In his commentary, Blake analyzed Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness鈥� historic third-term electoral victory. He highlighted how reductions in crime, investments in infrastructure and debt stabilization contributed to the Jamaica Labour Party鈥檚 success. Blake also noted the challenges Holness faces, including modernizing health care, improving education, and sustaining public security. His analysis underscores the broader implications of Jamaica鈥檚 political trajectory for good governance, security and economic growth.

The publication can be found

Organized by Wellesley鈥檚 departments of Africana Studies and Religious Studies, the conference brings together prominent scholars from across the nation to address Black women鈥檚 spirituality, past and present.

Otieno鈥檚 talk, “Mama Said Knock You Out: Spiritual Agency, Power and Protest,” focused on women and naked protests on the African continent. In it, she sought to dispel some of the confusion surrounding naked protests in the public sphere by discussing the socioethical considerations related to exposing the nude female body to activate and harness spiritual power.

This talk is part of a larger research project addressing women’s roles in protests that inspire social change and in protests demanding communal transformation through Divine intervention and otherworldly power. In her work, Otieno argues that protests establish new moral orderings of communities that challenge longstanding ideals by reconstructing views and perceptions of morality.

These days, February brings a wealth of opportunities for learning, reflection and advocacy around Black history and the legacies of anti-Black racism on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus and around the country. While you鈥檙e likely to see pop-up exhibits around campus this month that utilize materials from the 黑料不打烊 Archives & Special Collection, this seems a particularly appropriate time of year to remind the campus of the records, papers and artifacts related to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Black history that the Archives makes available to students, faculty, staff and the public year-round.

Online Resources聽

Not all of the materials in the 黑料不打烊 Archives & Special Collections are available online. Still, there are several small collections and exhibits that represent a good start to exploring 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Black history.

Since its inception in 2018, the Committee on 黑料不打烊 History & Memory has worked closely with the Archives to uncover hidden, unsung, and sometimes difficult histories on campus, including the underdeveloped stories of Black contributions and Black excellence at 黑料不打烊. After the release of the committee鈥檚 2020 report (see the Recommended Reading section below), the Archives created a special online collection that brings together some of the resources used to write the report, many of which document 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Black history.

听补苍诲 Freedom Footprints鈥�The Archives also created an interactive map exhibit that connects the campus鈥檚 physical spaces with the stories told in the 2020 Committee on 黑料不打烊 History and Memory report, allowing users to walk through Black history on campus. In the summer 2024, the original tour was adapted to create a thought-provoking Juneteenth walking tour titled 鈥淔reedom Footprints.鈥澛�

This student project, researched and created by Emily Lange ’21, a 2019 recipient of the Lumen Prize, documents the origins of the African and African American Studies at 黑料不打烊 minor. Starting with the first request for a Black studies course in 1969 and working through Wilhelmina Boyd鈥檚 successful launch of the minor in 1994, the exhibit highlights the importance of student advocacy in the long fight for academic recognition on campus.

This collection currently houses only a few interviews germane to Black history on 黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus, but watch this space for new resources (see Expanding the Collections, below).

听补苍诲 颁辞濒濒别肠迟颈辞苍蝉鈥�A sampling of our total photographic and video holdings is available in our online collections and are searchable there, but we have many more AV resources in our collections. Contact an archivist at belkarchives@elon.edu for more information.

Physical Collections聽

Within our physical collections, we are always working to identify entry points to Black history and the Black experience on our campus and beyond. What follows is a list of materials we know to be relevant to understanding Black history at 黑料不打烊. These can be accessed in the Archives Reading Room at Belk Library. Email belkarchives@elon.edu for more information.

Books and Publications鈥擬oments in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Black history have been captured in a range of campus publications, including campus newspapers like the Maroon and Gold (1920-1970), the Veritas Liberated Press (1968-1970), Broadside Today (1972-1973), and the Pendulum (1974-ongoing); in the Phi Psi Cli yearbook (1913-ongoing); administrative publications like the 黑料不打烊 College/University fact books; newsletters like Black Underground; in original research like L鈥橳anya Richmond鈥檚 master鈥檚 thesis, 鈥満诹喜淮蜢肉�檚 Black History: A Story to Be Told鈥� (2005); and in recent campus reports like the Black Lumen report (2023). Many of these publications have been digitized and are now fully searchable online.

EUA012 黑料不打烊 Athletics Collection, 1891-ongoing (13 archival boxes, 18 bound volumes, plus unprocessed material)鈥擜thletics represented a pathway to join the 黑料不打烊 community for Black student-athletes, and Black athletes were at the forefront of the fight for equity on campus from the late 1960s onward. This collection includes a variety of materials and documents that relate to the history of athletics at 黑料不打烊.

EUA040 黑料不打烊 Biographical Files鈥擳his collection includes biographical information about individuals associated with 黑料不打烊 and the Town of 黑料不打烊, including some of the founders of the institution, faculty and staff, and alumni. Documents within each folder contain a variety of items, such as newspaper clippings, correspondences, essays and memoirs, and other types of printed materials.

EUA041 黑料不打烊 Files (General and Administrative)鈥� This collection includes general information files about departments on campus, events, courses, organizations and other miscellaneous subjects associated with 黑料不打烊. The files are arranged alphabetically and span eight file cabinet drawers. For example, the 鈥淏lack Cultural Society/Black Student Union鈥� folder was cited in the 2020 report by the Committee on 黑料不打烊 History & Memory.

EUA095 Gospel Choir Collection, 1980-ongoing (three archival boxes)鈥擳he Gospel Choir at 黑料不打烊 was founded in 1977 by a group of African American students in search of fellowship on campus. The Gospel Choir Collection includes documents about the organization from 1980 to the present day. Documents include materials such as correspondence, receipts or financial records, advertising flyers, programs and membership listings.

EUA098 African and African American Studies Collection, 1969-ongoing (four archival boxes)鈥� This collection consists of materials relating to the founding and continued work of the African and African-American Studies Program at 黑料不打烊.

EUA134 Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education (CREDE) Collection, 1992-ongoing (one archival box)鈥擳his collection pertains to multicultural affairs across 黑料不打烊’s campus, including the creation of the CREDE, as well as some information on the African and African-American Studies minor.

EUA155 Anti-Racism at 黑料不打烊 Collection, 2020-ongoing (one archival box)鈥� This is a collection of correspondence, news articles, and reports related to anti-racism efforts at 黑料不打烊, as well as events that took place at 黑料不打烊 and in Alamance County in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. The collection includes the report of the Committee on 黑料不打烊 History & Memory released in October 2020.

EUA159 Black Excellence Awards Collection, 1993- ongoing (one archival box)鈥擳his collection encompasses the history of the Black Excellence Awards from their creation in 1993 to the present day. It includes both programs and invitations from past Black Excellence Awards ceremonies and news articles discussing the Black Excellence Awards. Particularly of note are the programs and newspaper coverage relating to the inaugural award ceremony in 1993.

MSS005 William H. Maness Collection, 1957-2000 (two archival boxes)鈥擳he William H. Maness collection contains a variety of materials relating to his tenure as a judge in Jacksonville, Florida, as well as issues of racism, social inequality, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and the strides people took to promote the well-being and equality of the human race.聽

Expanding the Collections聽

Like all archives, the 黑料不打烊 Archives & Special Collections represents the goals, values and priorities of its participants over the years of its existence. For much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the history and experiences of those who identified as Black or African American were ignored, elided, or just plain excluded from official archives and records鈥攁nd 黑料不打烊 was no different. Within the EUA&SC, we鈥檙e committed to making the Archives a place that reflects the histories of the whole community. In the hopes of filling in some of those 鈥渁rchival silences,鈥� we are always seeking materials that speak to the Black and African American experience on campus. In particular, we plan to begin an oral history program within the Archives that will focus on recovering Black voices, with input from the Committee on 黑料不打烊 History & Memory. We also must acknowledge that, in some cases, evidence and information has simply been lost to history. It鈥檚 a difficult truth that keeps us motivated in our efforts to build a more equitable and accurate archive for the future.

References and Recommended Reading聽

Alvarez, Shaunta. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢肉�檚 First Black History Celebration.鈥� Under the Oaks (blog). February 1, 2012. .

Black Lumen Project. The Black Experience at 黑料不打烊: A Black Lumen Project Report. 黑料不打烊, NC: 黑料不打烊, 2023. .

Committee on 黑料不打烊 History and Memory. Report and Recommendations. 2020. 黑料不打烊, NC: 黑料不打烊, 2022. .

Richmond, L鈥橳anya. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢肉�檚 Black History: A Story to Be Told.鈥� Master鈥檚 thesis, Duke University, 2005. 黑料不打烊 Archives and Special Collections, 黑料不打烊, NC.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation began its annual observation of the聽聽in 2017, commemorated on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The event is a call to action that works with the national Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation effort, which is a community-based process that seeks to bring transformational and sustainable change. The luncheon will give participants time to reflect on shared values and collaborate on crafting the blueprint for #HowWeHeal at 黑料不打烊.

鈥淥ver the past year, members of our community have witnessed or experienced harm and marginalization based on race, shared ancestry and other aspects of identity due to local, national and global events.,鈥� said Carla Fullwood, director of inclusive excellence education and development. “This Community Building and Healing Luncheon will provide a space to share stories, raise awareness, repair harm and restore a sense of community. ”

The luncheon, hosted by the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Education Development (OIEED) and the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education (CREDE), is an opportunity to unite individuals in their shared humanity and create action toward building a more equitable world.

鈥淭his event offers a space to engage in meaningful conversations, discover shared values across communities and explore practical strategies to promote racial healing at 黑料不打烊,鈥� said Anna Matawaran 鈥�25, executive intern for the Division of Inclusive Excellence.

Following the luncheon, there will be a screening of the Emmy-award winning documentary “Talking Black in America: Roots,” followed by a panel discussion聽with producers and sociolinguists Walt Wolfram (N.C. State University) and Tracey Weldon (University of South Carolina). 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Corey Roberts, assistant professor of Native American and Indigenous studies, will moderate the discussion. The documentary connects the stories of the peoples and societies of Ghana, the Bahamas, the Gullah Geechee people in the Southeastern United States and more to show how African American Vernacular English and Black culture developed.

鈥淲e organized the event for our Core Capstone courses, which explore the legacies of linguistic variation, like African American English, an English dialect spoken by African Americans and developed over time because of the history of the African diaspora,鈥� said Amanda Kleintop, assistant professor of history.聽鈥淲e hope that it helps raise awareness of the importance of linguistic variation and how the interdisciplinary study of chattel slavery鈥檚 legacies can teach us to respond to racial inequity in new ways.”

Kleintop and Archie Crowley, assistant professor of English, organized the screening with sponsorship from African & African-American Studies, American Studies, Center for the Study of Religion, Society and Culture, Museum and Public History Studies, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Fund for Excellence in the Arts & Sciences and collaboration by the School of Communications.

The National Day of Racial Healing brings a clear understanding of racial healing and racial equity and the process helps individuals learn how to build relationships, trust and understand community

鈥淣ational Day of Racial Healing represents hope for a future where BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities feel whole, valued and supported. It鈥檚 a day that encourages individuals to share their stories, reflect on their lived experiences and feel empowered to advocate for change,鈥� said Matawaran.

The focus of National Day of Racial Healing aligns with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 commitment to being a community that supports belonging and well-being. 黑料不打烊 first hosted an event for the National Day of Racial Healing in 2022.

鈥淎s a campus community that values relationships and respect for human differences, we acknowledge the National Day of Racial Healing as an opportunity to continue building and strengthening connections across differences鈥� said Fullwood.

Upcoming Events聽

National Day of Racial Healing Community Building and Healing Luncheon
Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. McEwen Dining Classroom
The National Day of Racial Healing is a time to contemplate our shared values and create the blueprint together for #HowWeHeal from the effects of racism. Spots are limited. Registration is required.

Talking Black in America: Roots
Tuesday, Jan. 21 from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Turner Theatre
A screening of “Talking Black in America: Roots” followed by a panel discussion featuring Tracey Weldon, Walt Wolfram and moderated by Corey Roberts.

The documentary connects the stories of the people and societies of Ghana, the Bahamas, the Gullah Geechee people in the southeastern U.S. and more to explore how African American English and Black diasporic cultures developed together.

The panelists, documentary producers and sociolinguists Walt Wolfram (N.C. State University) and Tracey Weldon (University of South Carolina) will speak after the screening. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Corey Roberts, assistant professor of Native American and Indigenous studies, will moderate the interdisciplinary event, sponsored by聽African & African-American Studies, American Studies and Museum and Public History Studies, with support from 黑料不打烊’s Fund for Excellence in the Arts & Sciences and collaboration by the School of Communications.

Turner Theatre is located in Schar Hall, 123 N. Williamson Ave.

鈥淩oots of Rhythm: An Introduction to West African Dance鈥� includes digital music, song tutorials and an animated avatar named Amma that guides learners through choreography. It was published this fall by and complements African dance courses Gee teaches in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Dance Program. The textbook鈥檚 cover image features 黑料不打烊 alumna Kayla Spalding ’23, and accompanying images within the text feature Khairi Morrow 鈥�25.

鈥淲est African dance has always been passed down orally and physically, but with digital tools and AI, like Amma, students get to see and practice the moves whenever they want, while learning about the culture behind them,” Gee said. 鈥淚 wanted to make it easier for everyone 鈥� whether you’re totally new to dance or already have experience 鈥� to connect with this powerful art form and understand how deeply it鈥檚 tied to the history and rhythms of the people.鈥�

Gee used AI to create and animate Amma, which she realized would be a powerful teaching tool for a dance form that is less widely studied. She began the textbook as a way to enhance her courses, where students are challenged to retain movement and sequencing as they build skills from class to class. She already uses video recordings of class sessions to support learning, but discovered the Krikey AI platform and began the exploration process that led to Amma.

鈥淲est African dance is for everyone, so my hope for this book is that it can serve as an accessible and inclusive resource for individuals with varying abilities,鈥� Gee said. 鈥淚 want to make the material approachable for a wide range of readers by presenting concepts in ways that encourage diverse approaches to learning and interaction.鈥�

It also advances Gee鈥檚 mission of raising the prominence of West African dance and traditions within higher education. That work aligns with Inclusive Excellence at 黑料不打烊 by recognizing and uplifting underrepresented and marginalized cultural knowledge, elevating global perspectives and 鈥� through technology 鈥� making learning more inclusive. Gee is also the coordinator of 黑料不打烊’s African and African-American Studies Program.

鈥淭his textbook brings a form of dance that isn’t always considered 鈥榓cademic鈥� into higher education in a way that respects its traditions while making it accessible to more people,鈥� Gee said. 鈥淚t opens up new ways of thinking about how we can use technology to preserve culture and make learning more engaging and interactive. It鈥檚 not just about watching and copying鈥攊t鈥檚 about really understanding and embodying the meaning behind the moves, and that鈥檚 what makes it both fun and important.鈥�

The Jamaican don is a non-state actor, a male figure, usually from the community in which he plays a leadership role, and who wields considerable power and control inside that nation’s garrison communities. Garrisons in Jamaica are poor inner-city communities characterized by homogeneous voting patterns for one of Jamaica’s two major political parties: the People’s National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party.

With revelatory insight, “Don Dada” explores the major roles dons play in their communities and how the activities of these non-state criminal actors have influenced the governance process. Focusing on communities in the downtown metropolitan area of Kingston, the capital city, the book investigates the evolution of the don from the 1960s to the present and their roles of security/protection, social welfare, partisan mobilization and law and order.

Blake contends that dons have emerged as embedded governing authorities in Jamaican garrisons based on the socio-economic and political roles they carry out and puts forward a peace-building model to dissolve the power of dons and their gangs in Jamaica’s marginal communities.

Blake has served as a consultant with聽 Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security on its violence prevention program, “Unite for Change.” He is also a guest columnist and political commentator with the Gleaner newspaper and Nationwide News Network radio station in Jamaica, contributing commentary pieces and analysis on Caribbean electoral politics, political economy, violence and organized crime.

Blake also provides expert country reports, analysis and affidavits to legal firms in the United States and the United Kingdom on immigration matters related to Jamaicans & other Caribbean nationals in deportation proceedings.

His teaching areas are: Comparative Politics and Government; National Security,聽Politics of the Caribbean, Introduction to International Relations, 黑料不打烊 Core Curriculum and interdisciplinary courses which include聽The Black man in America. Blake鈥檚 research areas are: Organized Crime and urban violence in the Americas; Democracy and Mass participation in the U.S.; Social Justice and聽Race the U.S.; and Caribbean politics, governance and development.

The events, initiatives and workshops funded through Fund For Excellence mini grants will strengthen community outreach, promote deeper understanding of historical and contemporary issues, and support scholarship or enhance existing programs.

The Fund for Excellence advances 黑料不打烊鈥檚 mission by supporting projects and programs that deepen the values, intellectual community, research, teaching and ways of thinking that are characteristic of the liberal arts and sciences. Faculty, staff and students are eligible to apply for funding, and proposals can be departmental or organizational, as well as interdisciplinary or collaborative across departments, schools and other campus entities.

鈥淭he purpose of the Fund for Excellence in the Liberal Arts and Sciences is to support projects that enhance student opportunities to engage with academic exploration, to deepen knowledge in the arts and sciences, and to broaden their perspectives as they prepare to become global citizens. These initiatives meet that mission,鈥� said Nancy Harris, associate dean of 黑料不打烊 College and professor of biology, who coordinates the fund through the 黑料不打烊 College Dean鈥檚 Office. 鈥淭he variety, scope and number of proposals submitted this year reflect the collaborative and innovative approaches to the liberal arts and sciences across 黑料不打烊鈥檚 faculty, staff and students.鈥�

A record 16 proposals were submitted in spring 2024. Each year, recipients are selected by a committee appointed by the president of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. This year鈥檚 committee members were Harris; Heather Lindenman, associate professor of English; Patricia Perkins, associate professor of law; Shannon Tennant, coordinator of library collections and associate librarian; and Karen Yokley, professor of mathematics.

Projects awarded funding for 2024-25 included:

STEM Saturday at 黑料不打烊

An outreach program for students in the Alamance-Burlington School System to explore studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics at 黑料不打烊. The event is led by students in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 STEM clubs.

• Submitted by Anthony Rizutto, associate professor of , and Ahlam Armaly, assistant professor of chemistry.

Making the Invisible Visible: German-Jewish Migration from Nazi Germany to Latin America

Brings scholar Bjorn Siegel, a researcher at the Institute for the History of the German Jews in Hamburg, to 黑料不打烊 to meet with 黑料不打烊 classes and deliver his presentation, 鈥淢aking the Invisible Visible: German-Jewish Migration from Nazi Germany to Latin America,鈥� aligning with curricula in the Latin American Studies, Jewish Studies, International and Global Studies and Museum Studies and Public History programs.

• Submitted by Andrea Sinn, associate professor of history, and Juan Leal Ugalde, assistant professor of Spanish.

Creative Approaches to Complex Pasts

This project will create a dance film based on one of 10 episodes in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 2020 Report from the Committee on 黑料不打烊 History and Memory. Assistant Professor of Dance Keshia Wall will choreograph and direct the film. The spring 2025 screening will be accompanied by a panel discussion including partners and community members.

• Submitted by Keshia Wall, assistant professor of dance; Buffie Longmire-Avital, professor of psychology, faculty administrative fellow, and director of the Black Lumen Project; Evan Gatti, professor of art history; and Amanda Laury Kleintop, assistant professor of history.

African Diasporas in North Carolina: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Understanding the History & Legacies of Enslavement

Provides three opportunities for the 黑料不打烊 community to engage with the history of slavery and the African diaspora in North Carolina during Winter Term. Those include a screening and panel discussion of the documentary 鈥淭alking Black in America: Roots,鈥� and visits to the Stagville State Historic Site and Burlington鈥檚 African American Cultural Arts and History Center.

• Submitted by Amanda Laury Kleintop, assistant professor of history; Archie Crowley, assistant professor of English; Erin Pearson, assistant professor of English; Keshia Wall, assistant professor of dance; Devin Proctor, assistant professor of anthropology.

Cinematic Bridges

In association with the Global Film and Cultures Minor, this project will bring two international films to campus for discussion; invite screenwriter, filmmaker and co-creator of the Slamdance Film Festival, Dan Mirvish, to 黑料不打烊 as a guest speaker; and include a pre-recorded interview with Phylicia Pearl Mpasi 鈥�15, a star of 鈥淭he Color Purple,鈥� to accompany that film鈥檚 screening.

• Submitted by Kai Swanson, assistant professor of cinema and television arts, and Lina Kuhn, lecturer in English.

Equipping the EcoVillage LLC

This project will provide workshops and guest speakers to lead events at the EcoVillage in its first year, including topics in Afro-Caribbean herbalism, nature drawing and environmental justice.

• Submitted by Jacob Rutz, lecturer in environmental studies; Michael Strickland, lecturer in English and environmental studies; and Ashley Hollan, visiting assistant professor in arts administration.

Alumni Voices: Conversations with Political Insiders on the 2024 Election

This series of events will bring alumni to campus who are working in policy, politics and journalism ahead of the November elections. They include an investigative reporter covering campaign fraud, an advance manager for a governor and a state political director for a presidential campaign who will share their experiences with campus audiences.

• Submitted by Jillian Auditori, lecturer in political science and policy studies, and Israel Balderas, assistant professor of journalism.

Engineering Takes Center Stage: Bridging the Arts and Sciences

An interdisciplinary project between 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Departments of Engineering and Department of Performing Arts for engineering students to program the choreography and design artificial fur for two robot dogs that will perform in scenes of 鈥淟egally Blonde: The Musical.鈥�

• Submitted by Courtney Liu, assistant professor of music theatre, and Blake Hament, assistant professor of engineering.

Celebration and Appreciation of Holi

黑料不打烊鈥檚 Periclean Scholars will enhance the annual Holi event hosted by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life in March 2025 by adding traditional music, dance, decoration, Indian food, and cultural crafts like henna.

• Submitted by the Periclean Class of 2026

Stories Beyond Borders

Lula Carballo, a Qu茅b茅cois author of Spanish American descent and Emilie Guerette, a Qu茅b茅cois film director, will visit 黑料不打烊 for guest lectures, readings and a film screening. Their appearances will provide students鈥� deeper understanding of issues around immigration from their lived experiences and creative works.

• Submitted by Bethany Sudibyo, lecturer in Spanish, Ketevan Kupatadze, senior lecturer in Spanish, and Olivia Choplin, associate professor of French and interim director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.

Climate, Communities and Conversations

Expands the Highway 64 Project, which covers communities across the state, to include issues of climate change and resiliency in North Carolina. It also would connect 黑料不打烊 to communities by hosting virtual roundtable discussions and bringing expert speakers to campus for workshops and lectures.

• Submitted by Michael Strickland, lecturer in English and environmental studies.

Campus Sustainability Week Keynote Speaker

This initiative brings attorney and author Corban Addison to 黑料不打烊 and 黑料不打烊 Law as the keynote speaker of Campus Sustainability Week and to meet with students, faculty and staff. Addison is the author of the international bestseller, 鈥淲astelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial,鈥� which tells the story of an eastern North Carolina community鈥檚 legal battle for environmental justice against a company in the hog industry.

• Submitted by Kelly Harer, associate director of sustainability for education and outreach, and Eric Townsend, assistant vice president for academic communications.

Analogue Experience in a Digital Age

Develops a philosophy and film course that integrates analog films and student filmmaking into an interdisciplinary study of philosophy. The course would culminate in a symposium and screening.

• Submitted by Nathan L. Smith, assistant professor of philosophy, and Stephen Bloch-Schulman, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy.

鈥淢y heart is full of gratitude about the leadership that has resulted in such a meaningful experience for so many of our students, faculty and staff,鈥� said President Connie Ledoux Book. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a passion in African and African-American Studies at 黑料不打烊, and that鈥檚 resulted in the relationships and mentoring that happen in its courses and experiences.鈥�

The gala event was held in Lakeside Meeting Rooms in Moseley Center and featured remarks by President Emeritus Leo Lambert, current program coordinator Keshia Wall, who is an assistant professor of dance, and other faculty involved with the minor.

The African and African-American Studies minor was established in 1994 with Associate Professor Emerita of English K. Wilhelmina Boyd as its first coordinator. It grew from Professor Emeritus of History Brian Digre鈥檚 efforts to found the International and Global Studies program with an interdisciplinary emphasis on African culture, history and politics, supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Education.

Book spoke to the 鈥渃reative depth鈥� in the program and the value of linking the study of African and African American history and cultures for broad understanding of the African diaspora. Over decades, courses in the minor have grown to span disciplines including art and art history, dance, history, human service studies, psychology, sociology and anthropology, among others. The program also includes global study experiences in Ghana, South Africa, Malawi and Barbados.

Looking to the future, Book outlined expected growth on the African continent and emphasized the minor鈥檚 role in developing graduates prepared to be global leaders and problem-solvers. The median age there is 19 years old, compared to 39 in the U.S. and 49 in Japan. By 2050, Africa鈥檚 population will grow from 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion, and the continent will be home to more than a quarter of people on the planet.

鈥淲ith the world’s youngest population, the countries in Africa will drive cultural and consumer trends, economic strategies and learning. They will become a force of the future,鈥� Book said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 at the heart of what the minor and the education in its courses are designed to teach. It鈥檚 exciting to think about the work, the courses, and the learning that鈥檚 happening in African and African-American Studies as awareness of this strengthened Africa as a rising continent grows.”

Previous coordinators Prudence Layne, associate professor of English, and Buffie Longmire-Avital, professor of psychology and director of the Black Lumen Project, were recognized by faculty colleagues Sandra Reid, senior lecturer in human service studies, and Cheryl Miller Dyce, associate professor and executive director of diversity equity and inclusion for the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education.

A candle-lighting ceremony memorialized Boyd 鈥� also the namesake of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Office of African and African-American Studies, located on the third floor of the Alamance Building 鈥� and Heidi Frontani, a professor of geography who served as an interim coordinator before her passing in 2016.

Lambert recalled 鈥渙ne of the most profound learning experiences of my life鈥� accompanying the GBL 2300 The Call of South Africa course with Layne and Reid to work with communities while witnessing lasting effects of apartheid and racial violence. He praised faculty and staff for their contributions to 黑料不打烊, particularly in creating courses that deepen understanding of inequity and in leading institutional efforts to make 黑料不打烊 more equitable.

鈥淚鈥檓 deeply grateful to all of you for caring so much to advance 黑料不打烊 on a continuing journey to become a stronger and more just institution,鈥� Lambert said. 鈥淢y greatest hope for this evening is that we leave with a fraction of a god鈥檚-eye view of the huge impact this program has had on people鈥檚 lives, the ripples it has created in the world and the good trouble that has caused.鈥�

Wall acknowledged that students and alumni 鈥� including the minor鈥檚 first graduate, Sowand茅 Mustakeem, an associate professor of history and African and African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis and author of 鈥淪lavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage鈥� 鈥� provide inspiration to continue creatively growing the program.

鈥淲e recognize the critical role that education plays in advancing social justice and global citizenship,鈥� Wall said. 鈥淎s we continue to evolve and grow, we remain committed to providing students with transformative learning experiences that empower them to be informed, engaged and compassionate global citizens.鈥�

The fellowship includes membership to the National Women鈥檚 Studies Association and connection to professional development opportunities through the association鈥檚 conferences and committees. The association awards the fellowship to 40 people each year.

The Women of Color Leadership Project is designed to increase the number of women of color among students, staff and faculty within the field of women鈥檚 studies and to raise their participation and influence in the field. The project is sponsored by the association鈥檚 Women of Color Caucus, Program Administration and Development Committee and the Women鈥檚 Centers Committee.

The project has trained more than 400 women from North America, Asia and Europe since it was founded more than 20 years ago. Former participants have gone on to serve in leadership roles in the National Women鈥檚 Studies Association, including president, vice-president and chairs of caucuses.

As a fellow, Wall attended the Women of Color Leadership Pre-Conference and the NWSA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, Oct. 26-29.

鈥淚 had the privilege of being immersed in the company of exceptional women of color, each of whom holds leadership roles within their respective higher education institutions. The experience has undeniably enriched me, equipping me with a wealth of valuable resources and a renewed sense of motivation, all of which I have brought back to 黑料不打烊,鈥� Wall said.