Thirty Vanderbilt students and nine staff members traveled to Washington, D.C., this spring for the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center’s annual Black History Immersion Excursion. The multiday trip explored themes of history, politics, advocacy and cultural expression in the nation’s capital for the students, who were selected through a new application process.
“The Black History Immersion Excursion 2026 was a high-impact experience for our Vanderbilt students,” said ReChard Peel, director of the Black Cultural Center. “In addition to visiting museums, students connected with policy experts, immersed themselves in the performing arts and contributed meaningfully to the community they visited.”
Thirty Vanderbilt students and nine staff members traveled to Washington, D.C., this spring for the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center’s annual Black History Immersion Excursion. (Submitted Photo)
Thirty Vanderbilt students and nine staff members traveled to Washington, D.C., this spring for the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center’s annual Black History Immersion Excursion. (Submitted Photo)
Thirty Vanderbilt students and nine staff members traveled to Washington, D.C., this spring for the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center’s annual Black History Immersion Excursion. (Submitted Photo)
Thirty Vanderbilt students and nine staff members traveled to Washington, D.C., this spring for the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center’s annual Black History Immersion Excursion. (Submitted Photo)
Thirty Vanderbilt students and nine staff members traveled to Washington, D.C., this spring for the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center’s annual Black History Immersion Excursion. (Submitted Photo)
Students spent time at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where exhibits prompted reflection on the legacy and lived experiences of the African diaspora. They also went to Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black institutions, and visited its Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.
Engagement with contemporary advocacy included visits to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Congressional Black Associates.
To understand the community needs, students participated in a volunteer experience with So Others Might Eat, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that provides material aid and support to individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness.
The BCC’s annual Immersion Excursion provides all students with experiential learning opportunities that connect historical exploration, civic engagement and cultural engagement. Students were also encouraged to create projects to share their learning with their Vanderbilt community, which resulted in two podcasts on the Black experience in Washington, D.C., a photo book exploring the impacts of gentrification, and campus events focused on activism, arts and conversations about Black communities.
“The BCC was proud to provide this experience and is excited to see how the trip will continue to inspire and motivate students going forward in their journeys at Vanderbilt and beyond,” Peel added.
For more information on upcoming BCC events and programs, visit vanderbilt.edu/bcc.
