Christiansburg Institute

Radford City Schools Superintendent Robert Graham (left) presents a collection of student records to a team from the Christiansburg Institute, an African American cultural heritage and historic preservation organization, Tuesday, February 8 at the Radford City Schools Administration Office.  Dr. Hunter (right) is teaching SOCY 495 Seminar in African American Studies this semester, where she is guiding students in community-based research projects.  Students are assisting the Christiansburg Institute with the recovery of student records and their return to the institute.

From left:  Julia Lucas, Curatorial Assistant at the Christiansburg Institute and 2021 Radford graduate; Victoria Dean, a student in the SOCY 495 seminar; and Dr. Hunter examine student records that had been dispersed over the years and have wound up in the possession of Radford City Schools.  The African American Studies Seminar is a Citizen Leader-designated course and is part of the Department of Sociology's new African American Studies minor.

Jenny Nehrt, Curator at the Christiansburg Institute, examines the student records, some dating to circa 1900.

Debbie Sherman-Lee, Chair of the Christiansburg Institute Board of Directors (left) and Victoria Dean get a good look at the records, while Julia Lucas readies a box for transporting them to the Christiansburg Institute.  The institute is the namesake of the Christiansburg Industrial Institute, which educated generations of African American families from across the state of Virginia and beyond for a century beginning in 1866.  The Christiansburg Industrial Institute remains standing off of N. Franklin St. not far from Christiansburg High School.