Travel reimbursement grants are available to individuals who would like to use the African American Episcopal Historical Collection (AAEHC) for research. Faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, independent researchers, and Episcopal clergy and laypersons are encouraged to apply. Funds may be used for transportation, meals, lodging, photocopying, and other research costs.

The application deadline is April 14, 2023. Travel must occur between August 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

The AAEHC is a joint project of the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church and the Virginia Theological Seminary. Through documents, institutional records, oral histories, personal papers, and photographs, the collection documents the experiences of African American Episcopalians. Individual collections contain significant references to religious faith and involvement in the Episcopal Church, particularly at the regional, diocesan, and local levels.

The following list details some of the topics that are among the collection’s strengths:

• The Afro-Anglican conferences
• The histories of black Episcopal parishes
• Networking and mentorship among black clergy
• The history of the Union of Black Episcopalians
• The history of the Conference of Church Workers Among Colored People
• The history of the Bishop Payne Divinity School that educated African Americans for the priesthood during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
• The editing of the Lift Every Voice and Sing hymnal
• The work of artist Allan Rohan Crite
• The Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity
• The contributions of various individuals to the Episcopal Church, such as The Rt. Rev. John Thomas Walker, The Rt. Rev. Walter Decoster Dennis, Ms. Verna Dozier, The Rev. Canon Harold T. Lewis, The Rev. Canon Thomas W. S. Logan, Sr., and Canon Diane Porter.

For more information, visit http://www.vts.edu/aaehc.
Download the application form here.
Submit the application form online here.