WATCH: What does Duke owe Durham?
On September 26, the Institute for Southern Studies hosted an event with Prof. Davarian Baldwin to discuss the role of institutions like Duke University and the responsibilities they have to their communities. (Photo: USSW)
On Friday, September 26, 2025, the Institute for Southern Studies, publisher of Facing South, hosted a forum with acclaimed urbanist and historian Davarian Baldwin. In the Durham event, entitled "What Does Duke Owe Durham?" Baldwin offered a sweeping look at the economic and historical role of universities, and the need for institutions like Duke to support the workers and communities that make them run.
The event, which was featured in the Raleigh News & Observer, coincided with Duke's Founders' Weekend and a rally hosted by the Durham Rising coalition, which is calling on Duke University and its hospital system to raise wages to $25/hour and make Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT, investments into Durham services.
Watch a video of Prof. Baldwin's forum below.
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Chris Kromm
Chris Kromm is executive director of the Institute for Southern Studies and publisher of the Institute's online magazine, Facing South.