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 understanding and builds community. 

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 ANCHOR Grants.

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

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 hours per week and receive a standard stipend and tuition scholarship. GAs should expect to work at least some of their weekly hours on-site. 

Host Organizations 2025-2026:

• Chicago Covenants Project – Chicago History Museum
• 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 and/or skill building and career development.

PhD students and fully-funded MFA students who will be in their 3rd to 6th 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 all 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. Previous work experience with non-profits or archives is helpful but not required.

Applications for 2025-26 are now open! Candidates for a Black Metropolis Graduate Assistantship must submit:

• A current resume through the TGS interdisciplinary GAship application portal
• A completed Black Metropolis Graduate Assistantship application, including a cover letter for each GA position for which the candidate would like to be considered

Finalists will interview with BMRC host organizations and may be asked to submit additional materials.

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.