Honoring Julian Bond’s Legacy by Advancing Civil Rights Education

To honor his legacy and advance teaching and scholarship of the civil rights era for generations of students, a thoughtful group of alumni, parents and friends initiated the Julian Bond Professorship of Civil Rights and Social Justice within the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at UVA.

“Julian Bond worked tirelessly to ensure civil rights were extended to all Americans,” said Ian B. Baucom, Buckner W. Clay Dean of Arts & Sciences. “The Bond Professorship will help us attract the faculty talent we need to continue the civil rights education work that Julian Bond championed throughout his life. “Universities are called to pursue the unfinished business of democracy. To more fully reflect American ideals, it is imperative that we support and advance civil rights education. This is a critical part of the UVA student experience—for their own individual flourishing, and for the flourishing of the Commonwealth.”

Recruiting and retaining exceptional faculty is always a top priority for the University of Virginia, but this is a uniquely pivotal moment. UVA is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of faculty retirements, and hiring outstanding new teacher/scholars to impart knowledge, stimulate curiosity and create life-altering relationships has never been more crucial.

The Julian Bond Professorship of Civil Rights and Social Justice will sustain faculty excellence on the civil rights movement and honor the legacy of one of its most distinguished leaders. “In an era when the rights of citizens are still questioned, the legacy of Professor Bond is a beacon that shines hope for all those who are treated unjustly,” said Kathy L. Thornton-Bias (College ’88). “Endowing a chair in his honor will enable students for years to come to have the ability to study civil and human rights.”