The Darlene Clark Hine Black History Endowment
The University of Illinois Press proudly announces the launch of the Darlene Clark Hine Black History Endowment. This endowment honors the extraordinary work and legacy of Dr. Darlene Clark Hine, an award-winning author and coeditor of UIP’s influential The New Black Studies Series.
Thanks to the support of multiple generous individuals, our fund to support the completion and publication of books in Black history has surpassed the minimum threshold to establish an endowment. Beginning in late 2024, interest from the endowment will begin to yield direct grants to authors whose books in Black history are in preparation and under contract with UI Press. Interest from the endowment will also be used to offset a portion of production costs so that books in Black history can be priced accessibly for scholars and students.
The Darlene Clark Hine Endowment continues to accept donations toward a target principal level of $50,000, which will provide $2,000 per year in perpetuity to support authors and books in Black studies at UI Press.
About Darlene Clark Hine
Dr. Hine is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor Emerita at Michigan State University. She was inducted
into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006 and received a 2014 National Humanities Medal for her
contributions in Black Women’s History and her pioneering study of the intersection of race, class, and gender.
She is an award-winning author and a coeditor, with Dwight McBride, of UIP’s influential The New Black Studies
Series. Most of all, she has mentored scores of graduate students and authors who are now making their own mark
on the field
The mission of fostering the publication and dissemination of new scholarship fittingly reflects Dr. Hine’s lifelong commitment to encouraging and building up the community of Black scholars. Grants from the Darlene Clark Hine Endowment for Black History will provide a financial boost to those engaged in the essential work of documenting Black history, while supporting the timely publication of their books in an affordable form. The endowment will help scholars establish themselves and advance in academia ensuring that their work contributes to the stream of intellectual conversation. It will also help ensure that the Press can continue to publish specialized scholarship in Black history, despite the challenges of the changing academic publishing environment.
About Black history at the University of Illinois Press
The University of Illinois Press’s investment in the field of Black history is deep and broad. Beginning with the
pioneering series Blacks in the New World, edited by August Meier, the Press has supported the dissemination of
revelatory scholarship in Black history for more than four decades. This commitment helped establish African
American studies as a field of academic study in the 1980s, and it continues to support the credentialing of African
American history scholars and Black studies programs. The commitment continues with The New Black Studies series,
established in 2005 and edited by Dr. Hine and Dwight McBride; with series such as Black Internationalism, edited
by Keisha N. Blain and Quito Swan, and African American Music in Global Perspective, edited by Portia Maultsby and
Eileen Hayes; and with academic journals such as Women, Gender, and Families of Color.
The current groundswell of awareness of the importance of Black history is a legacy of the foundational work of courageous and visionary scholars like Darlene Clark Hine. This endowment will support the work of the next generation, and future generations, as they continue to document and interpret the Black experience.
DCH Endowment FAQs
How will the DCH Black History Endowment support Black studies at the University of Illinois Press?
The endowment supports authors and publications in Black studies in two ways:
- Direct grants to authors who are under contract with the University of Illinois Press to complete their books in Black history. Authors may use their grants in any way they choose, whether that be childcare, rent, auto maintenance, research travel, editorial assistance, or office supplies.
- Subvention funds to help the Press offset the costs of publishing Black history titles so we can price them affordably for scholars and students.
What types of books will the DCH Endowment support?
The DCH Endowment will support African American history and Black studies books published by University of Illinois Press.
Can I apply for a grant from the DCH Endowment?
Grant awardees will be determined by the acquisitions editor for Black studies at UI Press. Any book on Black studies slated for publication by UI Press will be eligible for support.
Can I receive support from the DCH Fund if my African American studies book is being published by another Press?
We’re afraid not. Grant funds from this endowment are only able to support authors and books that are published by the University of Illinois Press.
Is the DCH Endowment the same as the Darlene Clark Hine Award?
No, the fund is not connected to the Darlene Clark Hine Award given by the Organization of American Historians. You can learn more about the book award here: Learn More.
How can I contribute to the fund?
We are so glad you asked! To learn more about ways to support the fund and the press, please visit https://www.press.uillinois.edu/support/funds-overview.php or contact Laurie Matheson, Director, UI Press at lmatheso@illinois.edu.
