History for Lunch: A Forgotten Migration

The Illinois State Museum Society invites you to an enlightening History for Lunch presentation with award-winning historian Dr. Crystal Sanders, author of A Forgotten Migration: Black Southerners, Segregation Scholarships, and the Debt Owed to Public HBCUs.

Dr. Sanders will examine how Southern white segregationists worked to uphold segregation by systematically underfunding public Historically Black Colleges and Universities and creating state funded scholarship programs that encouraged Black scholars to seek education in Northern states. Illinois institutions, such as Knox College and the University of Chicago, became a destination for many recipients of these scholarships. 

This strategy, designed to preserve segregation, has left a lasting legacy on higher education and racial equity in America. Dr. Sanders' talk offers a deeper understanding of these policies and their continued relevance today.

For a sneak peak of what will be discussed, watch Dr. Sanders’ PBS documentary series here.  

Panara sandwiches will be provided and free copies of Dr. Sanders' book will be available.

This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Advance registration is required.

Register online here or call Kate Suits at 217-524-4222 to reserve your spot.