UF Intersections Tradition and Transformation
Volume 7, Issue 1
African American Studies Program
Edited by Vincent Adejumo and Dr. Sharon Austin
Fall 20133
Director’s Message: Dr. Sharon Austin 103 Walker Hall PO Box 118120 Gainesville, FL 32611
Phone: (352) 392-5724 Fax: (352) 294-0007 Email: polssdw@ufl.edu College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Turlington Hall P.O Box 117300 Gainesville FL 32611 P: 352.392.0780 F: 352.392.3584
Inside this issue: Director’s Message
1
Faculty Spotlight
2
Memorial
3
Memorial
4
Alumni Corner
5
Student Spotlight
6
Emancipation
7
Passing the Torch
8
McNair Scholars
9
BGSO President
10
Opportunity Corner
11
Study Abroad: Paris
12
Study Abroad: Ghana
13
Spring 2014 Schedule
14
Support AFAM
15
Hello and welcome to the fall 2013 African American Studies newsletter. As director of the program, I am pleased to announce that this is our 45th anniversary at the University of Florida. We began our celebration of our anniversary with a panel entitled “Emancipation Betrayed?: The 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, and the Justice for Trayvon Martin Movement.” In October, approximately 80 students attended our very successful Passing the Torch Career and Internship Fair. They received information about the Environment America, FSU Law Summer for Undergraduates, Public Policy and International Affairs, Teach for America, and White House Internship Programs. Several of the attendees at the fair have applied for these and other programs. In this current installment of the newsletter, I would like to tell you about our other exciting activities. First, we now have 10 students majoring in African American Studies and 20 who have declared the minor. One of our majors, Tahiri JeanBaptiste will be graduating in May 2014 with a triple major in Anthropology, English, and African American Studies. Our other students have double majors in African American Studies and Anthropology, English, Political Science, Religion, and Sociology respectively. Other majors are solely majoring in African American Studies. These students will receive counseling about the many career opportunities they can pursue. I would also like to advise any students who are thinking about majoring in African American Studies that they can now receive credit for an academic internship. I would be very pleased to assist you in finding the perfect internship for you. Second, the African American Studies Program will sponsor its first
study abroad course to Ghana, West African in June 2014 and will again offer the African Americans in Paris course during
Dr. Sharon Austin, Director of the African American Studies Program spring break 2014. Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn of the African American Studies Program will teach AFA 4905 The Role of Ghana in the African American Experience (3 credits) for two weeks in June 2014 in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. Students will learn about the important role Ghanaians have played in African American history, life, culture, and music. They will also visit several historic sites in Accra, Kumasi, and the Volta Region of Ghana. I am teaching the African Americans in Paris course (POS 4905 or AFA 4905) for 2-3 credits in Paris, France during spring break 2014. Students can earn 2 credits for the class if they do the assigned readings, short papers, and attend the class sessions and events in Paris. They can earn 3 credits if they do these things and write an additional 15-20 page paper after we return to UF. Class sessions will take place for about 2 hours during four of the days the class be in Paris. Students will also be able to visit several historic sites such as the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Sorbonne University, the Latin
Quarter, etc. For information on either class, please email me at polssdw@ufl.edu or Dr. HilliardNunn at hilliardnunn@ufl.edu. It is not too late to sign up for either class. Third, as part of our year-long anniversary celebration, we will be hosting two prominent speakers. On Thursday January 23, 2014, we will host Dr. David J. Garrow - Research Professor of History and Law at the University of Pittsburgh and PulitzerPrize winning author of Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dr. Garrow will give a lecture about “The Role of Women in the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the Ocora of Pugh Hall at 6pm. At this time, we will show a minidocumentary that has been developed by Dr. Hilliard-Nunn on the history and evolution of the program. Also on Thursday February 20, 2014, Dr. Abdul Alkalimat will give the 2014 Dr. Ronald Foreman lecture – named in honor of the first Director of the African American Studies Program. His presentation will take place at 6pm in the Friends of Music Room. Dr. Alkalimat is a pioneer of African American Studies and Professor in African American Studies and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy the newsletter and contact me if you’re interested in receiving additional information about our courses, activities, major, or minor.
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UF Intersections
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Faye Harrison Dr. Faye Harrison, Professor of African American Studies and Anthropology is a sociocultural anthropologist who specializes in the study of racial, gender, and class inequalities and the politics that emerge in response to them. She is also interested in the history of ideas, with a particular focus on the scholarly contributions of African Americans and other African diaspora intellectuals. Dr. Harrison recently received the William R. Jones Most Valuable Mentor award. She was nominated by three McKnight Doctoral Fellows in the Anthropology deparment: Justin Hosbey, Justin Dunnavant, and Brittany Osbourne. Vincent Adejumo, research assistant in the African American Studies program and editor of this publication recently sat down with Dr. Harrison to reflect on her illustrious career as a professor, academic, , author and editor, and, most importantly, mentor. In the beginning of the interview, Vincent asked Dr. Harrison to describe her background before coming to the University of Florida in 2004-05 and how it has laid the foundation for her current work. Dr. Harrison: “I was born and raised in Norfolk, a major port city in Virginia. Norfolk, from a historical perspective, is significant because of its relationship to the West Indies trade within the British Empire. Norfolk was a racially segregated city but was open to the world via the port. As a consequence, there were many sailors and merchant seamen from different parts of the world on the streets. Being exposed to various people, from around the world stimulated my interest in the
(Pictured from left to right) Justin Dunnavant, Emily Castillo, Dr. Faye Harrison and Justin Hosbey At McKnight Conference meeting in October 2013.
world beyond Virginia and beyond the United States. I later found out that I was thinking anthropologically. That experience pointed me in the direction of sociocultural anthropology. After graduating from high school I attended Brown University and was fortunate to have professors and mentors who made me feel comfortable and encouraged to pursue my interest in becoming a Sociocultural Anthropologist. Initially I was mentored by George Houston Bass, a protégé of Langston Hughes. He really encouraged me to seriously pursue Anthropology I also had an advisor in Anthropology, Louise Lamphere, who helped me believe that I could become an Anthropologist “when I grew up.” I then graduated from Brown and subsequently attended Stanford University for graduate school. At Stanford, I had a great supervisory committee and, in particular, was mentored by St. Clair Drake. who made a major impact on my thinking. I didn’t realize how great until much later in my career. St. Clair Drake was trained in anthropology but aligned more with sociology. I was assigned to him as an advisee at Stanford during the year right before he retired. Fortunately, he continued to work with me and other students during his emeritus years. At Stanford, his joint appointment was in African and African American studies, as director, and in the sociology and anthropology departments. He had an international reputation for his work as an Africanist and Diaspora scholar. After co-authoring Black Metropolis, a classic study of Black Chicago, he did his dissertation on race relations in Britain. I had never heard of Drake before going to Stanford mainly because his work was non-canonical; that is outside the mainstream of the field. . However, I was fortunately assigned to Drake as a mentee because I had won an international research fellowship for doing research in London a year after graduating from Brown. Drake also did research on race relations in Britain,
where he become acquainted with African and Caribbean intellectuals there as students or as expatriates. St. Clair Drake help to found sociology in the University of Ghana at the behest of Kwame Nkrumah. At Stanford he taught a course on race and power in the Caribbean which had a significant impact on how I have studied the Diaspora. St. Clair Drake always spoke about the Diaspora, and his whole life revolved around the Diaspora and by activist intellectuals, many of them preachers like his father, who was an international organizer for Marcus Garvey. This background is one of the many reasons why he as an activist scholar. I have reclaimed people like Drake and their scholarship, which is interdisciplinar y rather than easily fitting in the boundaries of any single field. Some of the work I do in the history of anthropology is in good part because of St. Clair Drake’s mentorship. Since I graduated from Stanford I have continued to work in Jamaica, where I did my dissertation research in political anthropology, off and on for the past 30 years. My research has also taken me to a few other places. Here at UF, I created a course on Black American and Black Atlantic Thought which reflects my interest in the subject of diasporic and global politics. The conversations that Drake and I had regarding the politics of anthropology, including decision making concerning funding was instructive. Drake himself had been denied many opportunities within the anthropology establishment due to his race and advocacy approach . Vincent Adejumo: How did the mentorship of St. Clair Drake help you mentor students today? Dr. Faye Harrison: St. Clair Drake’s mentorship was instrumental in helping me put into perspective the academic politics of race and gender. He also was very personable and communicated with students largely through his griot style of storytelling. As for my personal approach to mentoring, I believe in doing unto others as you’d like them to do unto you. The students I mentor are from various ethnic backgrounds. My expectations are very high, which is why I stress to students, especially those of color, that they have to be well prepared. If they do substandard work the significance will be magnified with implications for how students of color are perceived. I am very passionate about what we do in the African-American studies program. I believe in cultivating relationships to build a critical learning community that includes faculty and students. I consider myself to be a lifelong student who learns from the students I mentor. That sense of mutuality affects how I mentor them. I welcome the opportunity to stretch and learn things that are not in my discipline in order to be of assistance to students. My approach is to deal not only with the student as a scholar but to nurture the whole person. From this approach, all of the students I mentor feel a sense of community with each other. This is exemplified by their collaborating on projects that are beyond the curriculum. I have become the figure head in the middle. A lot of my mentoring is presiding and advising over the projects that they lead. Whatever I do, it must be working because I was nominated by students for the McKnight mentorship award. I was the only award recipient who was nominated by students who were not new Ph.D.’s; in fact, two of the three were not even doctoral candidates yet. I am very pleased that I was selected by those students (Justin Dunnavant, Brittany Osbourne, Justin Hosbey). I was very inspired by the award ceremony and will take that positive feedback into my mentoring and advising of other students.
Tradition and Transformation
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In Memory of Dr. William Edward Nelson Jr of African American and African Studies. He also was responsible for the department’s American and African Studies Community Extension Center in Columbus, Ohio that allowed community residents to have greater access to the university and assisted in the recruitment of disadvantaged students. As a mentor, Professor Nelson worked tirelessly to support and mentor doctoral students in the discipline of political science, resulting in the department becoming one of the leading producers of African American PhDs. He also served as a mentor to Dr. Sharon Austin throughout her academic career. Austin credDr. William Nelson Jr., Professor in Department of its Nelson for being the greatest influence on Political Science and African Studies at Ohio State University her in her role as a mentor for undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Nelson was not Dr. William Edward president of the Afonly a mentor, but a friend to all of his stuNelson, Jr. passed rican Heritage Studdents and colleagues. away on May 16, ies Association, and 2013. He was profeschair of the Nasor in both the Detional Council for partment of Political Black Studies and Science and the Device president of the partment of African American Political American and African Science AssociaStudies at the Ohio tion. State University, Not only was Dr. where he served as Nelson a pioneer of chair from 1972 to African American 1986. Dr. Nelson offi- Studies in the cially retired from United States, but Ohio State in 2009 was one of the preafter 40 years of diseminent scholars of tinguished service at African American the university and politics. At Ohio also served as presiState, he assisted in dent of the National the creation and de- Dr. Nelson Addresses Students at Ohio State UniConference of Black velopment of Ohio versity early in career Political Scientists, State’s Department
Page 4 Memorial
In Memory of Dr. Alan C. Petigny Dr. Alan C. Petigny, an affiliate faculty member of the African American Studies Program and Associate Professor of History at UF as well as member of Phi Beta Kappa, passed away on Sept. 24, 2013 at the age of 48 in Gainesville. He was born in Queens, NY, July 5, 1965 and grew up in New York, Ontario, Canada and Paris, France before moving to Tampa, Florida in 1981.
Professor Petigny, the son of West Indian immigrants, earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of South Florida where he graduated with honors in 1992. He later worked as a policy analyst for the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee before returning to graduate school at Brown University where he earned a doctorate in History in 2003. Alan joined the history faculty at UF in 2000. In 2009, Cambridge University Press published his influential first book, The Permissive Society America, 19411965. In 2010, he was awarded tenure and promotion. Dr. Petigny taught popular classes on American social and intellectual history, the 1950s and the 1960s. Alan embraced life fully, deriving great satisfaction from surprising and delighting others, challenging a worthy opponent in a game of racquetball, and teaching and mentoring students. He is remembered as a loving and devoted son, beloved brother and uncle, cherished friend and esteemed professor. His impressive accomplish-
In Memory of Dr. Hanes Walton Jr. Dr. Hanes Walton Jr., a Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor passed away in January 2013 at the age of 72. Professor Walton also was a research professor at the Center for Political Studies at Michigan and one of the nation’s most prolific scholars of African American Politics. Walton was born in Augusta, Ga., on Sept. 25, 1941, and was educated in the public schools of Athens, Ga., where he graduated with honors in 1959. He attended Morehouse College, majoring in political science and graduating in 1963. He then received a Master of Arts degree from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) and was the first doctorate in government at Howard University in 1967. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Sigma Alpha, and received several other academic awards. Walton accepted an appointment at the University of Michigan in 1992 after teaching for several years at Savannah State College and Atlanta University. Professor Walton wrote several books on black politics including "Invisible Politics: Black Political Behavior, American Political Parties," "The Political Philosophy of Martin Luther King. Jr.," "When the Marching Stopped: The Politics of Civil Rights Regulatory Agencies," "Presidential Elections, 1789-2008," and the two-volume work, "The African American Electorate: A Statistical History." He was a gifted teacher who was known for his extraordinary knowledge of politics, but also for his humor and compassion for his students. In addition, many African American political scientists were influenced by Professor Walton’s teaching and research skills. He spent countless hours writing letters so that they could receive tenure and promotion at universities, edited several manuscripts for young scholars, and gave them an abundant amount of advice about navigating the academic process. He will be missed, but his legacy will forever live on.
Tradition and Transformation
Alumni Corner: Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor
Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor graduated as a University of Florida Presidential Scholar with a Bachelor in Arts in Political Science and Minor in Leadership in 2009. As a Ronald E. McNair scholar, Emmanuel Gamor received several honors and awards as an undergraduate at the University of Florida. In addition to Florida Blue Key, he served on the University of Florida Homecoming Committee, as a member of the 2007 Preview Staff, on the J. Wayne Reitz Union Board of Managers, as President of Esquire and Polaris of the Gamma Omicron chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Briefly after graduation, he worked his way to becoming
the managing editor of a community newspaper in the Washington Metro area. In 2012, he permanently relocated to Ghana and was lead video & photo reporter for Ghana Decides, a non-partisan social media project to cover Ghana’s presidential elections; and his photography blog was nominated in the “Best Photo Blog” category by the Blogging Ghana association at the Ghana Social Media Awards in March 2013. Emmanuel currently works as a business development executive and multimedia journalist with Global Media Alliance. He is the co-host of a radio program, MPwr (pronounced em*pow*er) in Ghana, West Africa, which engages young African leaders in weekly discussions, highlighting their successes, sharing their challenges, and fostering positive habits among this generation of change-makers and the next. Mr. Gamor is also
Page 5 Faculty Profile
assisting Dr. Hilliard-Nunn with the Role of Ghana in the African American Experience course that will be offered in June 2014. According to Mr. Gamor, “Professors in the African American Studies courses at UF were timely mentors in helping shed light on my African heritage in the Ameri-
can and African American context. Their insight during my research thesis, in-class discussions and beyond have been instrumental in shaping the person I am today and the impact I get to have back home on the African continent and beyond.”
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Student Spotlight: Tahiri Jean-Baptiste
Tahiri Jean-Baptiste, 4th year African American Studies, English, and Anthropology major at the University of Florida and have had a significant impact on the student body at UF and greater Gainesville community since she has enrolled. Tahiri emigrated from Haiti to the United States (Palm Beach, South Florida) in 2002 at the age of nine. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the University of Florida in Fall 2010 and immediately became involved with the UF and Gainesville community by becoming a Teaching Assistant at Bucholtz High School and becoming involved with the Department of Languages and Culture. Since her freshmen year, Tahiri has been actively involved as a student leader:
she has an served as an Assistant Director of the Diversity Dance Showcase, a student mentor for University Minority mentors, and as a Senior Ambassador at the UF Institute of Black Culture. She chose to major in African American studies because she has been able to apply the lessons and skills acquired while matriculating through the program to social, personal, professional, and academic aspects of her life. Additionally, because of the classes that she has taken for the major she has acquired a better understanding of the inter-social relations of the citizens of this country. She posits that African American studies instructs its students on the intricacies of critical thinking; that the nameless, hidden, and marginalized variables that form American society are thoroughly explored, celebrated, and critiqued. She also believes that the discipline provides students with valuable histories—integral to under-
standing 21st century America—that have been lost to us over the years. Tahiri is now and forever thankful for the opportunity to study alongside the experienced faculty that the program has to offer. Tahiri states “I am graduating in the spring and I fully intend to continue my Black Studies education at the graduate level. Upon graduating I will be taking the year off to gain some work experience. I will then pursue a Doctoral degree in Education Psychology, primarily focusing on how structural constraints and individual agency dynamics influence Black students in the K-12 classroom. I fervently believe that education is this society’s best strategy for sociopolitical equality so I aim to do everything in my power to help educate our black and brown youth.”
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Tradition and Transformation
Emancipation Betrayed? The 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, and the Justice for Trayvon Martin Movement
Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn, Moderator
Emancipation Betrayed? The 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, and the Justice for Trayvon Martin Movement took place on September 9th in Smather’s Library Room 1A.
Dr. Paul Ortiz
Audience of 100+
Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn served as a moderator for the event, introducing Dr. Zohorah Simmons, Dr. Paul Ortiz, and two members of the Dream Defenders organization, Nailah Summers and Shamile Louis. Dr. Zoharrah Simmons presented on her experience as a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the early 60’s. From her presentation, the audience learned a great deal about the various disagreements between SNCC and the Southern Leadership Conference surrounding the ’63 March on Washington and the role of women during the civil rights movement era. Dr. Paul Ortiz presented on the history of slavery in Florida and its effects that it still has today. Lastly, Nailah and Shamile presented on their experience in the Trayvon Martin case and how they camped out at the capital of Florida to convince state representatives to address the stand your ground law. From their presenatation, the audience learned that during the period of them camping out in the capital, the Dream Defenders held numerous work-
Dr. Zoharah Simmons, Dr. Paul Ortiz, Nailah Summers, and Shamile Louis
shops and made many connections to expand their cause. Dream Defender’s current project involves addressing the school to prison pipeline and bringing awareness to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Zoharah Simmons
Nailah Summers, Dream Defenders
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UF Intersections
Passing the Torch On Monday October 21st at 6pm in Little Hall room 113, the African American Studies Program hosted a career and internship information session. Representatives from Environment America, the Public Policy and International Affairs Program, the Summer for Undergraduates Program at Florida State University School of Law, Teach for America, and the White House Internship Program were present to provide information to students about career and internship opportunities. The Environment America program hires college graduates with the passion, the commitment, and the talent to stand up to polluting industries and fight for a green future to join our Fellowship Program. he Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) is a national program that prepares young adults for an advanced degree and ultimately for careers and influential roles serving the public good. The 2014 Summer for Undergraduates Program will take place May 19 through June 12, 2014. During the four-week program, students are engaged in activities covering classroom experience, law school admissions process, and careers in the law. Teach for America’s mission is to "eliminate educational inequity by enlisting high-achieving recent college graduates and professionals to teach" for at least two years in low-income communities throughout the United States. The White House Internship Program provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. This hands -on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office and prepare them for future public service opportunities. For more information regarding these programs contact Dr. Sharon Austin at polssdw@ufl.edu
Annual Dr. Ronald C. Forman Lecture Spring 2014 On February 20th , 2014 at 6 PM in the Friends of Music Room, the African American Studies program will host the Dr. Ronald C. Forman Lecture series. This year’s lecture will feature Abdul Alkalimat, Professor of African American Studies and the Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include: digital inequality, community informatics, and African American intellectual history. He moderates the largest African-American Studies discussion list, H-Afro-Am, and created and edits Malcolm X: A Research Site as well as eBlack Studies
Panel on “Trouble the Water” featuring Dr. Sharon Austin On January 15th at 2:30 PM in Uslter Hall, Dr. Sharon Austin will be featured on a panel along with Professor Barbara Mennel, and Professor Churchill Roberts discussing “Trouble the Water” with Academy award winning producer Tia Lessen. Lessin also co-produced several of Michael Moore's films, including Capitalism: A Love Story, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Bowling for Columbine. Lessen will then host a public screening for “Trouble the Water” at 6:00 PM in Pugh that same day.
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UF Intersections
McNair Scholars Spotlight: Danisha Baro is one of several TRIO family programs that assists students from low-income/firstgeneration and underrepresented minority backgrounds during their progress through the academic pipeline. The McNair Scholars Program prepares outstanding undergraduates for pursuit of a doctoral degree by providing mentoring, paid research experience, academic training, peer support, and travel opportunities. McNair has been funded at the University of Florida since 1995 and has successfully produced scholMcNair Scholar Danisha Baro presenting her research at the McNair Open House in November 2013.
Meet McNair Scholar Danisha Baro, a
culture. Funded by the
junior double-majoring in Psychology
U.S. Department of
and African American Studies. Danisha
Education, the Ronald
is investigating the relationship be-
E. McNair Post-
tween stress and spirituality among
Baccalaureate
Black students at predominantly White
Achievement Program
institutions with guidance from her
ars who have gone on to earn doctoral degrees for almost 20 years. The program is accepting applications for the 2014-2015 cohort through January 31, 2014. Students who are interested in getting involved in undergraduate research and are committed to pursuing a Ph.D. after graduation are encouraged to apply. More information is available on the website: http:// mcnair.aa.ufl.edu.
McNair faculty mentors, Dr. Joseph McNamara and Dr. Patricia HilliardNunn. Danisha is an “old soul” who enjoys reading and learning about African American organizations and historical events. She is an OAS mentor and also involved with Dream Defenders; Women of Respect, Achievement, Perseverance and Service (WRAPS); the Gator Chapter of the NAACP, and IMPACT Autism. Danisha plans to pursue both a master’s and Ph.D. in counseling psychology. She would ultimately like to be a university professor and continue research on African American
McNair Scholars Sherin Merchant, Brittany Hibbert, Andrea Hernandez, Danisha Baro and Adrian Paneto at the SAEOPP McNair Research Scholars Conference in Atlanta, GA in July 2013.
Tradition and Transformation
Page 10
Jaron Jones, President of UF Black Graduate Student Organization
Greetings from the Black Graduate Student Organization (BGSO)! My name is Jaron Jones and I serve as the current president for BGSO. Our organization assists Black graduate and professional students foster meaningful and lasting relationships that aid in academic achievement and success. We also provide mentorship and graduate development opportunities for undergraduate students as well. Founded in 1985 by graduate and professional students at the University of Florida, BGSO was cre-
ated to provide a comfortable social, academic, and cultural outlet for Black graduate and professional students on a predominately white campus. Our premier program is the University of Florida’s Martin Luther King Week celebration. BGSO began the tradition of inviting luminaries to the University of Florida to deliver keynote addresses based on the legacy of Dr. King in 1985. The university has since partnered with us to create a week of events in Gainesville in the spirit of Dr. King. To this day, BGSO continues to provide many opportunities for graduate and professional students of African, Caribbean, and African-
American descent to network with each other and become involved at UF and in the surrounding community. We currently meet every third Thursday of the month at 7:00p.m. at the Institute of Black Culture (IBC). During our monthly meetings, we disseminate valuable information about campus and community events and enjoy lectures and presentations from fellow graduate students, professionals, and academics. Refreshments are served and all are welcome. In the spring semester, we will be offering additional social and development opportunities for our members. If you would like more information, please visit our Collegiate Link Site: https:// ufl.collegiatelink.net/ organization/bgso/ We can also be found on Facebook at: https:// www.facebook.com/groups/ bgsouf/
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Tradition and Transformation
Opportunity Corner: The Blue Print .“The Blueprint” is a 12-week enhancement program at the University of Florida designed to aid African American males in various aspects of collegiate development. The program focuses on helping the young men achieve success in six identified areas: academics, peer/ professional etiquette, spiritual growth, physical, emotional, and mental well-being. The participants are required to attend weekly meetings/ workshops that address the identified areas. They are also required to do projects outside of weekly meetings to show evidence of applying and retaining information learned from the six areas of success. Each session is interactive and facilitated by different professionals. The participants will have the opportunity to interact with various professionals from the campus and local community at large. The incentive that drives their engagement in the program is a $1000 scholarship and the purchase of a business suit. The scholarship is awarded to the individual male who demonstrates the most significant development during the course of the program. The ultimate goals are multi-faceted and encompass several components to ensure the success of the program and the students. The first goal is to garner self-efficacy for the young men and to help them assimilate effectively into the collegiate environment. Secondly, is to connect the campus and various departments in the success of the students. And finally, to teach general
skills necessary for professional success, i.e. time management, goal setting, financial preparedness, and general etiquette and language skills. For more information, see the Institute of Black Culture’s website: http:// ibc.multicultural.ufl.edu/programs_services/ cultural_educational/the_blueprint/. Or, contact Ms. Veleashia “Vee” Smith, Director, Institute of Black Culture, 1510 W. University Ave., Gainesville, FL 32603, 352-392-1217 x. 252, VeeS@multicultural.ufl.edu
The Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Programs Fellowships The goal of the PPIA Fellowship Program is to help students achieve a Master’s or joint degree, typically in public policy, public administration, international affairs or a related field. The organization does this through the intensive study provided by participation in a Junior Summer Institute (JSI), through partnerships with universities across the country, and through an alumni network that provides opportunities to connect with nearly 4000 individuals who share the same interest in public service. Each year, PPIA seeks out high-potential undergraduate students from universities across the country to participate in an intensive seven-week Junior Summer Institute (JSI) before their senior year. During their program, fellows are equipped with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in graduate school and ultimately, in influential roles serving the public good. Once a student has successfully completed their JSI, they join an alumni network of nearly 4,000 leaders. In addition to the opportunities that this network provides for mentoring and career development, our alumni network has the opportunity to receive financial support for their graduate school education if they attend one of the programs in our Graduate School Consortium
Unpaid Internships The Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Program offers unpaid internships in the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. These internships are open to undergraduate Juniors and Seniors and graduate students. These internships are an excellent opportunity to gain substantial professional experience, engage with prominent leaders from across the country, and gain valuable experience with an entrepreneurial, mission-driven organization. Ideal candidates will be motivated self-starters with strong communication skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. We expect interns to be available to work at least 10 hours/week but we are willing to be flexible with how these hours are divided. Strong candidates for this position will have outstanding research skills and the ability to synthesize, classify and analyze collected data. This position offers an opportunity to get an inside look at what it takes to develop and manage dynamic programs. To Apply: Candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to ppia.office@ppiaprogram.org.
Tradition and Transformation
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African-Americans in Paris Study Abroad The African Americans in Paris course will explore the African American presence in Paris. Students will receive information about three groups of Black Americans who have traveled to Paris: 1) political persons, 2) academics, and 3) culture bearers. Drs. Sharon Austin and Patricia Hilliard-Nunn will escort students to several historic sites in Paris where these individuals lived and worked. The class will participate in seminars in Paris that will be conducted by Professor Sharon Austin and by French professors. Students will also have some free time to explore Paris on their own, do not have to speak French in order to participate, will receive two academic credits (with an option to receive an additional independent study credit if they complete a research paper), and can use their financial aid for many of their expenses. Our excursions will include a tour of the Le Vesinet (the town that Josephine Baker lived in), the African and North African district of Goutte d’Or which is famous for its market, the Assemblée Nationale (Parliament of Paris), the Eiffel Tower, the Sorbonne University and the Latin Quarter, the Black Art exhibits at the Lou-
vre, and the first African American commu-
nity in Paris in the Montmartre district.
We will also participate in the James Bald-
win in Paris tour and take a Cruise of
River Seine. The Cost for the Course is
$2117 for undergraduates and $2232
for graduate students. This includes: Ac-
commodation in double rooms in cen-
trally located hotel (breakfast included),
One group welcome dinner and one
group farewell dinner, Visits to cultural &
academic sites, Ground transportation
on all activities, Paris metro pass, On-site
cultural and safety orientation, Pre-
departure materials, Computer and internet
access at API Center. This fee does
not include:, Airfare, Luggage fees, Medical
and life insurance, Personal expenses
(e.g. passport fees, souvenirs, laundry,
etc.). A description of the “Blacks in
Paris” tour is as follows: We meet at a
quaint restaurant on the Champs
Elysees for your Black Paris Orientation!
We then stroll to the Arc de Triomphe
where Stevenson tells of the first great
wave of African Americans coming to
Paris in the 1800s. She describes the ex-
ploits of Black soldiers who distin-
guished themselves on French battle fields
during World Wars I and II. We see
where Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hem-
ings came together in 1787, the begin-
ning of a 38 year relationship. A short bus
ride takes us to a world famous con-
cert hall where celebrated African American
singers and jazz musicians per-
formed…from Louis Armstrong, to Duke
Ellington and from Miles Davis to
Jessye Norman. Another short bus ride
drops us at beautiful Parc Monceau to
follow in the footsteps of Frederick Doug-
lass, Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, Henry O. Tanner, Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells, Carter G. Woodson,Countee Cullen, Bessie Coleman, Langston Hughes, and Mary McCloud Bethune. We stroll two blocks to stand before the monument recognizing France’s abolition of the African slave trade and recalling the exploits of Napoleon’s most famous Black general. Steps away, another statue is dedicated to the General’s son, Alexandre Dumas-the most famous French writer in history. A third statue, recalls the literary achievements of his son, the dramatist, Alexandre Dumas. With the Haitian Embassy overlooking this square, you’ll hear the story of Toussaint L’Ouverture, who led the successful 1791 revolt, making Haiti the first free Black Republic in the new world. Another bus takes us past the building where author Dumas lived, then past the church dedicated to the African Saint Augustine — a founder of the Catholic Church! Next we’ll see the Church where Josephine Baker was given a state funeral April 15th, 1975. We’ll pause at Place Concorde where the guillotine took the heads of thousands during the French Revolution, and where the US Embassy is headquartered. Place Concorde is home to the oldest monument in Paris today, the African Obelisk-an astronomical device used to chart the skies at the Temple of Thebes in Luxor. If time permits, we’ll hop another bus that will take us to fashion’s Ave Montaigne and the theatre where Josephine Baker exploded on stage in “La Revue Negre” in 1925 and where she opened her second “Chez Josephine” nightclub in 1937.
Tradition and Transformation
Page 13
Study Abroad in Ghana, Summer 2014 Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn will travel to Ghana and teach this two-week course. This course will introduce students to the Ghanaian origins and connections to the African American experience. Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, is one of several West African countries from which enslaved Africans were shipped during the transatlantic slave trade. Since then, the United States and Ghana has been linked via politics, art, culture, business, the tourism industry and more. Kwame Nkrumah, who became Ghana’s first president after winning independence from English colonial rule in 1957, studied in the United States and famous and regular African Americans as diverse as W.E.B. DuBois, Louis Armstrong, Richard Wright, Pauline Murray, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou have visited and/or moved to the country to work. Students will explore these and other themes related to African Americans and Ghana through their own disciplines. Students will complete class readings. Class sessions will consist of cultural enrichment trips to key Ghanaian sites of interest, lectures, discussions, exercises, film screenings, and hands on workshops. Course assignments will include: Attend class sessions at UF and in Ghana. Students will be graded on attendance and participation. Keep a trip journal in any form that you wish. Be sure to date your entries as you note, describe and reflect upon each day’s activities. Turn in 1) a 6-8 page double-spaced reflection essay of your journal and 2) The actual journal as an addendum to the essay. Turn in a hard copy to the professor in 211 Walker Hall-UF on June 27, 2014. Write a research proposal (due on June 16). Write an 8-10 page research paper (must have at least 6 references, due to Dr. Hilliard-Nunn on June 26). The itinerary will entail a class meeting on March 24th in (location TBA); April 21st Ghanaian History and Cultures; Monday June 2nd Pre-departure lecture; Monday June 9th Depart for Ghana; Tuesday June 10th Arrival and Welcome Dinner; Wednesday June 11th Visit Independence Square: Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, National Museum/Mausoleum, lunch, Visit an Artisan’s Guild and Market, Tour the Dr. W.E.B. DuBois Memorial; Thursday June 12th Lecture by Drs. Jacob and Barbara McDade-Gordon, African Dance and Drum Workshop at the University of Ghana; Friday June 13th Trip to the Hohoe and Volta region to visit Wli water falls and tropical rain forest and the Agumatse River; Saturday June 14th Class, Travel to Kumasi to visit a bead making facility at Odumasi Krobo – Bonwire, tour of the Ntonso Adinkrah Craftsmen; Sunday June 15th Class, Walk through the Kumasi Central Market (Kejetia) - the largest open-air market in West Africa, tour the Ashanti Kingdom and the Manhyia Palace Museum, tour the Ghanaian National Cultural Center, home to Primpeh II Jubilee Museum and the Okomfo Anokye Sword. It includes a variety of work spaces which feature woodcarving, ceramics, kente weaving and adinkrah printing; Monday June 16th Class, Visit the Donkor Nsuo (The Slave River) at Assin Manso; Tuesday June 17th Tour the Elmina Dungeon & Museum; Wednesday June 18th Tour of the Cape Coast Dungeon. Panel Discussion: This panel will include members of the African American Expatriate community in Ghana at the Cape Coast University Campus; Thursday June 19th Class, Visit the Kakum National Park, Drive through: Village of Abandz, the ancestral home of Louis Armstrong, View the Movie Pray the Devil Back to Hell, tour the Liberia Refugee Camp; Friday June 20th Speak with the elders and others in the town. Visit an elementary school. Share stories with the children. Interact with the children; Saturday June 21st Exploration, Research, Shopping. Trip reflections – debriefing and Farewell Banquet; Sunday June 22nd Departure
Page 14
UF Intersections
Spring 2014 AFAM Schedule Course
Sect
Cred
AFA 2000
02CE
3
AFA 2000
2517
3
AFA 3240
07G9
3
AFA 3332
07G7
3
AFA 3354
AFA 3356
1229
1232
3
3
Day(s)
Period
Bldg
Room
Course Title & Textbook(s)
Instructor(s)
INTR AFRICAN Adejumo,Vincen AMER STU E
WEB T
4
NRN
0331
R
4-5
NRN
0331
T
4
MAT
0011
R
4-5
MAT
0108
T
7
FAC
0127
R
7-8
FAC
0127
M
8-9
FLI
0105
W
9
FLI
0105
T
8-9
AND
0134
R
9
AND
0134
INTR AFRICAN AMER STU
Nunn,Patricia Hilliard
THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
Harrison,Faye V
BLK FEMIN/ WOMAN THRY
Harrison,Faye V
SimRACE AND REmons,Gwendolyn LIGION Delores SimAFRICAN AMER mons,Gwendolyn RELIGION Delores
AFA 3930
04CE
3
MWF
5
MCCB
1108
HebHAITIAN CULblethwaite,Benja TURE & SOC min John
AFA 3930
07AG
3
MWF
4
LIT
0221
HebINTER HAITIAN blethwaite,Benja CREO 2 min John
AFA 3930
084B
3
MWF
1
LEI
0207
RACE & LAW CONSTIT HIP HOP SEXUAL POLIT
AFA 3930
AFA 3930
1C04
1110
3
3
5-6
TUR
2349
R
6
TUR
2349
MWF
4
TUR
2333
THE SLAVE NARRATIVE
McIlvoy,Karen Nunn,Patricia
AFA 3930
1296
3
T
6-8
RNK
0225
AFA 3930
17G1
3
W
7-9
TUR
2318
VIRGIL HAWKINS
07AD
2
P
T
BLACKS IN FILMS
AFA 4905
Stafford,Samuel
Hosbey,Justin T
Elizabeth Hilliard STAFF
TBA
AFR AMER IN PARIS
Austin,Sharon Nunn,Patricia
Denise
AFA 4905
1G25
3
TBA
GHANA AFR AMER EXPER
AFA 4905
DEPT
1
TBA
PARIS ADD RESEARCH
M
2336
AFR AMER WOMEN CULTUR
King,Debra
1101
WOMEN WRITING RACE
King,Debra
AFA 4931 AFA 4931
01AF 02E3
3 3
M
3-5 9-11
TUR TUR
Hilliard STAFF
Walker Walker
AFA 4931
12F7
3
W
7-9
FLI
0113
RACE LABOR WMN AUTOBI
AFA 4931
13HC
3
R
8-10
MAT
0002
RACE GENDER POLITICS
Austin,Sharon
0166
RACE CULT & CLASSROOM
Acosta,Melanie
TBA
AFRICAN-AM SEN SEM 2
Nunn,Patricia
W
AFRICAN-AM SEN SEM 2
Nunn,Patricia
AF AM. INTERNSHIP
Austin,Sharon
AFA 4931 AFA 4937 AFA 4937 AFA 4940
14G1 164F 6867 DEPT
3 3 3 3
T
TBA
9-11
3-5
NRN
FLI
0113
Allukian,Kristin F
Denise Moore Hilliard Hilliard Denise
Page 15
UF Intersections
Support the African American Studies The African American Studies Program at the University of Florida depends upon gifts from alumni and friends to fund student and faculty travel, research, and lecture series. If you would like to support the program, please consider making your gift today. The University of Florida Foundation, Inc. is the steward of all private support of the University of Florida. You can give online to The African American Studies Program Fund which makes it possible for the program to engage in extracurricular activities that promote community building and public programming. Private sources of funding increase our capacity for creating a supportive environment for interactions among students, faculty, and the wider community. Designate African American Studies account F008477. One way to offer a specific contribution is to support the Harry Shaw Travel Fund which will make it possible for students to travel for research and conference presentations. Designate African American Studies and list F016689 to build this account. The James Haskins Visiting Scholar Fellowship Endowment Fund honors the memory of the late James Haskins (1941-2005), a former University of Florida Professor of English and a distinguished writer who interpreted the African American experience. In well over 100 books, he exposed children and youth readers to the biographies of leading African Americans and key aspects of Black culture, social history, and contemporary life. The scope of his writings also extended beyond Black America to other parts of the world. The James Haskins Visiting Scholar Fellowship Endowment Fund provides the critical resources needed to enable African American Studies to host emerging and established scholars with research interests that complement some aspect of the scholarly agenda of faculty within the program. The African American Studies account code to build this fund is F013759/013760. You may also make a gift of cash, appreciated stocks and bonds, real estate, and through various planned giving opportunities through the college of Liberal Arts and Sciences Development and Alumni Affairs office. For more information, please contact Christy Popwell, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs (352) 215-5636 or cpopwell@ufl.edu Thank you for supporting our stability and growth! Purchase your University of Florida African-American Studies Program T-Shirt Today The African-American Studies Program is now selling T-Shirts! T-Shirts are 15$ and are available for purchase at 104 Walker Hall between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Shirts can be purchased via cash or check. The check can be made to UF African American Studies Program. We will also be at the Multicultural Recruitment Fair on April 3rd from 10-2 in the Reitz Union Colonnade selling shirts and distributing more information regarding the newly approved Major.