October 9, 2026
With a newly awarded $225,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Hampden-Sydney College will establish the Southside Crossroads Project to support original and ongoing research into local history and culture.
The project is led by Elliott Professor of History Caroline Emmons and Ewing Professor of Religion Michael Utzinger, who, along with the Office of Sponsored Programs, worked diligently to secure the grant, which builds on an already strong relationship between the duPont Fund and the College. The duPont Fund previously supported a course and research on The Voice of Prince Edward newspaper, which started when local schools were closed during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
“We are aligned with the mission and goals of the duPont Fund, which promotes academic and community efforts to reveal and acknowledge histories that have been overlooked or underrepresented,” says Utzinger. “The College also participated in the duPont Fund's Inclusive History workshop series. We appreciate that we were invited to apply for this new grant initiative.”
The project will give students opportunities to embark on journeys of discovery, visiting and researching local historical sites, including Patrick Henry’s Red Hill, Appomattox, and the Robert Russa Moton Museum, to examine the varying narratives of local history and how they inform an American identity.
The duPont Fund champions initiatives that educate communities about their shared pasts and collectively and thoughtfully explore the experiences, narratives, and contributions of people who have not been historically represented. Its stated mission is “to create communities where everyone feels they belong.”
“The duPont Fund is interested in supporting institutions developing place-based learning opportunities for their students, to better connect them to the communities in which they are living and studying,” says Emmons. “In addition to the opportunities for students, these learning opportunities also provide a framework for the College to develop continued and lasting relationships within the community we share with others. The overall goal is to explore the shared history between Hampden-Sydney and several pivotal historic sites nearby, as well as to wrestle with the complex legacies of that history.
Participation in the Southside Crossroads Project is open to faculty, staff, and students. Anyone who would like to learn more or get involved is encouraged to contact Professor Emmons or Professor Utzinger.