here! - College of Arts and Sciences

AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
NEW DIRECTIONS
Fall 2015—Spring 2016 Edition
Message from our Program Director, Jeanette Davidson
We’ve had another wonderful, successful year! First we welcomed my new
assistant, Eugene Smith, a man of many talents. Since he arrived, he has been
meeting and advising students, helping organize events, and has even started a
reading program for third graders in the OKC community! Of course, Ruth Gomez
continues as our office VIP. She always amazes me with how much work she gets
done! I am so appreciative of everything she does to help our students and
program. Thank you both!
This year was special as we honored our beloved Ashlee Madison by presenting the
first endowed scholarship in her name. Ashlee’s legacy will support students who
have a love of AFAM and the arts, over the decades to come.
Our program Making Black Lives Matter: From# Hashtags to A ction! with the
esteemed Benjamin Crump Esq., Stephanie Frederic, Damario Solomon-Simmons
Esq. and our own adjunct instructor, Melvin Hall Esq., was a huge success. We had
standing room only, an overflow room and live streaming, so literally reached hundreds of people. In addition to
students, faculty members, deans and vice presidents, we had many attendees from the community. This of course is
particularly important to the mission of African and African American Studies.
So the work continues!
AFAM STUDY ABROAD COURSE
AFAM 4010 Black Men and Political Economy: Masculinity in Jamaica - Graham
ENGL 4970 Black Women: Afro-Caribbean Literature, Cultural Expression and Self-Love - John
This year, we are excited to announce the first Jamaica study abroad opportunity available for our students. Black Men
and Political Economy: Masculinity in Jamaica will be taught by Dr. Greg Graham. Black Women: Afro-Caribbean
Literature, Cultural Expression and Self-Love will be taught by Dr. Catherine John. This six credit study abroad
program will begin with two weeks in Kingston and then move to Woodside Village in St. Mary parish, followed by
time in the seaside town of Lucea in Hanover parish, which is the final program component. The focus of this
opportunity is to examine several aspects of Caribbean culture, with this year's focus being on Jamaica. Participants
will experience Jamaica in a variety of ways: living on a university campus, residing with a host family in a small rural
community, interacting with residents in a seaside town and hearing guest lectures by authors and members of the
communities where they live.
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Making Black Lives Matter:
From #Hashtags to Action!
On Nov. 23, the College of Arts and Sciences
and African and African American Studies
Program had the privilege of hosting Attorneys
Benjamin Crump, Melvin Hall and Damario
Solomon-Simmons. The panel discussion was
moderated by Stephanie Frederic, executive
producer of FGW and Transmedia Productions.
Crump is perhaps best known to the public as the
legal representative of the families of Trayvon
Martin, Michael Brown and Tamir Rice. Hall and
Solomon-Simmons practice at the Riggs Abney
Law and both are OU alumni. Melvin Hall is an
adjunct instructor in the AFAM program. He
currently teaches a course on Civil Rights Law.
Solomon-Simmons is a graduate of the AFAM
program and a former lecturer.
The panelists discussed topics that ranged from
police accountability, community action, mass
incarceration and the importance of education.
The event proved to be filled with passion and
energy as the audience members engaged in lively
discussion using their own experiences. The
panelists were able to open the discussion to also
address sexual assault of African American
women. Crump encouraged the students of color
to “go to a place where your people
need to see you.” SolomonSimmons recapped the current case
of Monroe Bird III and discussed
how the DA has failed to follow
proper procedures in Bird’s case.
Jeanette Davidson wrapped up the
event by stating that it was
incredible to witness such an
exchange of ideas between the
audience and the panelists. She
noted we were left moved, informed, instructed
and inspired. We left as dreamers for a better
tomorrow. She also suggested that we are ready
for political action to be better activists with a
better strategy to make our dreams a reality. Arts
and Sciences Dean Kelly Damphousse, Journalism
Dean Ed Kelly, Vice President for University
Community Jabar Shumate and Oklahoma State
Senator Anastasia Pittman joined us for this
important conversation.
From left, Stephanie Frederic, Benjamin Crump,
Melvin Hall and Damario Solomon-Simmons.
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AFAM Black Film Festival
AFAM celebrated Black History Month with the art of Black actors, directors, producers and independent films. We
had the pleasure of hosting Ebony Iman Dallas, a local artist in Oklahoma City, as a guest lecturer on Feb 24.
Ebony’s work celebrates the beauty of women who fight back against in tragedy.
Ebony Iman Dallas
OU Football’s Charles Tapper Visits Edwards Elementary
Students at Edwards Elementary had a big day on Dec. 14 when OU’s defensive end Charles
Tapper came to visit! Charles, an AFAM major, talked about his life growing up in Baltimore,
his passion for reading and his career goals. The percentage of black boys at Edwards is 46
percent, so it was exciting to have a positive male influence on the students at Edwards.
Day of Service at Edwards Elementary
We are proud to announce that our students have
been going to Edwards Elementary School to
tutor 3rd graders! The students from AFAM
classes continue to participate in a community
service project during the academic year of 20152016. The overall purpose of Adopting Edwards
program is to provide 3rd graders with additional
support to improve their reading ability. Our
main objective is to increase scores on the
reading comprehension section of the statemandated 3rd grade reading test. Our students
work directly with the students at Edwards
elementary school on a one on one basis. Our
goal is simple: help them read and comprehend
what they are reading. So far, 20 students from
OU have participated in this program.
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Ashlee T. Madison Scholarship
On Nov. 18, AFAM awarded Carey J. Flack with the inaugural Ashlee T. Madison Freedom Scholarship.
Ashlee was a dynamic individual, who commanded an audience with her beautiful singing even at an early
age. During her short life she performed as a soloist as well as a member of various musical groups, often
appearing in front of large crowds. She appeared in a major motion picture, enjoyed modeling, song writing,
painting and photography. Ashlee was an excellent student academically. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts
degree in African and African American Studies in December 2009.
Carey J. Flack and Lisa Madison
Ashlee Madison
OU African and African American Studies
Program Presents a Lecture with Senior Advisor
Khalilah Harris - Chasing Equity: Race and PostObama America
Khalilah Harris, senior adviser to the director of the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management, presented “Chasing Equity: Race and PostObama America” on Friday, April 1 at OU. The lecture was held in
the J.J. Rhyne Community Room, Zarrow Hall. A reception
followed.
Harris provides leadership for a range of critical issues supporting
the recruitment, retention and engagement of a high-quality federal
workforce, including diversity and inclusion, labor management,
workforce reform and strategic communications. Previously, she
served as the first deputy director of the White House Initiative on
Educational Excellence for African Americans, established by
President Obama in 2012.
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Awards and Recognition
Jeanette Davidson
Congratulations to Dr. Jeanette Davidson for being inducted into
the Ankh Maat Wedjau Honor Society of The National Council
For Black Studies.
Recipients of this award affirm their commitment to the principles
of the Ankh, which are to uphold the sacredness of life, and the
dignity and right of the human person through their scholarship
and service. They also affirm their commitment to the principles
of the Maat, which are the pursuit of truth and the defense of
justice through scholarship and practice. Finally, they affirm their
commitment to the principles of Wedjau, which are to bring,
sustain and increase good in the world so that people develop and
prosper in a realm of maximum human freedom and flourishing.
Seleena Smith
Congratulations to Seleena Smith for being awarded the Black
Girls Rock Shot Caller (Leadership) Award on Feb. 23.
Smith made her mark on campus as well as in the local and
surrounding communities. She is involved in academic, social,
and service endeavors that contribute to the betterment of the
African American/Black community and OU’s campus as a
whole.
Naa-Anorkor Abbey, Samuel McCann &
Marcellus Thurman
We would like to send a big congratulations to Naa-Anorkor
Abbey, Samuel J. McCann and Marcellus Thurman. NaaAnorkor and Samuel are recipients of the Raymond Gary
Scholarship. Marcellus Thurman was awarded the Wayne C.
Thompson Memorial Scholarship.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Shavonne Cleveland, AFAM Class of 2010
After graduating from OU in 2010, I pursued an alternative route to a teaching
certification for the state of Oklahoma. I substituted in Norman and Tulsa Public
Schools before I decided to relocate to New York in August of 2013 to pursue my
master’s of arts in Africana Studies at Stony Brook University.
It was always my intention after graduating with a BA in African/African American
Studies to move on to an MA in Africana as a bridge to a Ph.D. Having two degrees
in Black studies has made me more socially conscious of the various goings-on of
the world. Before attending OU, I had spent eight years in the U.S. Navy as a
journalist. I used my veteran’s education benefits to pay for both by undergraduate
and graduate degrees.
Contact Us
After graduating from Stony Brook in May, 2015, I immediately started an
internship at New York Public Radio in NYC. It lasted three months, and at the end
of the internship I was offered the chance to continue with WNYC as a freelance
reporter.
Give us a call for
more information
about the AFAM
Program.
I believe my academic career in Black studies combined with my career as a
journalist will intertwine in such a way that impacts both the academy and offer
diverse perspectives of news within the media. My ultimate goal is to take what I’ve
learned and become an influential voice in the portrayal of diversity within the
media, whether it’s through radio, television or both. I believe the African American
studies major allows me to be more impactful in conveying news and information,
and if I had not had such a solid foundation and excellent professors at OU's AFAM
Studies program, I know I would not be where I am today. I plan on pursuing a
Ph.D. in AFAM or communications.
AFAM Offices
Physical Science
bldg. Room 517
My advice for undergraduates is to maximize the moment. Absorb all the knowledge
you can while taking AFAM classes. The professors at OU are truly passionate
about what they teach and are true experts in the field. Ask questions and have an
open mind. In doing so, you'll create opportunities for yourself beyond your wildest
dreams.
Visit us on the web at
African and African American Studies seeks to provide students with a
broad, interdisciplinary education inclusive of a focus on Africa and the
traditional areas of study of the African American Studies / Black Studies
discipline.
(405) 325-2327
rsgomez@ou.edu
www.cas.ou.edu/afam