Schultz, Director of CPK. "He’s a treasured partner and friend of the University, and this new fund will help support the kind of work and scholarship Tim is known for, which has resulted in making our community a much better place." CKP leads humanities and history-based educational programs that connect the University to its neighboring South Side communities. For more than 20 years, Black has collaborated with CKP on a number of initiatives, including lectures, workshops, and educational tours of the Bronzeville community. The Timuel D. Black Community Solidarity Scholar Fund will provide one student with an annual stipend of approximately $5,000 to engage in hands-on work with the CKP. Award recipients are also expected to conduct research on Black and his legacy and then integrate what they learn into their ongoing work engaging in the local community.

To be considered for the award, students must demonstrate an interest in advancing and strengthening the University’s connection to the South Side community, have a strong track record of advocating for and supporting civil rights, and commit to furthering CKP's community educational programming. CKP will solicit nominations from the campus community during spring quarter of 2021, and the first award is expected to be announced by the end of the 2020 – 2021 academic year. Key campus partners include the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture, the School of Social Service Administration, and the Office of Civic Engagement, though we welcome nominations from others as well.

Prof. Timuel D. Black

"I don't know how to adequately stress how critically important this is to the University, especially in these strange and troubling times," Schultz said. "This legacy has become even more important this past year, and we are so fortunate to have Tim to inspire our students to take the work to the next level."

For more information on how to apply for the Timuel D. Black Community Solidarity Scholarship, please see these instructions: Timuel D. Black Community Solidarity Scholar Application or contact CKP Executive Director Bart Schultz at rschultz@uchicago.edu. The Fund has been established, and a pilot scholarship will be awarded during spring quarter 2021.

(Our thanks to Melissa Sherwin, at the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, whose newsletter story from December 7, 2020 has been adapted here.)