NPR

U.Va. Students Investigate Their Yearbook's Racist History — Starting With Its Title

In poring through past yearbooks, the student journalists are reckoning with the racist history of both their state and their campus. A historian says the yearbook's title itself refers to blackface.
A photo on the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity yearbook page from 1972 shows someone wearing blackface for a costume.

After hearing about the recent discovery of a racist photo on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's medical school yearbook page, student journalists at the University of Virginia started combing through their school's old yearbooks.

What they found was horrifying.

A 1971 class member page for the Chi Psi fraternity depicts a mob of black-hooded students carrying rifles, all their gazes fixed upon a lone,

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR17 min readAmerican Government
What Did Trump Say? Explaining The Former President's Favorite Talking Points
Former President Donald Trump continues to ratchet up his rhetoric on the campaign trail, but if someone doesn't follow Trump all the time, decoding his meaning can get confusing. We're here to help.
NPR1 min read
'Wait Wait' for May 11, 2024: With Not My Job guest Chappell Roan
With the release of her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan became a queer pop icon. Her hit songs include "Hot To Go!" but what does she know about to-go food?
NPR2 min read
Biden Will Keep Trump's China Tariffs, And Add New Ones On Electric Vehicles
The Biden administration is finally wrapping up its review of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. It will keep those tariffs, and add more on things like electric vehicles.

Related Books & Audiobooks