49th Annual National Council for Black Studies Conference Program Book
Dear NCBS Conference Presenters and Attendees:
We are grateful that you chose to attend the National Council for Black Studies’ 49th annual meeting. We are excited to honor our deceased colleague, Dr. Terry Kershaw, for his contributions to the discipline of Africana Studies. This year, our conference theme is “Sankofa: Celebrating Solidarity, Power, and Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century.” Our theme is timely, especially now, as we live during a time when great efforts and very successful strides are being made to erase the horrific encounters and experiences of Blacks in America and Africans in the African Diaspora from the pages and annals of colonial, imperial, and capitalist histories of dominating and oppressive nations that have often placed greed above humanity. No matter how great the power to forge disingenuous curriculums, dehumanizing legislations, and criminalizing actions against those seen as the other, WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, and INCLUSION WILL NOT REST. WE WILL NOT QUIT STANDING UP FOR HUMANITY. Equally as important, there is no eraser broad or strong enough to take away our value nor to disappear Black/Africana Studies from the minds and mouths of those who believe in truth and justice for all peoples. This is why NCBS holds an annual conference. We must talk to each other and speak to the world uncompromisingly about our abilities to determine for ourselves what we need, and how we will bring about change for ourselves. It is within this tradition that this year we honor Dr. Terry Kershaw, who is no longer with us, but who is our brother, a faculty member in the Department of Africana Studies at the University of Cincinnati. THANK YOU, DR. KERSHAW FOR ALL OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOVE OF AFRICANA STUDIES.
Yes, there are MANY ISSUES and DEGRADING SITUATIONS. However, we are not without help, strength, and the freedom to stand. At this 49th conference of the National Council for Black Studies, we will develop approaches, frameworks, and practical strategies that will help us understand, even more, the power of collective agencies. Our dialogues will include conversations concerning useful theoretical, methodological, and practical perspectives to achieve self-agency and empowerment as well as ideas that lead to appropriate actions. We are moving beyond the “this is what happened” narrative to “the now is the time for action” narrative, so we can understand how to best lay bare our own resources and define TODAY how we must use them to build humane futures for ourselves. At the National Council for Black Studies, We stand for academic excellence and social responsibility. We name ourselves so we are the ones identifying who we are, and we say loudly and proudly that we are dedicated to speaking our truths and to establishing correct and evidenced perspectives (untwisted) aligned with self-determined agency that guards and sustains our internal security. Neither our sense of purpose or self, whether real or imagined, will be undermined by continuous misrepresentations of our ancestors’ histories and the contributions they have made to help make a better world. Let us converse together (begin again) concerning what should be the work of Black Studies in the current moment, and how we can reimagine attacks on our cultural values as the opportunity to empower ourselves to move beyond “JUST SURVIVING TO THRIVING.”
Dr. Valerie Grim, Professor, Indiana University and President, NCBS
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, MAY WE FOREVER STAND…
My beloved brothers and sisters!
It is with great pride and much anticipated enthusiasm that I welcome you to the 49th Annual Conference of the National Council for Black Studies! This milestone is indeed a “Golden” Anniversary Celebration as it marks five decades of dedication to the advancement of our cherished discipline as we have continued to foster the promotion of academic excellence and social justice, and the ongoing pursuit of intellectual and cultural empowerment within our communities.
As we gather to commemorate this historic occasion, let us continue to reflect on the visionary scholars, activists, and educators who laid the foundation for the NCBS. Their commitment to the rigorous study and dissemination of Black history, culture, and thought has shaped the academic landscape and fostered meaningful change in institutions across the nation and around the world. This year’s conference is not only a celebration of our achievements but also a reaffirmation of our mission to sustain and expand the impact of Black Studies for future generations.
As always, we will engage in thought-provoking discussions, inspiring presentations, and transformative sessions that highlight the past, present, and future of our discipline. I encourage you to take full advantage of the myriad of opportunities to connect and collaborate with one another. In doing so, we honor the legacy of those who have paved the way for our continued growth as we enjoy, embracing and affirming one another. At some point during our time here make sure you tell somebody “It is so good to see you” because it truly is good to both see and be seen!
While here in Cincinnati, the NCBS will serve as host to top-notch undergraduate and graduate student panels, roundtable, and discussions. These sessions alongside an impressive array of thought-provoking research presentations from professional scholars of Black Studies spanning the diaspora are sure to revitalize and motivate us to continue the much-needed work to bring acclamation to the discipline. To that end, our Presidential and National Board plenaries are promised to be awe inspiring as our plenary speakers are indeed stellar. Additionally, the Dr. Terry Kershaw Student Essay contest winners will be recognized on Friday at the Student Awards Luncheon as there were numerous outstanding submissions, wherein the top three undergraduate and graduate essays will be honored. And lastly, as we celebrate scholars to send out into the mission field, an impressive number of new inductees to the Ankh Maat Wedjau Honor Society at the W.E.B.
My brothers and sisters, as we assemble together over the next few days, I challenge us to remain vigilant and discerning as we move forward with intentionality in this period of critical chaos here in America. We are not foreign to that fact that the road ahead of us is long, rugged, and without retreat. So, in all our becoming, let us not become weary in our well doing and while we are doing well, let us not forget to check
Dear Esteemed Colleagues and Guests,
Welcome to the 50th Anniversary Conference for The National Council for Black Studies! It is with great joy and anticipation that we gather to celebrate five decades of profound scholarship, activism, and community engagement in the field of Black Studies.
This milestone not only marks a significant moment in our history, but also serves as a reminder of the enduring impact of Black scholarship on academia and society at large. Over the past fifty years, NCBS has been home for transformative research, powerful narratives, and the emergence of voices that challenge and redefine our understanding of race, culture, and identity.
As we convene here, we honor the pioneers who laid the groundwork for our discipline and the countless scholars, artists, and activists who continue to push boundaries and inspire future generations. This conference is a testament to their legacy and a celebration of the vibrant community that has formed around the study of Black experiences and contributions. Throughout the conference, we invite you to engage deeply with the thought-provoking panels, workshops, and keynote presentations. These sessions are designed to encourage dialogue, foster collaboration, and explore new horizons within Black Studies. Your participation and insights will enrich our discussions and strengthen our collective mission.
We are also excited to provide opportunities for networking and connection, allowing us to build relationships that will propel our field forward. Let us use this occasion not only to reflect on our past but to envision a future where Black Studies continues to thrive and influence diverse spheres of knowledge.
Thank you for being here to celebrate this momentous occasion. Together, let us honor our history and commit to a future of inquiry, empowerment, and change.
Warm regards,
Dr. Alicia Fontnette Executive Director
National Council for Black Studies
Dear NCBS Colleagues, Students, and Friends,
The Department of Africana Studies extends a warm welcome to the 49th Annual Conference of the National Council for Black Studies taking place at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherlands Plaza in the great city of Cincinnati, Ohio, March 19-22, 2025.
Established in 1970, when Dr. William David Smith was appointed as its first director, UC’s Africana Studies program, has evolved into a comprehensive degree-granting department aimed at providing a holistic, Afrocentric education to future generations of students. Spearheaded by our late colleague, Dr. Terry Kershaw, department head (2009 to 2015), the department’s name was changed from the Department of African and African American Studies to the Department of Africana Studies, reflecting the growing interest and expansion of the discipline that emphasized the African Diaspora and the global migration of Africans. Although Dr. Kershaw’s dream of developing a graduate program in Africana Studies at the University of Cincinnati a goal for which he was recruited from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has not yet come to fruition, he left a vibrant legacy of collaboration, mentorship, and Black excellence in the department.
This year’s theme of the conference, Sankofa: Celebrating Solidarity, Power and Pan-Africanism reflects the continuing legacy and impact of Africana Studies. As we know, the symbol and meaning of Sankofa is from the Akan ethnic group in Ghana, West Africa, encouraging people to create a better future by learning from the past. Unfortunately, recent developments in this country and throughout many institutions of higher learning would like for us to forget that past as they try to build a future in which our histories and voices are silenced. I applaud you all attending this conference that these efforts to roll back gains that have been made in the last few decades should not discourage us from doing what we all need to do to survive as a vibrant discipline. In addition to the roundtable organized by UC’s Africana Studies faculty, I envision that many panels and other discussions such as our host plenary with special guests from the University of Boston-Mass on March 21 will surely focus on these challenges.
While we will be doing a lot of brainstorming and heavy lifting at this conference, I nevertheless urge you to take time during these three days to explore some of the attractions that the city of Cincinnati has for you. The National Underground Railroad and Freedom Center, the Cincinnati Art Museum, Findlay Market and the world-famous Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden are just minutes away from the conference center via public transit and Uber/Lyft. There are also a series of QR codes on the back of your conference booklet designed to help you engage with the city at your leisure. Who knows? You may also want to see parts of the city center by taking a free ride in the streetcar connector that loops around the city, or tasting your way across some of the best black-owned eateries in downtown and OTR!
The Department of Africana studies would like to sincerely thank the College of Arts & Sciences and the Charles P. Taft Research Center at the University of Cincinnati. Special thanks to Dr. Littisha A. Bates, Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Academic Affairs, and Dr. Stephanie Sadre-Orafai, Director & Faculty Chair at Taft, for their unwavering support of the Department of Africana Studies and the many initiatives we are proud to bring to Bearcats and our surrounding community.
Stay safe and enjoy your time in this great mid-western city.
Sincerely,
Joseph Takougang, PhD Professor and Head of Department of Africana Studies
University
of Cincinnati
Dear Esteemed Members of the National Council for Black Studies,
Welcome to Cincinnati! We are honored to host you in the Queen City for the 49th Annual Conference of the National Council for Black Studies. Our hospitality community has eagerly anticipated your arrival, and we are confident the Cincy Region will provide the perfect setting for your impactful and engaging event.
The conference host venue, the iconic Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, is renowned for its art deco design, rich history and excellent service. Located in the heart of downtown, you are surrounded by world-class dining and entertainment.
During your visit, we invite you to experience the region’s unique attractions and cultural gems. Indulge in dining from James Beard nominated chefs, like at Nolia or Mita’s, or try local favorites like Cincinnati-style chili. Check out inspiring exhibits at our art museums, the Cincinnati Museum Center, or the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Find live music or theater at our many venues, or pay tribute to musical greats at the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.
Our free Connector Streetcar provides a looped tour of the downtown area, and provides stops at lively districts and neighborhoods like The Banks, The Fountain District and Over-the-Rhine. Please explore our web site at VisitCincy.com for great tips, guides to Black-owned businesses and our calendar of events.
We are proud to share our community’s diverse history and culture with you, and we wish you a successful and enriching conference experience.
On behalf of Visit Cincy and our local partners, we welcome you to our city. Enjoy your stay!
Warm regards,
Julie Calvert President & CEO
Visit Cincy
Discover Black Culture in Cincy
NCBS 2025 Conference Committee
Dr. Alphonso Simpson, Conference Chair University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Dr. Alicia Fontnette, Conference Co-Chair University of Delaware
Dr. Venise T. Berry, University of Iowa
Dr. Kaniqua L. Robinson, Furman University
Mr. Damien Scott, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Mr. Marcus Smith, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dr. Dorothy Tsuruta, San Francisco State University
2025 Local Organizing Committee
Dr. Joseph Takougang, Professor, Department Head, A&S Africana Studies
Dr. Joseph Kalubi, Associate Teaching Professor, A&S Africana Studies
Dr. Edward Wallace, Associate Professor, A&S Africana Studies
Dr. Holly Y. McGee, Associate Professor, A&S Africana Studies
Dr. Cassandra Jones, Assistant Professor, A&S Africana Studies
Dr. Felicia Denaud, Assistant Professor, A&S Africana Studies
Dr. Nicholas McLeod, Assistant Professor, A&S Africana Studies
The National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) was established in 1976 by African American scholars who recognized the need to formalize the study of the African World experience, as well as expand and strengthen academic units and community programs devoted to this endeavor. NCBS was formed out of the substantial need for a national stabilizing force in the developing discipline of Africana/Black Studies. Since the late 1960’s, higher education has been profoundly impacted by the emergence of Africana/Black Studies. Its impact on the broader educational establishment is due to the holistic and multidisciplinary approach taken by Africana Studies. Growing fundamentally out of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's, Africana/Black Studies has become the intellectual extension of that movement. The National Council for Black Studies is committed to academic excellence and social responsibility.
NCBS seeks to:
• Facilitate through consultation and other services, the recruitment of Black Scholars for all levels of teaching and research in universities and colleges;
• Assist in the creation and implementation of multicultural education programs and materials for K-12 schools and higher education institutions;
• Promote scholarly African-centered research on all aspects of the African World experience;
• Increase and improve informational resources on Pan-African life and culture to be made available to the general public;
• Provide professional advice to policymakers in education, government and community development;
• Maintain international linkages among Africana Studies scholars;
• Work for the empowerment of people of African descent.
• Annual Conference
NCBS sponsors an annual conference which provides a forum for the dissemination of scholarship and a venue for mentoring students who wish to pursue a career in Africana Studies.
• International Journal of African Studies (IJAS)
NCBS publishes an annual peer reviewed journal dedicated to scholarship and research about people of African descent.
• Terry Kershaw Student Essay Contest
NCBS sponsors a student (undergraduate and graduate) essay contest for original work that focuses on any aspect of the Africana experience. Winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd) receive a cash prize and a plaque at the student luncheon held during the annual conference.
The essay contest is named in honor of Dr. Terry Kershaw of the University of Cincinnati and former editor of the International Journal of Africana Studies.
• C. Tsehloane Keto Student Leadership Development and Mentorship Program
Participants in the program will be exposed to a variety of settings where they will have the opportunity to observe, participate, examine and exercise leadership skills in a national organization. The program is named in honor of South African-born Dr. C. Tsehloane, a dedicated, committed African-centered scholar and educator who was a powerful force in the fight for liberation and empowerment for all people of African descent.
• NCBS Civic & Community Education and Engagement Grants Program
Under this program, grants are awarded to support projects in which Africana Studies knowledge and skills are made available to local communities. Funding for the program is provided by National Black Federation of Charities (NBFC) and NCBS.
1976-1978
Dr. Bertha Maxwell-Roddey University of North Carolina at Charlotte
1978-1980
Dr. William King University of Colorado
1980-1982
Dr. William E. Nelson, Jr. The Ohio State University
1982-1984
Dr. Carlene Young San Jose State University
1984-1988
Dr. Delores P. Aldridge Emory University
1988-1992
Dr. Selase (Wayne) Williams California State University, Dominguez Hills
1992-1994
Dr. Charles Henry University of California, Berkeley
1994-1998
Dr. William (Bill) A. Little California State University, Dominguez Hills
1998-2002
Dr. James B. Stewart
Pennsylvania State University
Dr. 2002-2006
Shirley N. Weber San Diego State University
2006-2010
Dr. Charles E. Jones
Georgia State University
2010-2014
Dr. Sundiata Cha-Jua University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
2014-2018
Dr. Georgene Bess-Montgomery Clark Atlanta University
2018-2022
Dr. Amilcar Shabazz University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Executive Board
Dr. Valerie Grim, President
Dr. Alphonso Simpson, Vice President
Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, Treasurer
Dr. Serie McDougal III, Secretary
Dr. Georgene Bess Montgomery, Past President
Dr. Alicia Fontnette, Executive Director
Dr. Melina Abdullah
Board Members
California State University, Los Angeles
Dr. Venise T. Berry
University of Iowa
Dr. Georgene Bess-Montgomery
Clark Atlanta University
Dr. Dexter Blackman
Morgan State University
Dr. Kevin Brooks
East Tennessee State University
Dr. Greg E. Carr
Howard University
Dr. Jeanette Davidson
University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Sarita Davis
Georgia State University
Dr. Bertis English
Alabama State University
Dr. Ifetayo Flannery
Temple University
Dr. Alicia Fontnette
University of Delaware
Dr. Valerie Grim
Indiana University
Dr. Maulana Karenga
California State University, Long Beach
Dr. Thekima Mayasa
San Diego Community College
Dr. Serie McDougal III
California State University, Los Angeles
Dr. Ọlaọcha Nwabara
State University of New York Geneseo
Dr. Kaniqua Robinson
Furman University
Dr. Amilcar Shabazz
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dr. Alphonso Simpson
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Dr. James (Jim) B. Stewart, Emeritus
Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Michael Tillotson
State University of New York at Cortland
Dr. Dorothy Tsuruta
San Francisco State University
Dr. Akinyele Umoja
Georgia State University
Dr. Alfred Young, Emeritus
Georgia Southern University
NCBS Welcomes Lifetime Members
The following individuals have contributed $1500 to NCBS
Dr.
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Dr. Aishah Scott Providence College
Dr. Ronald L. Jackson University of Miami
Dr. Grace D. Gipson Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Romona Bell Cal Poly Humboldt
Dr. T. Ajewole Duckett Northern Illinois University
Tyrone Freeman
Dr. Eva Wheeler Providence College
Dr. Jakobi Williams Indiana University Bloomington
ANKH MAAT WEDJAU Honor Society
Congratulations to the 2024 2025 Inductees
Jehlia Andrew-Brown, University of Florida
Krisandra Bagaloo, Stockton University
Mamadou Barry, SUNY at Oneonta
Chalisa Budhai, University of Florida
Jaden Coleman, SUNY at Oneonta
Vanessa Danso, SUNY at Oneonta
Sophia De La Cruz, University of Florida
Carina Edwards, Florida State University
Ben-Gina Fantaisie, Florida State University
Kianna Graves, Northern Illinois University
Sam Horton, University of Florida
Iman Hunt-Joplin, Northern Illinois University
Kaysyn Jones, Florida State University
Brelynn Jones, University of Florida
Winter Justice, Northern Illinois University
Selora Langston, University of Florida
Avionce Lee, Northern Illinois University
Aliza Leslie, Georgia State University
Alésiah Manhoo, University of Florida
Gabriel Mboutou, SUNY at Oneonta
Shane Moore, Stockton University
Aaron Paul, SUNY at Oneonta
Victoria Peters, University of Florida
Elshamma Saint-Lot, University of Florida
Alexyiah Simpson, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Trevon Smith, Northern Illinois University
Lil Tree Tendaji, Northern Illinois University
Dion Vines, California State University Los Angeles
Ison Wakazadi, SUNY at Oneonta
Adrian White, University of Florida
Sophia Williams, University of Florida
Mahogany Williford, Florida State University
The National Council for Black Studies
Celebrating 50 Years of Academic Excellence and Social Responsibility
49th Annual National Conference
CONFERENCE CO-HOST:
THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI®
THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRICANA STUDIES
MAR 19
WED
MAR 20
THURS
NCBS Spring Board Meeting: 3:30 - 7:30p (Board Members Only)
NCBS Executive Director, Conference Co-Chair, and Membership Chair
Dr. Valerie Grim
NCBS President
Deana Taylor-Brewer Vice President Visit Cincy
Morning Refreshments Courtesy of
Dr. James Mack Dean, College of Arts and Sciences The University of Cincinnati®
Alphonso Simpson
NCBS Vice President Conference Chair
Dr.
002. Catalysts for Change: Georgia Jeanes Teachers, The Black Liberation Army, and Africana Studies
Panel
9:30 to 10:45 am
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Participants:
Educating in the Shadows: Georgia Jeanes Teachers' Impact, 1908-1940 Brittney Kilgore, University of Georgia
Enslaved Africans and the University: Towards a Long-View Genealogy of Africana Studies
Mike Jirik, University of Missouri
“We are at War!”: The New Afrikan Independence Movement and the Internationalist Struggle to Free PoWS
Kristian Whitehead, Morgan State University
Black Creative Resistance: How the Arts Support Social Justice Literacy and Advocacy
Throughout the Global Diaspora
Helen Joseph, Black Expressive Arts
Chair: Thekima Mayasa, San Diego Mesa College
003. Black History, American History and Miseducation Panel
9:30 to 10:45 am
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Participants:
Black Washing History: The Ill Consequences of a MAGA-Led Classroom
Jaiyvohn Davis, East High School
The Wake of Blackness: Public Spaces in the UK and Reckonings with it's Racialized Histories
Jeffery Giddings, Indiana University
Whose History is American History: Critical Race Theory, Attempted Erasure, and Historical Memory in Antebellum
Cassandra L. Jones, University of Cincinnati; Omotayo Banjo, University of Cincinnati; Mia Morales, University of Cincinnati
(Mis)Education: The Fight of African Americans and Aboriginal Australians for Inclusive Education
Jacynda L Ammons, National Park College
Chair: Cassandra L. Jones, University of Cincinnati
004. Sankofa: Honoring Black Women's Legacies Through Scholarship and Practice Panel
9:30 to 10:45 am
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon H
Participants:
They Lifted So We Can Climb: The Foremothers and the Future of Black Women PhDs
Eva Bohler, California State University, Long Beach
Black Women’s Visions of Sankofa: Blacks Arts and Black Studies
Alonge Octavia Clarkson, Temple University
Let’s Get Future Black Scholars to College: Looking Back to the Cultural Value of Community to Move Our Children Forward
Teranda J Donatto, The University of Houston
Protecting the Houses: Black Studies Departments and Culturally Centered Institutions in the 21st Century
Naaja Rogers, Dickinson College
Chair: Alonge Octavia Clarkson, Temple University
005. The Black Arts Movement: Harlem Renaissance Panel
9:30 to 10:45 am
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon I
Participants:
Desire as Power: Zora Neale Hurston and the Art of Black Solidarity
Chielo Eze, Carleton College
A Theater for Liberation: Karamu House's Engagement in the Black Arts Movement
I'Maya Gibbs, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Blackqueer Lives & Legacies: A Genealogy of the Pedagogy and Culture of Locke, Cullen, and Baldwin
Robert Robinson, John Jay College, CUNY
Chair: Amilcar Shabazz, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
006. Hidden Figures: Creating, Making, and Taking Space
Humanities & Cultural Research Panel
9:30 to 10:45 am
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Salon M
Participants:
This Is What I Want To See: Creating Spaces for Black LGBTQ People
Trevon Smith, Northern Illinois University
Afro-Tech Academy
Cameron James, Northern Illinois University
Thursday, March 20
006. Hidden Figures: Creating, Making, and Taking Space cont.
Participants:
The Socioeconomics of Cereal and Breakfast Health
Ransom Holmes III, Northern Illinois University
Mutual Aid: Correcting the Boarders
Lil Tree Tendaji, Northern Illinois University
Chair: Ajewole Duckett, Northern Illinois University
007. Deconstructing Eurocentricism within Pan-Africanism Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon B
Participants:
A Humanistic Approach to Pan Africanism: Developing a Lasting Consciousness
Christina Hudson, Temple University
The Global Black Disabled Body: Reshaping Pan-Africanist Narratives Around Liberation, Disability, and Spirituality
Robert Monson, University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology
PanAfricanism and Religion: Exploring an Afrofuturist Polydoxy
Alexis Dunbar, University of Denver/ Iliff School of Theology
Chair: Philip Butler, Iliff School of Theology
008. Language, Speaking, and African American Culture Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Participants:
Wat u on?, Wat u mean? U good? : An Afrocentric linguistic and lyrical check in on the present state of Ebonics and Hip Hop
Garrison Danielle Paige, Chicago State University
Deceiving Archives: White-Duplicity, Recuperation, and the (Impossible) Positioning of Black Speakers “
Justin Pannell, University of Pennsylvania
Ayitian Kreyòl Language: A Catalyst for Black Radical Tradition in Education
Natacha Robert, Teachers College, Columbia University
The Yoruba language is the basis of African American speech and style
Eddie Hughes, John B. Cade Library/Southern University
Chair: Georgene Bess Montgomery, Clark Atlanta University
009. Contemporary Challenges to Black Liberation Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Participants:
Acknowledging the Liberation Era in African American History
Evan Ashford, State University of New York Oneonta
Savior or Sellout: Hip Hop’s Never-ending Legacy of Duality
Gabriel Mboutou, State University of New York Oneonta
Rafael Trujillo: The Dictator Who Shaped an Anti-Black Nation
Maria Lopez, State University of New York Oneonta
Chair: Amilcar Shabazz, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
010. “Masters of Your Own Destiny”: Historical, Philosophical, and Psycho-Social Foundations for Black Institution-Building in the 21st Century Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon E
Participants:
Blues People Are Builders Too: Analyzing Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation as a Black Institution
Andrew Thomas, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The Separatist Question in African American Political Philosophy: Philosophical Problems and Foundations for Pluralism and Nation-building
Naomi Simmons-Thorne, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Pan-African Paradigms: African American Scholars and Africa in the 20th Century
Bishop Lawton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Chair: Bishop Lawton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
011. Global Black Studies: Exchanges With Folk Abroad & New Perspectives on the Field Roundtable Discussion
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Discussants:
Ifetayo Flannery, Temple University
Olaocha Nwadiuto Nwabara, SUNY Geneseo
Alicia Fontnette, University of Delaware
Chair: Jeanette Davidson, University of Texas
Thursday, March 20 cont.
012. Conference Workshop:
Sankofa Circle: Student Communal Dialogue
Roundtable Discussion
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon G
Discussants:
Marcus Smith, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Ashley Hayes, Indiana University - Bloomington
Latonya Wilson, Indiana University - Bloomington
Daniel Reischer, Indiana University - Bloomington
013. Value & Significance of Africana Research in Communication Studies, Education Studies, & History A Dialogue on the Value of Africana Studies Across Disciplines
Roundtable Discussion
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th – Salon H
Discussants:
Samuel M. Burbanks, University of Cincinnati
Kmt Shockley, University of Houston
Bradford Hogue, University of Cincinnati
Eunique Avery, University of Cincinnati
Ronald L. Jackson, University of Miami
Chair: Ronald L. Jackson, University of Miami
014. Black Identity, Politics and Authority Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon I
Participants:
Ethnocultural Leadership: Memory and Identity As Praxis
Courtney Wilkerson, Howard University
Contested Casting: Identity Politics, Diaspora Tensions, and Economics in Black Historical Films
Adelaja Oriade, Denison University
014. Black Identity, Politics and Authority cont.
Participants:
Negotiating the Archaeology of Identity and Authority: Medieval Period of Northern Yorùbáland Nigeria (6th -16th centuries CE)
Bolaji Josephine Owoseni, Independent Scholar
Black Identity Development through Black Identities
Gabrielle Alexandra Haggins, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Sabrina Strong-Nasabal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Chair: Melina Abdullah, California State University, Los Angeles
015. African Immigration and Family, Community, and Social Life Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Salon M
Participants:
Migration and the Pan African solidarity of Black immigrants in Ipswich, England
Mildred Mgweni, Independent Scholar
Polygamy Among Highly Educated West African Females
Pearl Stewart, Montclair State University
Providing Voice for African International Students in Black Scholarship
Anthonia Omotola Ishabiyi, University of Cincinnati
The ‘Year of Return and Beyond’ and the Formation of Transnational Identities
Yaw Mankatah Asare, Howard University
Chair: Sarita Davis, Georgia State University
016. Not Super, Just Woman: Black Women in Higher Education Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon B
Participants:
Caught at the Intersections
Ajewole Duckett, Northern Illinois University
Self-naming and Self-Defining
Monique Bernoudy, Northern Illinois university
Waddling in Academia: The Experience of Being a Pregnant Black Woman in Higher Education
W. Denae Powell, University of Houston
Am I ready? Yes, you’re ready!!!
LaVerne Gyant, Northern Illinois University
OutSide In: The Impact of Global Barriers on the Body
Kianna Graves, Northern Illinois University
Chair: Ajewole Duckett, Northern Illinois University
017. Technology, AI, and Knowledge Production Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Participants:
AI Technologies and Knowledge Production: A Global African Perspectives
Amartey Rashid Laryea, Howard University
Bridging Ubuntu and Artificial Intelligence: Exploring the Intersection of Ubuntu Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence
Chipo Mutongi, Independent Scholar
At the Intersection of Tech, Talk and Theory: Teaching Between Grit and Grace
Monique Earl-Lewis, Morehouse College
Chair: Alicia Fontnette, University of Delaware
018. The Struggle Continues: Establishing an Africana Studies Program in 2023 Roundtable Discussion
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Discussants:
Chy McGhee, Catholic University of America
Kimberly Monroe, Trinity Washington University
Chair: Rona Frederick, Morgan State University
019. Agentive and Non Agentive Ideational Frameworks in the Black World Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon E
Discussants:
Anahis Mercedes, SUNY Cortland
Kyla Young, SUNY Cortland
Andrew Morene, SUNY Cortland
Chair: Keyonna White, Indiana University
020. Poetry, Art, and Cultural Inspiration Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Darlene Conley, Morgan State University Thursday, March 20 cont.
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Participants:
Paradise down at the Bottom: A Critical Look at Robert Hayden's Detroit Poems
020. Poetry, Art, and Cultural Inspiration cont.
Participants:
Paradise down at the Bottom: A Critical Look at Robert Hayden's Detroit Poems
Darlene Conley, Morgan State University
From the Inside Out: Restoring The Performing Arts Society of Los Angeles
Wilfred Doucet, Santa Monica College
"Exhume Buried Cries": Poetry of the Lagos Burial Ground Elizabeth Spenst, The New School Dreamtime
Sohail Shehada, University of Oklahoma
Chair: Venise Berry, University of Iowa
021. But What About the Children? Black Education in America Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon G
Participants:
Black Girls' Joy and Wellbeing in Education
Sophia De La Cruz, Independent Scholar
Black Males in Schools_ The Perennial Moral Panic
Cleo Wadley, Houston Independent School District
Singled Out: Educating Black Students in Predominantly White Institutions
Elizabeth Kaylee Heinze, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Fighting for the Future: Fighting Video Games as Tools for Black Student Engagement and STEM Preparation
Devin White, Johns Hopkins University
Chair: Alphonso Simpson, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
022. Black Women Reclaiming Our Identities in Solidarity Towards Liberation Roundtable Discussion
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon H
Discussants:
Chelsea Stevens, Connecticut College
Kaylin Hawkins, Connecticut College
Priscilla Ameyaw, Connecticut College
Chair: Shakita Thomas Kpetay, Connecticut College
Thursday, March 20 cont.
023. Afrocentric Thought and Perspective: Critical Thought and Theory in Africana Studies Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon I
Participants:
Quantum Blackness: The Atomic Structure of Racism and Afrocentric Theory
Bo Chamberlin, Temple University
African Deep Thought and Critical Thinking
M. Keith Claybrook, CSU, Long Beach; Myia Williams, Umoja Community Education Foundation
The African Personality: Qualitative Research Methodology
Tracy Johnson, University of Southern Indiana
Chair: M. Keith Claybrook, CSU, Long Beach
024. New Directions in Analyzing Pan-Africanism Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Salon M
Participants:
CLR James’ Reflections On 'The Myth' and Pan-African Governance in Ghana, 1960-1966
Nicholas McLeod, University of Cincinnati
Muhammad Ali and Nigerian Boxing: A Pan-African Connection
Yomi E. Ejikunle, University of Louisville
I Will Go Back “Home”: A Pan-African and Nationalist Analysis of The Missionary Work of Reverend William Henry Sheppard in Congo and Louisville, KY
Emmanuel Ulzen, University of Louisville
African Social Activism and Neo Pan-Africanism: A look at the UPEC Summit
Bamba Ndiaye, Emory University
Town, Gown and All Around: Histories of Anti-Apartheid Activism in Louisville, Kentucky
Tyler Fleming, University of Louisville
Chair: Ifetayo Flannery, Temple University
025. Ghost Rivers of Global Black Studies: African Intellectual Ancestors from Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon B
Participants:
This Is Your Mother's Performance Studies: How Efua Sutherland Gave Birth to a Field
Nikki Yeboah, University of Washington
025. Ghost Rivers of Global Black Studies: African Intellectual Ancestors from Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa cont.
Participants:
Unsilenced: Unearthing the African National Congress Underground Literature
Sikose Mjali, University of Washington
An Abrasion of Accents at the Crossroads of Discourse: Minding the Gaps with Tejumola Olaniyan
Catherine Cole, University of Washington
Discussant: Adeleke Adeeko, Ohio State University
Chair: Catherine Cole, University of Washington
026. Building Global Black Studies: African and African Diaspora Perspectives on Black Studies’ Global Impact I Roundtable Discussion
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Discussants:
David "Kalonji" Walton, Lincoln University of Missouri
Tara Mock, The University of Alabama
Lesiba Ledwaba, North West University
Kamahra Ewing, University of Kentucky
Chair: Olaocha Nwadiuto Nwabara, SUNY Geneseo
027. Black Spirituality and Healing Practices Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Participants:
Testimony Therapy and Four Healing Questions
Makungu Akinyela, Georgia State University
Bajju Women in Northwestern Nigeria: Stressors and Healing Practices
Deborah Dauda, UMass Boston School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD)
Gideon Madaki, Bajju Women Self-Care Study (BWSCS) Research Group
Amos Matoh, Bajju Women Self-Care Study (BWSCS) Research Group
Rebecca Luka Aboi, Bajju Women Self-Care Study (BWSCS) Research Group
Victoria L. Gambo, Bajju Women Self-Care Study (BWSCS) Research Group
Underneath The Mask: The Psychology of African American Women and their “Masking”
Somayyah Austin, Western Illinois University
Chair: Makungu Akinyela, Georgia State University
Thursday, March 20 cont.
028. The Continued Evolution of Black Studies: The Past, The Present & the Future Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon E
Participants:
Sankofa to Contemporize: Black Studies in the Second Stint of the 21st Century
Trae Manzili, Temple University
Reexamining the Legacy of Dr. Nathan Hare: Black Studies or Negro Studies?
Fredrick Douglass, Radford University
Administration and Program Development: Graduate Studies
Robin Brooks, University of Pittsburgh
Chair: Ifetayo Flannery, Temple University
029. Black Literary Voices Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Participants:
The Dandy and the Bohem: Black Dandyism in Nella Larsen's Passing
Victoria Moten, Howard University
The Misunderstanding of Bigger Thomas
Angela Farley, Prairie View A&M University
Resistance in Caribbean Literature: Elizabeth Nunez's Prospero's Daughter and Maryse
Conde's I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem
Georgene Bess Montgomery, Clark Atlanta University
Black Voices: Unveiling America's Treatment of the Black Community through Short Stories
Arielle S. Davis, University of California Los Angeles; Walter R. Allen, University of California Los Angeles
Chair: Georgene Bess Montgomery, Clark Atlanta University
030. Afrocentricity and Building Black Studies: National and International Matters for the Future Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon G
Participants:
Afrocentricity in the Metaverse: The Afrocentric Future of Education
Aaron Smith, Temple University
030. Afrocentricity and Building Black Studies: National and International Matters for the Future cont.
Participants:
Afrocentric Praxis: Identity, Agency Development and Educational Success for African American Students
Raven M. Moses, Temple University
Passing the Baton: Building Black Studies in a Canadian Context
Laura Mae Lindo, University of Waterloo
Charting a Future for African American and African Diaspora Studies – an HBCU Perspective
Felicia Thomas, Morgan State University
Chair: Dexter Blackman, Morgan State University
031. Evaluating Essential Soldiers: Women Activists and Black Power Movement
Leadership, a Book Discussion Roundtable Discussion
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon H
Discussants:
Christy Garrison-Harrison, Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical University, Baton Rouge
Uzoma Miller, Ohio University
Jamal Ratchford, Colorado College
Kenja R. McCray, Clayton State University, Georgia
Chair: Corrie B. Claiborne, Morehouse College
032. Examining the Sankofa Principle in Action Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon I
Participants:
Sankofa and the Environment: Indigenous Communitarian Values and Knowledge Systems For Sustainable Development and Pan-African Solidarity
Gideon Yeboah Asante, Ohio University; Mariam Pandam Pandam, Ohio University
Sankofa: A relic of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and a conciliator of Pan-Africanism
Bernice Franklina Abolga, University of Kansas
Sankɔfa: The Philosophical and Socio-Cultural Values in Akan Semiosis
Nicholas Obeng Agyekum, Indiana University, Bloomington; Nana Amoah-Ramey, Indiana University Bloomington
Thursday, March 20 cont.
032. Examining the Sankofa Principle in Action cont. Participants:
The Sankofa Principle in Action: Community Organizing and Grassroots Movements in African and Diasporic Communities
Stephen Agyei, Ohio University
Chair: Alicia Fontnette, University of Delaware
033. White Supremacy in the US Education System Roundtable Discussion
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Salon M
Discussants:
Samuel M. Burbanks, University of Cincinnati
Rona Frederick, Morgan State University
Dennis Rogers, Wisdom Speakers
Chair: Kmt Shockley, University of Houston
034. The Study of Afrofuturism as Resistance and Liberation Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon B
Participants:
Southwest Borderlands Futures: Afrofuturism, Resistance, and Liberation in New Mexico
Charles E. E. Becknell, Jr., New Mexico State University
Seconds to/from Greatness: Afrofuturist Readings of Heroic Black Boyhood in Netflix’s Arcane: League of Legends
Alex Brickler, Florida A&M University
Exploring Octavia E. Butler’s Archive: Character Development, Black Feminism, and West African Spirituality in Dawn
Ebony Gibson, Georgia Gwinnett College
Critical Space Theory: Black Nationalism, Afrofuturism, and Psychedelia in Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon
Alexander Joshua Moore, University of California, Los Angeles
Chair: Thekima Mayasa, San Diego Mesa College
035. Racial Capitalism, Anti-Blackness, and Mental Health Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Participants:
Fighting for the American Dream: Examining Capitalism, Income Inequality and Perceptions of Success among Black Adults in the United States
Khadijah Edwards, Pew Research Center - Washington, DC
Exploring the Mental Impact of Racial Capitalism Across the Black American Life Course
Jocelyn Brown, Ohio University
They Not Like Us: The Lingering Effects of White Commonality on the Black Mind
Alexyiah Simpson, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
A Sociological Perspective on the Relationship Between Anger and Actualizing Black Racial Justice
Adrian White, University of Florida
A Study of the Occurrence of Parental Bereavement Among People with Dementia
Ouida Davis, Trevecca Nazarene University
Chair: W. Denae Powell, University of Houston
036. Black Power, Community Justice, and Student Movements Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Participants:
Students and the Black Power Movement
Selora Langston, University of Florida
“The Revolt of the Black Athlete”: The Black Power and Black Students Movements’ Use of Sport as a Platform for Protest, State Repression, and Public Memory
Dexter Blackman, Morgan State University
Community Justice or Police Misconduct: The Struggle to Sustain Police Accountability in a Historically Black Community
Michael Washington, Northern Kentucky University
In their Words: Analysis of the Autobiographies of Angela Davis and Assata Shakur
Sharon Lynette Jones, Ball State University; Kiesha Warren-Gordon, Ball State University
Chair: Dexter Blackman, Morgan State University
Thursday, March 20 cont.
037. Pan-Africanism and Afrofuturism(s) Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon E
Participants:
Abstract: Afrofuturism 2.0 and Black Studies in the Polycrisis Era
Reynaldo Anderson, Temple University
Which Afro in the Afrofuture?
Tiffany Barber, University of California, Los Angeles
Mothership AI: Centering Black and Indigenous Wisdom for Urban and Planetary Liberation
Lonny Avi Brooks, California State University, East Bay and the AfroRithm Futures Group
Black Posthumanism: A New Pan-Africanism
Philip Butler, Iliff School of Theology
Chair: Reynaldo Anderson, Temple University
038. The Black Superwoman & Mental Health: Power & Pain Roundtable Discussion
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Discussants:
Georgene Bess Montgomery, Clark Atlanta University
Tanisha Jackson, Syracuse University
Valerie Nyberg, Liminal Education
Katrina Harden Williams, Drake University
Chair: Venise Berry, University of Iowa
039. New Explorations in Black Masculinity Studies Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon G
Participants:
Writing Afro-Dignity into Black Men’s Lives: Transcending the Psychopathology of African American Misandry on the Page
El-Ra Radney, Eastern Michigan University
“Papa’z Song”: Fatherhood in 2Pac’s Life and Music
David "Kalonji" Walton, Lincoln University of Missouri
Chair: David "Kalonji" Walton, Lincoln University of Missouri
040. Diasporic Realities: A Matter of Activism and Reclaiming Power Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon H
Participants:
Black September and Palestine: Black Internationalist Resistance and Transnational U.S.
Imperial Coordination in Jordan in September 1970
Amber Rahman, Princeton University
Transformative Social Innovation in Action: Implementation of the Self-care for Black Women in Leadership (SCBWL) Program in Northwestern Nigeria
Deborah Dauda, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Notes on Collaborative Friendship
Nnaemeka Ekwelum, Northwestern University
Chair: Olaoluwa Andrew Oyedola, Independent Scholar
041. Exploring Pan-Africanism Dynamics Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Salon M
Participants:
International Political and Cultural Ethos of Pan-Africanism
Leonard Gadzekpo, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Pan Africanism within Youth Residential Treatment Facilities: A New Epistemology of Mental Health
DaMaya Wallace, California State University, Los Angeles
Pan-Africanism and African Transnational Migration Dynamics: Blackness, Liminality, and Diaspora Identity
Adeyemi Saheed Badewa, University of Pittsburgh
How Barbaric is Female Genital Mutilation? (An Afrocentric Approach)
Miracle-Eunice Bolorunduro, University of Cincinnati
045. Challenging Black Girlhood and Black Womanhood Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Participants:
Legibility of Sex Work: A Read of Black Femme Sex Workers in the Archive
Jasmine Frison, Indiana University at Bloomington
Black Girl Dreams Reimagined: Adinkra Symbols and Black Girlhood in the Rural South
Aliza Leslie, Georgia State University
The Temptress Economy: Black and Mixed-Race Economic Mobility, and Assimilation in Slavery-Era Charleston
Simone Shanice Moise, Boston University
Unveiling Strength: The Journey and Triumphs of Black Womanhood
Joi Lee, Western Illinois University
Chair: Sarita K. Davis, Georgia State University
046. Activism in Religion, The Arts, and the Memory of Justice Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Participants:
In Memory of Justice: Collective Grieving as Activism in Ghana's Pan-African Narrative. The Case of W.E.B Du Bios, MLK Jr, and George Floyd
Grace Naa Korkoi Amoah, University of Pittsburgh
046. Activism in Religion, The Arts, and the Memory of Justice cont.
Participants:
When Literal Death Provides Hope from Social Death
Michael Royster, Prairie View A&M University
50 Years of Activism through the Arts and the CSU African American Cultural Center
Prester Pickett, Cleveland State University
Chair: Georgene Bess Montgomery, Clark Atlanta University
047. Black Cinema and Resistance Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon E
Participants:
Reparations Beyond Repair: Cinema and Reparatory Justice in Brazil and in the United States
Ana Claudia Dos Santos Sao Bernardo, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Film as Resistance: Documenting Black LGBTQ+ Experiences from the Civil Rights Era to Modern Cinema
Brelynn Jones, University of Florida
Predator or Savior? White Women/Black Men in Alien Romulus and American Cinema
Ricardo Guthrie, Fisk University
Chair: Ricardo Guthrie, Fisk University
048. Perspectives of the African & Black Diaspora: Conjure, Culture, and Community Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Participants:
Machine Realism: The Collapse of Bring Chicago Home and Chicago's Radical Black Politics
Aidan Tennant, DePaul University
Redefining Religion: Challenging Eurocentric Narratives Through Conjure
Naomi Love, DePaul University
Hip- Hop Feminisms: The Femme Rapper’s Remix for the Digital Age
Kayla Hodge, DePaul University
Chair: Jennifer Gardner, DePaul University
Friday, March 21 cont.
049. Voicing Visibility: Global African Notions of Identity, Culture and Life towards SelfRepresentation Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon G
Participants:
“Miss Opportunity”: Africana Womanism Across Art and Literature
Lauren McCormick, SUNY Geneseo
Senegalese Community through Media
Genesis Flores, SUNY Geneseo
An Afrocentric Understanding of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Black Communities of the US and Ireland
Griffin Lyons, SUNY Geneseo
Haiti Beyond its Borders: A Historical, Social and Cultural Analysis of the Haitian Diaspora in North America
Gaetan Jean Louis, SUNY Geneseo
Chair: Olaocha Nwadiuto Nwabara, SUNY Geneseo
050. SANKOFA: Moving Forward, Taking the Past with Us, and Forging the Way Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon H
Participants:
Sankofa and Octavia Butler
Aaron Agorsor, Arizona State University
The Ethical and Intellectual Imperative of Sankofa: Remembrance, Retrieval and Repairing the World
Maulana Karenga, California State University, Long Beach
Cultivating Cultural Development
Verda H. Olayinka, Cultural Consultants Group, LP
Chair: Ajewole Duckett, Northern Illinois University
051. Black Studies: A Life Story Roundtable Discussion
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon I
Discussants:
John Kalubi, University of Cincinnati
Edward Wallace, University of Cincinnati
Holly McGee, University of Cincinnati
051. Black Studies: A Life Story cont.
Discussants:
Cassandra L. Jones, University of Cincinnati
Guy-Lucien Whembolua
Joseph Takougang, University of Cincinnati
Nicholas McLeod, University of Cincinnati
Felicia Denaud, University of Cincinnati
Chair: Felicia Denaud, University of Cincinnati
052. Sankofa in Action: Emerging Work in Global Black Studies Panel
11:00 to 12:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Salon M
Participants:
A Decade of Afro-Nordic Activism: Celebrating Black Life and Challenging Post-Racial Myths
Ariana Collazo, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
W.E.B. Du Bois: Scholar-Activism and the Foundations of Public History in Black Studies
Marcus Smith, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Afro-Chinese Women in Nation-Building: The Cultural Revolution and the Congress of Afrikan People
Jia Zhang, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Chair: Amilcar Shabazz, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
053. Terry Kershaw Student Essay Awards Luncheon (tickets required)
Continental Ballroom: 12:30 1:45 pm
Graduate Winners
Jordon R. Crawford
University of MassachusettsAmherst
Advisor: Prof. Anne Kerth
Sophia Williams
University of Florida Advisor: Kenesma John
Mason Oruru
Georgia State University Advisor: Robin Jackson I’Maya Gibbs
University of MassachusettsAmherst
Advisor: Dr. Amilcar Shabazz
Undergraduate Winners
Darrell A. White Jr. California State University, Long Beach, Advisor: Michael K. Wilson
Essence Gaines
Temple University Advisor: Trae Manzilli
Dr. Sarita Davis, NCBS Board Member and Committee Chair
Georgia State University
Dr. T. Ajewole Duckett, Northern Illinois University
Dr. Alicia Fontnette, University of Delaware
Dr. Grace Gipson, Virginia Commonwealth University
Aliza Leslie, Georgia State University
Dr. Denae Muhammad Powell, University of Houston
Zana Sanders, University of California, Berkeley
Marcus Smith, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Sponsored By:
054. Faith, Religious Traditions, and the Church Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon B
Participants:
Now Ya Preaching: A Critical Gendered Analysis of Juanita Bynum’s 'No More Sheets' Sharon L Hunter, Western Illinois University
Church as Catalyst: Faith, Identity, and Activism Among Black Church Girls
Kenesma John, University of Florida
Sankofa: Radical Millenarianism and Post-apocalypticism in African American Religious Historiography in the Atlantic World
Aaron Pride, Lafayette College
In Search of Pan-Afrikanism in Afrikan Religious Traditions
Kemba Mchawi, Georgia State University
Chair: Mike Jirik, University of Missouri
055. Building Global Black Studies: African and African Diaspora Perspectives on Black Studies’ Global Impact II Roundtable Discussion
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Presenters:
Jakia Marie, Grand Valley State University
Clarence George III, California State University, Sacramento
Emilie Diouf, Brandeis University
Shingi Mavima, University of Toledo
Chair: Olaocha Nwadiuto Nwabara, SUNY Geneseo
056. Black Community and Heritage Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Participants:
Building a Bridge Between Archaeology and Black Studies to Recover The Disremembered Past Alicia Odewale, University of Houston; Kaylen Brackens, University of Houston
Pride in the Blues: Centering the Socio-Cultural History of South Memphis, Tennessee in the Age of Neoliberalism
Ryan Warren, Georgia State University
Intergenerational Wealth, Power, and Law: The Implications of Heirs’ Property Dispossession in African American Communities in Alachua County, Florida
Belay Alem, University of Florida
Chair: Fredrick Douglass, Radford University
Friday, March 21 cont.
057. Go Back and Get It: Community Engaged Learning in DAAAS at Stanford University Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon E
Participants:
Experiential Learning in Accra
Ato Quayson, Stanford University
Community Centered Creativity: Black Arts Across Jamaica and Ghana
Katie Dieter, Stanford University
Teaching Community: Critical Reflection and Activism as Engaged Learning
Kimberly Thomas McNair, Stanford University
If These Trees Could Talk: Collective Learning and Community in Place
Aliyah Dunn-Salahuddin, Stanford University
Chair: Katie Dieter, Stanford University
058. Dystopian Future or Contemporary Reality? The Parable Series as a Modern-Day Blueprint Roundtable Discussion
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Discussants:
Raven M. Moses, Temple University
Alice Nicholas, California State University, Long Beach
Jennifer Williams, Loyola Marymount University
Chair: Donela Wright, San Francisco State University
059. Foster Care, Education, and Schooling for Black Youth (K-12) Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon G
Participants:
The Invisible Ones: African American Youth in the Foster Care System and the Challenges and Struggles They Face
YeIvanna Taylor-Watkins, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
The Intersection of Race, Foster Care, Adoption, and Social Policy: Historical Perspectives on The African American Family
Lillian Nickens, Stockton University
Cultural War: The Need for African Centered Education Now Kmt Shockley, University of Houston
Chair: Alphonso Simpson, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
060. Leveraging Technology for Global Collaboration and Internationalization in Higher Education Panel
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon H
Discussants:
Salimatou Jallow, Ohio University
Jerry Gaba, Ohio University
Philip Nimo Boadi, Ohio University
Joshua Osondu, Ohio University
Chair: Patterson Adjei, Ohio University
061. Black Studies in Prison Classrooms: Transforming Education and Activism from the Inside Roundtable Discussion
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon I
Discussants:
Ohio Prison Education Exchange Project (OPEEP) Students: Lynn and Markeeta, Ohio Reformatory for Women
Aaron, Jesse, and Rashad, Southeastern Correctional Institution
Chair: Tiyi Morris, Ohio State University
062. Africana Studies at San Diego State University: A Model for Hiring in the Discipline Roundtable Discussion
2:00 to 3:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Salon M
Discussants:
Sureshi M. Jayawardene, San Diego State University
Daniela Gomes, San Diego State University
Anta Anthony W. Merritt, San Diego State University
Taharka Adé, San Diego State University
Chair: Charmane Perry, San Diego State University
063. Consciousness and Authenticity in Music throughout the Diaspora Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon B
Participants:
Igniting the Spirit in the Dark: Music, Dance and The World of the Night
Jordan Davidson, University of California, San Diego
Friday, March 21 cont.
063. Consciousness and Authenticity in Music throughout the Diaspora cont.
Participants:
They Not Ma'at, Kendrick Lamar and Kemetic Keys of Consciousness
Aaron Smith, Temple University
Where did the Grooves Go? Interrogating the Rise and Fall of Zimbabwean Urban Grooves Music (1999-2008*)
Shingi Mavima, University of Toledo
Not Like Us: Kendrick Lamar and Hip Hop Geographies of Authenticity
Rasheed El Shabazz, University of California
Chair: Thekima Mayasa, San Diego Mesa College
064. Navigating Identity in the African Diaspora Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Participants:
Double Unconsciousness: Dilating the Soul of Black Immigrants in the US
Rasheed Adedoyin Ismaila Otun, University of Louisville
Race vs Ethnicity in the Diaspora: Wagering Our Collective Identity in the 21st Century
Ifetayo Flannery, Temple University
Five Hundred Years of Solitude: Post-Epistemic Trauma, Pan-Africanism, and the Search for New African Humanism
Jeremias Zunguze, California State University Monterey Bay
The Three-Fold Journey: Identity and Belonging Among Africans in America
Abduljeleel Mamud, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Chair: Ifetayo Flannery, Temple University
065. Pedagogies of Place: Africana Studies approaches to Public Health, Archeology, and Student Activism at the University of Houston Roundtable Discussion
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Presenters:
Neema Langa, University of Houston
Alicia Odewale, University of Houston
Andrea Tribble, University of Houston
Ameenah Shakir, University of Houston
Discussant: Faith Carter, University of Houston
Chair: Ameenah Shakir, University of Houston
066. D.E.I. and the State of the Black Union: The Attempt to Fade Black History Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon E
Participants:
Defending DEI in Pursuit of Social Justice: Implications for Black Studies
Kevin Cokley, University of Michigan
The End of Black History
Paul Mocombe, West Virginia State University/The Mocombeian Foundation, Inc.
Africana Applied Theory: Critical Insights into the State of the Black Union
Clarence George III, California State University, Sacramento
A Bird in the American Republic: Nostalgia for a Future that May Never Exist
Bria Young, Mississippi State University
Chair: Kevin Cokley, University of Michigan
067. Title: Black Student Unions Matter: Examining BSUs and their Contributions and Impact on Students and Universities Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Participants:
It’s Giving Black Power: A Case Study of One Black Student Union in California and the Framework for Structural Change They Created
Mei-Ling Malone, California State University, Fullerton
Voices of the Black Student Union: Unveiling Student Journeys
Patricia Lane, California State University, Frenso
They Not Like Us: The Distinctive Role of BSUs in Higher Education
John Johnson, Whitman College
Chair: Mei-Ling Malone, California State University, Fullerton
068. The Impact of Black Media within Black Culture Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon G
Participants:
How The Media Industry Paints African American Men and Boys
Nathaniel L. Spears, Western Illinois University
Video Game Production in Afrika Mashariki - A Research Project Proposal
Etienne Fields, University of Illinois
Friday, March 21 cont.
068. The Impact of Black Media within Black Culture cont.
Participants:
Extra Extra! Read All About It: African Agenda, Black Agenda Report, and Intergenerational Comradeship in Black Left Journalism
Logan Phillips, Northwestern University
Black Print Culture: Examined through 20th century Black Radical Press
Solyana Bekele, University of Delaware
Worldstar, Karens and Insurgent Social Media: An Investigation of Social Media Practices and Activism
John Quashie, Georgia State University
Chair: Alicia Fontnette, University of Delaware
069. Black Student Success and Resilience in Higher Education Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon H
Participants:
“We’re Here, and We’re Quare”: Black Queer Student Resilience in the Age of Anti-Wokeism
Jehlia Andrew-Brown, University of Florida
Revisiting the Educational Visions of African- American Pioneers in the Post-Industrial Era
Raiven L. Charles, Prairie View A&M University
Impact of a Racial Issues Course on Racial Attitudes: The Changing Racial Perceptions of College Students from January 2024 to May 2024
Luke Tripp, St. Cloud State University
Chair: Luke Tripp, St. Cloud State University
070. The State of Africana Studies in Trump's America: New Challenges and New Directions Roundtable Discussion
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon I
Presenters:
Sundiata Cha Jua, University of Illinois, Urbana
Tanisha Jackson, Syracuse University
Kamahra Ewing, University of Kentucky
David "Kalonji" Walton, Lincoln University of Missouri
Chair: Ricky Jones, University of Louisville
071. Black Mental and Physical Health: A Call to Action Panel
3:30 to 4:45 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Salon M
Participants:
The Impact of Black Healthcare Providers on Health Outcomes in the Black Community
Ramzeaus Edwards, Pasadena City College; Heaven Ki’Ara Gibson, California State University, Los Angeles; Melekte Sosena Paulos, California University, Los Angeles
Spiritual Injuries, Sexual Subjectivities, and Waves of Black Feminist Thought within Sexual and Reproductive Justice Discourse and Research
Renata Jeanelle Hall, McMaster University
Black Women and the Fight for Reproductive Justice: A Pan-African Perspective
Temiloluwa Kayode Ojo, University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh
“Black People Don’t Go to Therapy” The Harmful Stigmas that Keep Black People Out of Therapy. Kierra Collins, Western Illinois University
Chair: Venise Berry, University of Iowa
072. For Mothers Who Won't Let Fathers See Their Children Media Session
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon B
Chair: Nduku Mulumba, Mbôngi Ya Ubuntu
073. Envisioning Freedom: Black Women’s Creativity, Memory, and Resistance Across PanAfrican Landscapes Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Participants:
Visualizing Black Feminist Futures: The Spiritual worldbuilding of the LA Rebellion
Elena Guzman, Indiana University Bloomington
You Look Nothing Like Your Mother, You Look Everything Like Your Mother” Ray Charles’ “Mothers”, Ambiguity & Country Music
Olivia Ekeh, Indiana University Bloomington
Resistance Movements, Reform and Music: A Case Study on Aponka Karenyane (Ghana) and Nina Simone (America)
Nana Amoah-Ramey, Indiana University Bloomington
Chair: Randal Jelks, Indiana University
Friday, March 21 cont.
074. Black Women’s Health, Security, and Political Involvement Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Participants:
Black Mother-Daughter Sexual Communication in the American South: Using Africana Womanism as a Conceptual Framework to Understand Barriers and Opportunities to Having Healthy Conversations
Sarita K. Davis, Georgia State University
Intersecting Fertility: Educational Disparities in Black Older Women’s Health Outcomes
Neema Langa, University of Houston; Faith Carter, University of Houston
What They Left Out in 1865
Rachel Dunlap, Stockton University
Trailblazer in Diplomacy: The Impact of Merze Tate on International Affairs 1940-1965
Appreccia D Faulkner, Chicago State University
Chair: Sarita K. Davis, Georgia State University
075. Cultural War: Focus on Black Youth (TubiTV/Amazon Prime) Media Session
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon E
Chair: Kmt Shockley, University of Houston
076. Talking about Roots, Practices, Religion and Law Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon F
Participants:
Reviving our Roots: Reframing African Diasporic Spirituality for Black Jamaican Women’s Identities
Sophia Williams, University of Florida
"Sugar and Poison: Francois Makandal and the Politics of Haitian Vodou"
Christopher Newman, Howard University
The Tenants of Trinidad and Tobago: Our Structures, Law, and the People
Chalisa Budhai, University of Florida
Chair: David Canton, University of Florida
077. Black Autobiographies and Blueprints for Justice: Voices of Power Panel
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon G
Participants:
The International Council of Women of the Darker Races: An examination of the Pan African activism of Mary McLeod Bethune, Nannie Burroughs, and Henrietta Davis
Sonya Nzingha Dugas, Claremont Graduate University & Contra Costa Community College
Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism
Brian Kwoba, University of Memphis
Malcolmxism: The Evolution of Malcolm X's Political Philosophy and Its Impact on Pan-African Thought and Praxis
Ikemba B. Ojore, Medgar Evers College
The Bullet or the Bullet: Malcolm’s Vision of Pan-African Revolutionary Violence
Jimmy Butts, Trinity University
Chair: Dexter Blackman, Morgan State University
078. Virtual Reality as A Teaching Tool: Teaching Ghanaian History in Africana Studies
Media Session
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon H
Discussants:
Jakia Marie, Grand Valley State University
Albert Okwei, Grand Valley State University
Elijah Fosu, Gran Valley State University
Chair: Jakia Marie, Grand Valley State University
079. Intellectual Genealogy of Black Studies in the United States Media Session
5:00 to 6:15 pm
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon I
Discussants:
Sundiata Cha Jua, University of Illinois, Urbana
Grace Gipson, Virginia Commonwealth University
Tiffany Caesar, San Francisco State University
Chair: Shawn Utsey, Virginia Commonwealth University
Friday, March 21 cont.
080. Racialism and the Media: A Documentary Media Session
Join the dynamic husband-and-wife duo, Brandon and Ewaniki Hawkins, along with their talented team, for an inspiring creative experience!
They’ll guide you in unleashing your “inner artist” as you bring to life the essence of our conference theme: Sankofa.
This is more than an art session—it’s an opportunity to connect, engage, and forge meaningful relationships through the power of creativity.
First 35 people will receive this commemorative apron celebrating 50 years of NCBS
Saturday, March 22
082. Situating Academic Strategies in Higher Education Panel
9:30 to 10:45 am
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon B
Participants:
An African American Narrative of Underrepresentation in Academia: Strategies for Securing and Sustaining Fulfilling Faculty Careers
Marjorie M Fuller, West Virginia University
Professor Toyin Falola’s proposition for African Ancestral Studies (AAS) in Higher Education: A historical assessment of its implications & applicability to the Diaspora
Victor Okafor, Eastern Michigan University
Sankofa: The Importance of Adding KiUbuntu to Africana Studies Programs
Nduku Mulumba, Mbôngi Ya Ubuntu
A Black Woman's Triumph in Earning an Undergraduate Degree: Finessing Her Way Through The Muck and The Mire
Jill Grayson, California State University, Los Angeles
Chair: James Stewart, New School
083. Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being in Black Communities Panel
9:30 to 10:45 am
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon C
Participants:
Examining How Different Generations of Black Americans are Mentally Impacted and Cope under Racial Capitalism
Jocelyn Brown, Ohio University
Silence is our Deadliest Weapon: The Invisible Struggle of Mental Health within Black America
Joe Lynn, Lynn and Associates, PA
My Fathers Sit on Benches: The Effects of Generational Trauma on the Mental Health of Black Men
Mekhi Lee Horton, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Moving from Punishment to Protection: Creating School-Based Interventions that Support Positive Mental Health Outcomes among Black Children
Monica Adams, Binghamton University; Keisha Wint, Binghamton University; Ada RobinsonPerez, Binghamton University
Chair: Alphonso Simpson, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
Saturday, March 22 cont.
084. Sankofa Reimagined: Empowerment, Heritage, and Solidarity in African and Diasporic Communities.
Panel
9:30 to 10:45 am
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza: Floor 4th - Salon D
Participants:
Sankofa in Practice through Adire: Indigenous Knowledge and Women’s Entrepreneurship in Nigeria
