Black Metropolis Graduate Assistantships

The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) has partnered with the Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) to create a new professional development program that embeds graduate students within BMRC member institutions. Through a nine-month graduate assistantship at a BMRC-affiliated museum, library, archive, or community organization, Black Metropolis Graduate Assistants will do work of public and intellectual value that (1) documents, preserves, interprets, and/or promotes the use of Black historical collections, and/or (2) advances equity & access in institutional practices & policies. 

Black Metropolis Graduate Assistantships are offered through a partnership between the Center for Civic Engagement and the Black Metropolis Research Consortium, with funding provided by The Graduate School and Northwestern’s Racial Equity and Community Partnership grant program.

Black Metropolis Graduate Assistantships are designed to increase capacity at Chicagoland’s Black archives and support projects that preserve and amplify Black histories & legacies while training PhD students in new skills and technologies, e.g. collection development, archival preservation and processing, exhibition preparation, public engagement, etc. 

Each year, CCE will place GAs at two BMRC institutions. GAs will work with their host organization for the duration of the school year (Fall -Spring) to complete a project designed by that institution. Position descriptions can be found below. Commensurate with other interdisciplinary graduate assistantships, Black Metropolis GAs work an average of 15-20 hrs/wk and receive a standard stipend and tuition scholarship. GAs should expect to work at least some of their weekly hours on-site. 

Host Organizations 2024-2025:

• Art Institute of Chicago
• Shorefront Legacy Center

Each host organization will receive $5,000 to support project implementation and administrative costs; additional funds are available to assure community input and access.

In addition to individualized training at their host organizations, Black Metropolis Graduate Assistants receive an orientation at the beginning of their nine-month assistantship. Graduate Assistants will be supervised by senior staff at their host organizations and have access to a network of subject area experts across BMRC institutions. GAs will also meet quarterly as a cohort to explore topics related to nonprofit & cultural work, racial equity in archives and collections, and/or skill building and career development.

PhD students and fully-funded MFA students who will be in their 3rd – 7th year are eligible to apply. Students must be available locally for the period of the Graduate Assistantship as some on-site work will be required. International students are eligible to apply. 

We encourage applications from students with a demonstrated commitment to African American and Black diasporic culture, history and/or politics and an interest in developing professional skills at arts, culture, and archival institutions. The ideal candidate will maintain critical awareness of their positionality as an academic doing community-engaged work as well as a commitment to racial justice. Previous work experience with non-profits or archives is helpful, but not required.

Applicants for 2024-25 are now closed. Check back Spring 2025 to apply for 2025-26.

For more information about the Black Metropolis Graduate Assistantships, please consult our Frequently Asked Questions.

Contact Ruth Martin Curry, Program Director, at ruth.martin@northwestern.edu with questions. Please do not contact the BMRC or its member organizations unless otherwise instructed.