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Building Mathematics Capacity for students of the Young Scholars Program
There is Definitely a Disability Culture
The Life and Legacy of Dr. Frank W. Hale Jr.
and where there is culture there is identity
1927-2011
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION through diversity odi.osu.edu
Excellence
Saying Goodbye, Looking Forward Greetings from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. As I looked out onto the oval from the window of my office this past spring, I saw students throwing footballs and frisbees, lounging on the grass and studying in the sun for finals—a fitting close to the last Spring quarter in Ohio State history. In the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the year gone by has been one of grief and growth. Even as we’ve celebrated our history, expanded our services, forged new partnerships, and created new opportunities for our students, we mourned the loss of our celebrated leader, Dr. Frank W. Hale, Jr. We continue to honor the vision and legacy of Dr. Hale, taking pride in the permanent changes that he brought to Ohio State and remembering the personal way that he inspired leadership. As we prepare to move ODI from the multiple building locations where we are housed today to the new Hale Hall, we take an important step forward in achieving Dr. Hale’s vision for the future. It is the same vision that inspires our work today. This issue of Drum is a reflection of the depth of our mission and the breadth of our commitment to inclusive excellence at Ohio State. You will read about the success of the Young Scholars Program and its innovative mathematics partnership with the Honda Foundation and about the impressive scholarship produced in the Todd A. Bell National Resource Center.
Welcome
Two reflective articles extend our traditional ways of thinking about diversity and inclusion to engage ideas about culture, identity, gender and disability. You will also get to know several ODI scholars and the passions that drive their successes. As we nurture rising stars, we also say goodbye to Ohio State alumna Lillian W. Burke. She was a groundbreaker for African Americans and women in Ohio courts. Finally, we recognize the many students, faculty and staff who received ODI awards and grants this year. Their research and scholarly exchanges on diversity themes showcase innovative practices and critical understandings of what diversity means in this millennium and at this university.
Valerie B. Lee Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Vice President for Outreach and Engagement Chief Diversity Officer Professor of English
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IN THIS ISSUE
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Frank W. Hale, Jr. Legacy Continues to Inspire
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The Honorable Lillian W. Burke: An Ohio State Legacy
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The Frank W. Hale, Jr. Legacy
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For the Love of Knowledge: ODI Scholar Graduates summa cum laude An Interview with Marvin Brown
The Loss of My Mentor
08 10
Timeline of events and accomplishments
By Valerie B. Lee, Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Vice President for Outreach and Engagement
Building Mathematics Capacity By Victoria Dunn, Director of Leadership Initiatives for Women of Color in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Todd A. Bell National Resource Center Advances Scholarship on African American Males
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There is Definitely a Disability Culture
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Bathroom Reading: Queer Negotiations of Gendered Bathrooms
By Tiffany Anderson, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
By Dr. “Tayo” Tiffani Clyburn, Director for Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
By Dr. “Tayo” Tiffani Clyburn, Director for Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
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Change Abounds in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion: New Initiatives Expand Access and Excellence
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In Pursuit of Coolness: Exploring Hip Hop in Kenya By RaShelle R. Peck, Ph. D. Candidate, Department of Comparative Studies
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Office of Diversity and Inclusion Announces Award Winners
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ODI Sponsored Event Photos
Please send all letters, press releases, and other materials to: The Office of Diversity and Inclusion Student Academic Services Building, 3rd Floor 281 West Lane Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43210 This publication is funded through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Editor: Yolanda Zepeda Graphic Designer: Herbert “Trae” Wilborn III
The Ohio State University is not responsible for the content of this publication. This publication does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the staff or the editorial board. All submissions for publication must include name and phone number or e-mail of the person(s) responsible for the work. DRUM reserves the right to refuse any and all submissions for publication at any time.
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Frank W. Hale, Jr. Legacy Continues to Inspire Provost and Professor Emeritus, naming in his honor The Frank W. Hale, Jr. Black Cultural Center and designating the building in which it is housed as Hale Hall. Dr. Hale passed away in July 2011. Even as the Ohio State community has expressed mournful goodbyes, Dr. Hale continues to inspire and guide civil rights work through his bequest to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The awards, papers, correspondence, and the many meaningful artifacts that Dr. Hale collected through his intellectual, professional and spiritual journey will now find a home at Ohio State University. Working in collaboration with University Archives, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will preserve the historical and personal collection of items that document the Hale legacy. Larry Williamson, Director of the Hale Black Cultural Center, is leading the effort.
D
r. Frank W. Hale, Jr. dedicated his life to the struggle for social justice and civil rights. He served in the field of higher education for fifty-four years as a faculty member, administrator and educational consultant and held full professorships at Oakwood College, Central State University, and The Ohio State University. Dr. Hale published eleven books and lectured at more than 300 colleges and universities. His achievements earned him a host of prestigious awards and citations including the United Negro College Fund’s Distinguished Service Award, the Distinguished Service Award for Human Rights and Social Change from the National Association of State Universities and Land-grant Colleges (NASULGC), and a number of honorary doctoral degrees. As a testament to his lifetime of service, Dr. Frank Hale was inducted into the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2010. The Ohio State community benefitted greatly from his tireless leadership. Dr. Hale engineered new and transformative initiatives including the Graduate and Professional Schools Visitation Days program in 1971 and its undergraduate counterpart, the Minority (Morrill) Scholars Program in 1982. Through his efforts, nearly $15 million in graduate fellowship awards were granted to approximately 1,200 minority students. With the scholarships awarded to high school seniors through the Minority (Morrill) Scholars Program, the University was able to attract a vibrant community of minority scholars. As a capstone to his illustrious career, The Ohio State University Board of Trustees voted him Vice
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For nearly three decades, Williamson worked for Dr. Hale and was a friend to the Hale family. “I greatly appreciate the 29 years I have had the opportunity to get to know, experience, observe, gain insight, be mentored by, and sit at the feet of a giant of a man we call Dr. Frank W. Hale, Jr.” Williamson reflected. Williamson witnessed first-hand the institutional change that Hale brought to the university. Now, in an important step forward, Williamson is overseeing the Black Cultural Center’s move from the current Hale Hall to its new home in Enarson Hall. The Hale Center is currently housed in a former dining hall and will now be located in a building built as the first student union in the country. The new building will integrate the Black Cultural Center with the many other programs of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, such as the Todd A. Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male, the Morrill Scholar’s Program, and the Latino and Latin American Studies Space for Enrichment and Research. Dr. Hale was able to see the architect’s plans for the new Hale Center, even though he is not here to see those plans come to fruition. Williamson assures the community that “Dr. Hale’s legacy will be on the signage, the gallery walls, the Civil Rights library, and in the hearts of ODI staff persons.” Donors who wish to support the renovation of the Hale Center, including the creation of the Frank W. Hale, Jr. Civil Rights Collection, can visit giveto.osu.edu, fund number 301942.
Through his efforts, nearly $15 million in graduate fellowship awards were granted to approximately 1,200 minority students.
The Frank W. Hale, Jr. Legacy 1927 1955
Born March 24th in Kansas City, Missouri.
1957 1959 1960
Becomes first African American faculty member at Potomac University.
1964 1966 1967
Publishes Manual of Public Speaking, W.C. Brown Co.
1969 1971
Publishes The Cry for Freedom, A.S. Barnes Co.
1973 1976 1978 1979 1982
Publishes They Came and They Conquered, OSU Graduate School.
1988
Retires from Ohio State. OSU Board of Trustees votes Hale Vice Provost and Professor Emeritus, names the Frank W. Hale, Jr. Black Cultural Center in his honor, and establishes endowed scholarship in his name. Hale delivers the autumn commencement address at Ohio State.
1989 1990 1994 1996
Appointed Executive Assistant to the President at Kenyon College.
1996
Receives honorary doctorate from the University of Nebraska. Establishes the President and Provost’s Lecture and Cultural Arts Series at Ohio State.
1999 2001 2004 2005 2006 2007 2010 2011
Publishes A Letter to African American Males, 1st Books.
Earns Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Promoted to full Professor of Communication, Oakwood College.
Appointed Chair and Professor of Speech and English at Central State University. Receives post-doctoral fellowship to the University of London by the British Council of ExtraMural Studies.
Appointed President of Oakwood College. Visits the White House as the invited guest of President Lyndon Baines Johnson along with other college presidents. Publishes Sunlight and Shadows, Southern Publishing Assoc.
Appointed Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Communication, Ohio State. Initiates the Graduate and Professional Schools Visitation Day Program.
Ohio State becomes the nation’s top producer of African American PhDs. Appointed Vice Provost for Minority Affairs. Receives an honorary doctorate from Wilberforce University. Establishes the Minority (Morrill) Scholars Program. Gains a commitment from OSU to renovate Bradford Commons as a Black Cultural Center.
Receives honorary doctorate from Shaw University. Receives Frederick Douglass Patterson Award from United Negro College Fund. Receives honorary doctorate from Capital University. Publishes Angels Watching over Me, Winston/Derek Publishing Co.
Publishes What Makes Racial Diversity Work in Higher Education, Stylus Publishing Co. Receives honorary doctorate from La Sierra University. Publishes How Black Colleges Empower Black Students, Stylus Publishing Co. Receives a Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from Andrews University. Publishes Out of the Trash Came Truth, Northwest Printing Co. Inducted into the State of Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Dies on July 27 in Columbus, Ohio.
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The Loss of My Mentor
By Valerie B. Lee, Vice Provost, Diversity and Inclusion, Vice President for Outreach and Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer
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minent Educator. Tenacious Trailblazer. Wordsmith Warrior. Freedom Fighter. Dr. Frank W. Hale, Jr. was all of these and more—he was a model mentor. Ever since his death, I have spoken to a number of audiences about his rich legacy, a legacy that earned him the honorific title, “Dean of Diversity.” But amid all the public accolades, the dedication of statues and other memorials, I want to take this opportunity to speak from the heart by using my own life as a way of representing how Dr. Hale mentored so many students who are now professionals in their own right. I first met Dr. Hale when I was finishing my MA and looking for a place to pursue a doctorate in English. My advisor informed me that the man to contact was Frank Hale at The Ohio State University. Although I qualified for a University Fellowship, I had missed the deadline. After looking over my record, Dr. Hale felt he
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nevertheless could make it happen, and I was awarded a 3-year doctoral fellowship. I remember the August day when I first walked on campus and went straight to Dr. Hale’s office. As a former chair of an English Department himself, he told me that he would be watching my progress, explaining that the English Department did not have “too many of us.” I had no intention of disappointing him. He was too caring, too inspirational for me to let down. After a rigorous but smooth-sailing journey, I was ready to defend my dissertation. Dr. Hale surprised me by showing up as the Graduate School’s external committee member. In later years, I would hear him brag on my performance. He was always super kind, building up the next person—praising a custodian for waxing a floor, an 8-year old for ambitiously memorizing King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a student for finishing his degree after recovering from academic probation. At my graduation, he performed a
ceremonial rite of passage by “hooding” me—covering me with my disciplinary and institutional colors. When it came time to go on the job market, I was rather cavalier about the whole process, enjoying all the calls from interested departmental chairs but not committing myself to any one place. Dr. Hale got wind of this and called me to his office. After what sounded like a fatherly “go-forward-moveout-of-this-house” talk, he zeroed in on a position for which he thought I was perfect. Still not having learned to say no to a giant of a mentor, I applied for that job and ended up teaching the next fifteen years at a private liberal arts institution. Every so often, Dr. Hale would call when he had a task for me to do. A great delegator, he would take on writing projects and then pass on to me the task of interviewing and editing. I guess he thought that I should put my degree to everyday use. Flash forward: Just when I thought that I would retire at the aforementioned institution where I was having a great career, Dr. Hale informed me that it was time to “return home” by taking a professorship at The Ohio State University. This is when I started to wonder, “How long are mentors supposed to mentor?” But I listened to him because he obviously sensed that I was itching to do more in a larger arena. So, I took a job at Ohio State, conveniently placing myself near my mentor. Immediately, Frank asked Professor Antoinette Miranda and me to travel around the country doing diversity workshops with him. On each trip, Antoinette and I chatted the whole time about topics that sometimes made Frank bristle, and other times blush. But he was patient, alerting us that we might want to do some listening since his expectation was that we would one day do these workshops all by ourselves. I did listen, especially eager to hear again and again the story of the white elementary teacher who said that Frank would be a failure in life, a perspective that contrasted with his praise for Luvada Lockhardt, an African American teacher whose classroom consisted of grades 1-6. She believed in Frank so much that he listened and learned and later would brag, “In a multiplegrade classroom Luvada Lockhardt defied the law of educational gravity because at the end of day each student knew the work of all six grades!” For my next transitions, from promotion to full professor to chair of Women’s Studies, to Chair of English, I knew to consult Dr. Hale. Then one day I announced to him that the university wanted me to take over the unit that he led to legendary status. He insisted that I should say yes, that I should leave the comfort of Baldwin, Faulkner, Frost, Morrison, and other authors, and explicitly, intentionally, do something for diversity. He was talking about walking the walk, while my plans were to relax on a beach in the Bahamas and write a book on race and diversity in the 21st century. I wanted to settle down, but he wanted me to jump back in the struggle. Was this mentorship gone awry? No, he was right. The position came at the right moment. On the heels of taking the position, I nominated Dr. Hale for what would be his last honor: induction into the State of Ohio’s Civil Rights Hall of Fame. When he stood up to give his speech in the hallowed halls of the State Capitol, I was very worried because he looked frail enough to fall. But then the words started cascading
Dr. Hale informed me that it was time to “return home” by taking a professorship at The Ohio State University. This is when I started to wonder, “How long are mentors supposed to mentor?” out of his lips like waters racing to shore. By the time he finished detailing civil rights history, everyone in the audience saluted this great orator with their hands and with their tears. A week or so later, he told me that he had just learned he had incurable pancreatic cancer. He was very forthright and honest about his situation. He showed me and Larry Williamson, Director of the Frank W. Hale, Jr. Black Cultural Center, all the papers, artifacts, and books that he was going to give to the Center. On subsequent visits, I think he began to sense that I needed to draw on some of his strength rather than he on mine. So, one day he motioned me aside and asked the question that men of faith are wont to ask, “Who knowest that thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” As quickly as the biblical Esther understood her mission when hearing these words, I understood what Frank was telling me: “It’s not happenstance that you are now leading Diversity and Inclusion. With you, I’m entrusting my treasures.” I promised him that those treasures would one day make it to the campus space where he wanted the larger and more aesthetically pleasing Hale Center to be located: Enarson Hall. When Dr. Hale first pored over the architectural plans with us, Larry and I thought the chances were slim that we would gain that space any time soon, but Dr. Hale was unrelentingly visionary. He would be so proud to know that we are moving closer to achieving his vision. I’ve wavered in this piece from calling my mentor “Dr. Hale” or simply “Frank.” He always told me to call him “Frank,” and sometimes when our other colleagues were present, I remembered to do so. In the community and at church it always seemed irreverent to say anything other than “Dr. Hale.” He was humble, but larger than life. I’ll miss the times when he would pull me aside and ask what I thought of Politician X’s agenda, the chuckle in his voice along with the impish gleam in his eyes betraying what he thought. I’m not sure how long most mentees remember their mentors. I’ll remember mine ‘til diversity and dignity prevail, ‘til justice reigns, ‘til kingdom comes.
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Building Mathematics Capacity
By Victoria Dunn, Director for Leadership Initiatives for Women of Color, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
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n any given Saturday, you might find participants in the Columbus Young Scholars Program bouncing multi-colored balls in Arps Hall. They’re typically so focused that they might not even notice you. You see, these middle school students aren’t playing games. They’re participants in a pilot program designed to enhance their mathematics performance—and from all indications, it is working. The pilot program, “Building Mathematical Capacity,” is a partnership between the Young Scholars Program and Mathematics Education Professor, Azita Manouchehri. Now entering its fourth year of operation, the program began as a means of teaching mathematics conceptually rather than formulaically. When students understand how mathematical concepts work, they’re far more able to master the formulas once they’re introduced. As Columbus Young Scholars Program Coordinator Stacie Burbage notes, “In challenging our students’ way of thinking about mathematics, Dr. Manouchehri has helped them become better critical thinkers, problem solvers, and scholars.”
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Because the pilot program worked so well with Columbus Young Scholars, it became the launching point of an American Honda Foundation grant proposal. That successful proposal resulted in a $60,000 grant awarded to the Young Scholars Program. The grant will now permit the program piloted in Columbus to be scaled up across the entire state. The Young Scholars Program is a statewide pre-collegiate partnership with Ohio’s nine largest urban school districts. The program annually identifies some 120 academicallypromising, middle school students from economically challenging backgrounds and provides them the extensive academic and interpersonal support necessary to succeed in college, most often at The Ohio State University. Initiated in 1988, the program is now entering its 25th year of helping ensure that underrepresented, first-generation students have an opportunity to reach their educational aspirations. The highly competitive Honda grant is testimony to the efforts of Young Scholars Program administrators to intensify the mathematics focus. One of over 400 initial applications, and one of only ten to advance to the final selection phase, the proposal
had to be what the Honda Foundation considers “dreamful,” “creative” and “foresightful.” And it certainly is in that it will engage participants in the use of highly sophisticated, future-focused technology in order to expand their creative thinking about what they can accomplish using mathematics.
“many students emerge as leaders and become more confident in their ability to problem solve” For many public school students, math instruction amounts to the rehearsal of formulas and rote skills, strategies that seldom produce sustainably higher performance. “Building Mathematical Capacity” differs in that it seeks to increase middle school students’ understanding of mathematics while also increasing their confidence and satisfaction with science and mathematics subject matter just when their chances for further success and college readiness can be greatly enhanced. As a result, the program helps participants see themselves as creative, collaborative learners. Kwabena MacCarthy, a 10th grader who has participated in the program since its beginning couldn’t agree more. He says that he especially enjoys the group activities. When asked if the program was having an impact on what he thought about math, he noted that “YSP showed me that math can be creative—like with fractals and other shapes.” But Kwabena isn’t simply thinking of the here and now. He sees the exposure as “preparation for more advanced math classes. Some of the things we do I’ll see later in the year and have an idea of how to do them.”
provide additional support for the classes in each city. Program Coordinator Stacie Burbage says she has already “seen many students emerge as leaders and become more confident in their ability to problem solve [and] work effectively in teams.” She has every expectation that the program will be equally valuable to 8th graders across the state—and not just in terms of the math. “I believe this program will help them to make earlier connections with YSP participants in other cities,” she says. Very hopefully she adds, “What’s to stop us from trying this model with other subjects and grade levels?” Indeed, the capacity for expansion seems fairly limitless. Young Scholars Program Director Dr. Curtis Austin expects to be able to realize that capacity by helping to “create an environment that encourages rigorous learning that will have long-term societal implications for the state of Ohio.” Alexandra Warnier, manager at the American Honda Foundation, sees the same opportunity. “We are proud to partner with the Young Scholars Program on its important contribution,” she says, “and look forward to the impact and results that will be achieved.”
That is most of what program administrators were hoping for when they designed the pilot and wrote the grant proposal. In addition to making the program creative, they knew it had to demonstrate scientific rigor in teaching students scientific processes such as conjecturing, specializing, generalizing, and proving. But since students solve problems by hands-on experimentation—whether measuring the volume of water in containers of various sizes or speculating about what the graph of a bounced ball will look like using visualization software such as Geometer’s Sketchpad—the approach brings science and math into the realm of everyday reality. And since students are hardly ever working alone, they gain valuable skills working together, observing and evaluating until they can come to sound conclusions. This is especially important when students disagree, since even resolving disagreements helps them work together to solve problems the way scientists do. Since receiving news of the $60,000 grant, program administrators excitedly anticipated the scale-up. Scaled-up programming will expose the program’s entire cohort of 8th graders to simultaneous instruction using virtual communities. A lead instructor will teach all Young Scholars 8th graders via telecast from Columbus. Instructional assistants and Young Scholars Program staff will
Celebrating 25 years of the Young Scholars Program at The Ohio State University
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Todd Bell National Resource Center Advances Scholarship on African American Males
T
he Bell Doctoral Fellows program was established in 2009 for Ohio State doctoral students who show promise of becoming productive scholars on topics related to African American males. The program includes ongoing professional development and mentorship that prepares students for the academic rigors of the academy.
Dr. Jamie Mitchell, Bell Fellow Promoting Cancer Screening Among African American Men Dr. Jamie Mitchell is a member of the 2009 inaugural cohort of the Bell Fellows Program and graduated from the College of Social Work at The Ohio State University in December 2010. Dr. Mitchell is a tenure-track assistant professor in the Wayne State University School of Social Work and member of the scientific faculty in the Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Division of Population Studies and Disparities Research. Dr. Mitchell’s dissertation research examined social and ecological factors associated with health behaviors known to prevent cancer in a community sample of African American men in northeast Ohio. This work was grounded in a social ecological framework, which posits that there are multiple levels of influence that promote or inhibit one’s ability to engage in health behaviors. Based on this theory, Dr. Mitchell developed a conceptual model relating fruit and vegetable consumption, number of minutes of physical activity per week, and the completion of prostate and colorectal cancer screening to individual, social, ecological, and health system influences. Based on a sample of 229 African American men, Dr. Mitchell found that older age, higher levels of education, and having a regular doctor or health provider significantly predicted whether African American men had ever completed prostate cancer screening. Older age and having a regular health provider also predicted colorectal cancer screening. Interestingly, men in this sample who had a family history of cancer and who reportedly ate more servings of fruits and vegetables were more likely to exercise at least 120 minutes per week (around 17 minutes a day on average), while exercising regularly was the only predictor of eating fruits and vegetables in the previous week. One important implication from this dissertation study was that
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health behaviors in this sample were co-occurring. In other words, men who ate healthy were more likely to exercise. Those men who were aware that they had an increased risk of developing cancer, due to having had a relative diagnosed with cancer, were more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. This finding suggests that men may be aware that the risk of developing certain cancers due to a hereditary link could be reduced by modifying their own health behaviors, specifically diet. Consistent with social ecological frameworks, the factors influencing prostate and colorectal cancer screening completion were both individual and systemic in nature, signaling the need for public health interventions aimed at African American men to target barriers to screening at both the intrapersonal and health system levels. Building on her dissertation research, Dr. Mitchell has received funding from the Southeast Michigan Partners against Cancer and the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research to examine whether a targeted patient navigation intervention delivered to 2000 older African American male Medicare recipients in a large Detroit hospital was effective in increasing completion rates for prostate and colorectal cancer. Dr. Mitchell has expanded the scope of her work to further investigate the influence of knowing one’s family history of cancer on cancer screening and other preventive health behaviors among urban African American men. She presented findings of a recently completed investigation at the 2012 American Men’s Studies Association Convention. Dr. Mitchell is truly engaged in important research. With increased interest in health care and health disparities in America, her work is both timely and relevant to these topics. Further, it is clear that Dr. Mitchell is carving out a niche in behavioral science. To learn more about Dr. Mitchell, go to her online portfolio: wayne.academia.edu/ JamieMitchell
Robert A. Bennett III, Bell Fellow Politics and Sports Do Mix Robert A. Bennett III is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History and Bell Fellow at The Ohio State University. His dissertation, “You Can’t Have Black Power without Green Power: The Black Economic Union,” looks at the role African American professional athletes played in the promotion of economic development within Black communities, adopting a belief
in capitalism coupled with the ideology of Black power during the 1960s and 1970s. Bennett has always had a passion for sports history. “One particular person I admired growing up was former Cleveland Browns running back, Jim Brown. My father always talked about how he was more than just an athlete who played the game but also spoke out for African Americans.” Bennett discovered that his own personal beliefs were challenged when he read Brown’s autobiography Out of Bounds. He was intrigued by the Black Economic Union, an organization founded by Brown to assist Black businesses in Black communities and address social problems that plagued the nation. Bennett wondered why this aspect of Brown’s history had been overlooked. The lack of attention on this facet of Brown’s life sparked Bennett’s interest in the organization and stirred him to find out more about its mission and membership. After a few calls, he was able to get in contact with Jim Brown and the Executive Director of the organization, John Wooten. Through them, he connected with other members of the group like Walter Beach, Curtis McClinton, Brig Owens and Spencer Jourdain. Through his research, Bennett has found that “this group of guys went against the old adage that ‘politics and sports should not mix.’ They recognized that politics was part and parcel of athletic competition and of their lives off the playing field.” Bennett explains that understanding the Black Economic Union helps expand our understanding of the 1960s and 1970s, the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Many of the economic, political, and social problems that men such as Jim Brown, John Wooten, Walter Beach, and Curtis McClinton addressed are still prevalent in society today. As a Bell Fellow, Bennett has taken a more active role in determining his future as a scholar: “It has been an illuminating experience to be joined with other students seeking to enter the professoriate and sharing in the mission of the Bell National Resource Center. The Bell Fellows Program provides a space that motivates me to stay involved in my success as well as that of other doctoral students at OSU.” Bennett’s work on the Black Economic Union contributes to the discourse on the role that African American male professional athletes played in the 20th century. Upon graduating, he plans to develop his dissertation into a book manuscript and will continue a research-intensive initiative addressing the many issues student-athletes faced in revenue producing sports at “big-time universities.” Focusing on life skills development and academic success, Bennett seeks to enhance the undergraduate experience of student-athletes.
Congratulations to 2009 Bell Fellow DeLeon Gray who was awarded the coveted Spencer Dissertation Fellowship from the Spencer Foundation for 2011-2012. The fellowship grant supports Gray’s dissertation research, “A New Framework for Conceptualizing School Belonging: The Importance of ‘Fitting In’ and ‘Standing Out.’”
Randall Parker Phillips Eye on the Goal: Doing What you Love Randall Parker Phillips is a sophomore from Columbus, Ohio, double majoring in Economics and Sociology with a minor in Italian. He was interviewed by Bell Fellow Robert A. Bennett III. What was it like growing up in Columbus, Ohio? Randall: I was homeschooled. My mother believed that she could do a better job of teaching me than Columbus public schools and wanted to educate me according to her Christian values. My socialization process came from recreation centers, family and a homeschool co-op. Was Willie O’Ree an inspiration for you? Randall: I was able to meet him through the Columbus Ice Hockey Club (also run through CRPD), which is part of the NHL diversity initiative. O’Ree heads a task force as a way to demonstrate that hockey is for everyone. I also met him when the Columbus program went to Detroit for a tournament called Hockey in the Hood where many diversity programs in the nation go once a year. Willie O’Ree started an all-star competition in March that allows kids in the minority program to display their skills in front of Division I college coaches and shows the kids what the recruitment process is like. How have African Americans responded to your playing hockey? Randall: Surprise and excitement. My grandfather was excited. There weren’t many Black players he could follow. There is Grant Fuhr, and a few others he followed. Many of my family members think it’s awesome. They wish they could play too; they just never had the opportunity. How have Whites responded to you playing the game? Randall: That’s an interesting question with many answers. A lot of people think it’s interesting. Some people think it’s awesome. They like to play that up, “a Black person playing hockey.” The most humorous reactions are those of people who see how flexible I am. People generally aren’t prepared for a Black man who can do the splits. Something interesting and annoying is that because I’m
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Black, I’m either really good, or really bad. If I’m really bad, they are just trying to meet some diversity quota. If I made it this far, I must be good. But I’m actually the middle of the road. (Laughs) How do you negotiate the “first Black” phenomena? Randall: I have always been the kind of person who has been good at controlling my emotions. I know the people whose opinions I should care about. At a certain point, people know me as the Black guy playing hockey. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who look me up to make sure I’m not lying to them. In my first year on campus I did not make the team. Most of the goaltenders are six foot, and that’s on the low end. People can fire the puck upwards of 90 mph, and it’s not so much about reflexes at this point but how much space you can take up especially when there is traffic in front of the net. I am 5’6” and I did not have the greatest tryout. This year I went to try out again. I wasn’t expecting to make the team because of what happened last year. I just wanted to play hockey against people who were good. They kept my number, and halfway through the season they lost half of their goalkeepers, and I was called up for club hockey. How would you describe your overall experience at OSU? Randall: I have enjoyed it immensely. Coming from a homeschool background, people would say, “Why are you going to such a big school? Why wouldn’t you go to a smaller school?” Well when you think about it, it’s going to be a big difference either way. Whatever school I go to is going to be a big school; whether it’s 2,000 people or 50,000 people, it’s going to be exponentially bigger. I have enjoyed it. I am ready to live off campus. School-wise, I am an economics and sociology major. I like studying groups of people. I enjoy seeing their interactions with each other, observing how people interact in different situations. I find it enjoyable and intriguing. As for Italian, I just love the language and the culture.
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What are your aspirations after graduation? Randall: I would like to be an Economic consultant, and I’m pretty sure I want to go to grad school and get my master’s in economics, possibly a Ph.D. My goal in life is to be on the federal Board of Governors. I would really like to be one of the people dictating economic policy for the U.S., but there are only seven people. They all have Ph.D.s and some have other degrees as well. It’s a pretty lofty goal. How have recent events such as the defacement of the Hale Center changed how people look at diversity? Randall: The African American community was outraged. Obviously how could you look at something like that and not be upset? It was intended to hurt African Americans. As for the response, I am glad that the OSU Stand Your Ground Movement has started. I appreciate the hate crime alert too. When it comes to diversity training, that has to be experienced. You can’t just put people in a classroom. They can say all the right things and write things down, but it does not mean they will actually change what they are thinking. Diversity is different people being able to see each other’s differences—how you can differ in opinion—and still respect the person instead of writing them off because they are Black or White. When in class, I am often one of the few African Americans. I am often asked about random things when it comes to Black issues. So I know where this is coming from, but if you want diversity, ask the other people in the class about them as well. Any parting words? Randall: If you love something find a way to continue doing it. I love hockey. I coach because I want to instill in young people a love for the game. I work with Columbus high school hockey coaching the Columbus Ice Hockey Club. So you should find a way to do what you love.
There is Definitely a Disability Culture By Tiffany Anderson, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English disallows for self-determined identities, and further marginalizes people with disabilities by only considering a nondisabled perspective. If we look past the social-construction of disability and into the disability community, we see something that the father in the documentary Sound and Fury wanted so desperately to preserve for his deaf daughter: culture.
Photo by David Fulmer
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ound and Fury (2000), a film documenting a deaf father’s decision not to implant his deaf child with a cochlear implant, captivated the attention of a larger audience than those aware of the very real controversy surrounding cochlear implants. The father feared his daughter would lose her Deaf identity and her connection to Deaf culture. Before the release of the film, general feelings regarded the implants as a scientific advancement that all deaf people should want, yet the film presented a relatable story beyond cochlear implants and made nondisabled people interested in deafness as an identifier. When I familiarized students of my Introduction to Disability Studies class with this discussion, they immediately considered how they choose to identify and noticed that generally, the most marginalized of one’s identity is usually the first with which one associates. In other words, identities acceptable to (and often times expected by) society, like whiteness, maleness, heterosexuality and abled-bodiness, are rarely a part of how we define ourselves. In preparing for this article, I began to realize how this classroom discussion spills into the larger question, “How do we begin to undo this marginalization?” While I cannot claim this article might end the marginalization of people with disabilities, I strongly believe that part of the marginalization is rooted in an unwillingness to acknowledge a Disability Identity. When we talk about the identity of marginalized people, there is a tendency to look primarily to how society influences the construction of the identity. For example, people with disabilities are often times identified only through the lens of medical difference without an acknowledgement of the social and cultural aspects of disability. With this perspective, pressure is placed on people with disabilities to overcome, make better, or even cure what makes them different from the general population. To regard Disability Identity simply as a social-construction reinforces a separation between disabled and nondisabled communities,
Of course, the Deaf community boasts many distinct sign languages, Deaf poetry and storytelling, and other signs of culture. But there are also experiences, techniques and tools unique to members of the Blind community like reading Braille, training with a white cane, and cultivating a trusting relationship with a guide dog. One sees and experiences the world differently from a wheelchair or from an autistic perspective. And there are general experiences that unite people with various disabilities: special education, therapy, living, educational, and extracurricular accommodations, gazes from nondisabled people, and participation in the Disability Rights movement. All of these are proof that there is definitely a Disability culture, and where there is culture, there is identity. Instead of recognizing the existing Disability culture and identity, many people without disabilities focus instead on the physical, mental, and intellectual differences of people with disabilities. This focus on difference emphasizes divisiveness and does not provide the option of inclusivity. However, if we are to change this emphasis on difference and focus instead on diversity, we make ourselves available to another level of multiculturalism.
“there is definitely a Disability culture, and where there is culture, there is identity” We are moving toward an understanding that culture-sharing allows for a more enriching community, whether it is a university venture, city-wide endeavor or a personal undertaking. While there has been some movement on race, sexuality, gender, and socioeconomic diversity, we have somehow moved more slowly towards the recognition that Disability culture offers a diverse perspective that will surely add to a multicultural community. And, by changing how we talk about disability, by recognizing the existence of Disability culture and identity, by choosing to celebrate rather than separate on the basis of difference, we will also see a shift away from the marginalization of people with disabilities.
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Photo: “Classroom Chairs 2” by James Sarmiento
Bathroom Reading: Queer Negotiations of Gendered Bathrooms
By Dr. “Tayo” Tiffani Clyburn, Director for Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
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was on my way to Cleveland to meet up with an exgirlfriend. It had been a few years since we’d last seen each other, and I was nervous about reconnecting. Now, Columbus to Cleveland is not a lengthy trip—somewhere around 150 miles, but because I was nervous, I did what I do when I’m nervous—I over-hydrated. It was only about forty-five minutes into the trip when I’d finished my second bottle of water and just under an hour when my bladder became insistent enough that I started looking for an exit. When I saw a sign for the Golden Arches, I got off of the highway. As I entered the McDonald’s, I politely nodded at an elderly group of gentlemen in the seating area who were staring at me. They
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were all wearing baseball caps with the same emblem, so I assumed that they were some kind of social organization coming together for their weekly meeting over coffee and Egg McMuffins. I passed the group and swiftly made my way to the women’s bathroom but slowed behind a young woman taking her daughter to “go potty.” She seemed to have her hands full and my bladder was telling me to hurry, so I offered to get the door for the woman who looked up at me startled and speechless. One of the older gentlemen who all were monitoring the situation quickly spoke up for her, shouting across the room at me—“Young man! Young man! You can’t go in there! Young man!” Wanting to diffuse the situation, I put my hands in the air to demonstrate that I was not a threat, turned and shouted in response, “It’s okay! I-AM-A-
WOMAN!” The elderly gentleman uttered a Homer Simpson-ish “Doh!” as I rushed into the bathroom. Chore completed, I left the bathroom and walked through the seating area as fast as I could without running, waving off the man’s apologies. I returned to my car feeling frightened, small, and humiliated. Another incident: I was washing my hands in a women’s restroom on campus. A woman walked in and, when she saw me, became confused and disoriented. I offered a “Hello,” trying to be courteous and let her know that, “Hey, no worries. I’m doing my thing. It’s safe for you to do yours.” She didn’t respond to my hello, only stared at me, then proceeded to check each stall— probably for high heels or wingtips. Finding the stalls empty, she went out of the restroom and read the sign on the door, returned to give me one more long and studied look, and left without ever saying a word. Interestingly, even though I know I had every right to be in that restroom, I felt like an intruder, like I’d taken something from her. I’ve got a dozen other bathroom stories just like these, and, unfortunately, so do many members of our campus community who don’t fit into traditional (read antiquated) or stereotypical (read limited) categories of what constitutes “female” and “male.” Take me for example: in a moment of panic, humiliation, and physical discomfort I declared myself to be “a woman,” but that really isn’t true at all. I’m transgender. What does that mean exactly? Good question. “Transgender” is an umbrella term that covers a wide spectrum of non-conforming gender identities: genderqueer, female-to-male/male-to-female transsexual, cross dresser, drag queens and kings, etc. And the term “transgender” doesn’t even begin to describe the range of masculine-spirited, female-bodied and feminine-spirited, male-bodied persons who also endure bathroom gender mis-identification moments as well. I know, there are a lot of terms, but that’s the beauty of it. The beauty of gender is not its rigidity but its fluidity, its diversity. Ultimately, gender identity is too dynamic to be locked and stocked into the prescriptive “biological male” and “biological female” categories. But everywhere there is pressure to fold ourselves up in order to neatly fit into molds that are, for many, radically foreign—check a box, circle a letter, choose a stall or a urinal. The expectation is that everyone will fall in line and not muddy the crystal clarity of these (un)useful categories.
understanding of gender in such a way that she was mindful of, instead of startled by, diverse expressions and representations of “women”? What I’m saying is this: our experiences and encounters could be drastically different if we rejected instead of upheld the narrow categories that gendered bathrooms are meant to enforce, if we embrace the fact that gender is a lot more complex than a sign on a door can encompass. Why should you care? You should care because these experiences have material effects on the bodies of those of us who don’t conform to traditional gender norms. I don’t feel at home in the women’s bathroom, the men’s either. It’s not that I have a negative experience every time I use a public restroom, but I’ve had enough of them to have developed a phobia that leads me to sense the invisible, blinking neon signs telling me to “Keep-Out.” I try to avoid using public restrooms when I can, sometimes resisting the urge for hours past what is healthy for me. And while I love unisex bathrooms, they are rarely available as an option as so many of the buildings on Ohio State’s campus are quite old. I have mixed feelings about “family” restrooms; they seem like an ill-fitting, one-size-fits-all solution to an issue that is much more complex than they are created to address, but biology often leads me to put my politics aside and use them rather than using the women’s restroom. When I have to use the women’s restroom, as I do every day in Bricker Hall, it is an agonizingly thought-filled process: I try to avoid interacting with anyone, hurrying into a stall to avoid confused gazes. I sometimes find myself hiding in a stall waiting for others to exit so that I can wash my hands and leave without any shocked or fearful glances. Because Bricker’s is the public restroom I use most often, I have some internal mechanism that has memorized the sound of the door closing, telling me when it’s okay to come out of hiding. It is a mechanism that knows the average time between a toilet flushing and someone exiting the stall, telling me when it is or is not okay to take an extra moment or two in the mirror to straighten my tie.
The beauty of gender is not its rigidity but its fluidity, its diversity.
There was a time when my anxiety around public restrooms led to my somehow feeling guilty of some sort of gender trickery—how dare I upset these arbitrary categories, stealing the comfort of women who just want to use the restroom in peace? But, contrary to what anyone might think, I don’t get any kicks out of startling people. I am who I am, and I have to use the bathroom, too.
We say “the women’s restroom is on the left,” and “the men’s on the right,” with a very clear picture of who is allowed in which restroom, of who is a “woman” and who is a “man.” So, when I was in the campus restroom, clearly the nice lady thought that one of us was in the wrong place. Then after a thorough evaluation of stalls and signs, she decided that I was the intruder, squatting (so to speak) on turf that wasn’t mine. When she read the sign to make sure it said “women’s,” she understood that that did not mean me, and, in actuality, she was right. The sign wasn’t meant to include me, but what if her reading of it did? What if she expanded her
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The Honorable Lillian W. Burke: An Ohio State Legacy ago. Judge Burke’s son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Burke witnessed this special occasion, and they were joined by Burke’s “daughters in the law,” Black women judges from the greater Cleveland area who acknowledge Burke’s role in creating opportunities for them.
Lillian W. Burke, 1969.
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hio State mourns the passing of distinguished alumna, attorney, and retired judge, Lillian Walker Burke (BS ‘47). Judge Burke was a trailblazer who forged an extraordinary career in law and lived a life of philanthropy and civic leadership. She died March 26, 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition to paving the way for other African Americans and women in law, Judge Burke was passionate about giving broadly to her community. She worked with a number of organizations and voluntary associations, including the Cleveland Foundation, African American Outreach Advisory Committee, National Council of Negro Women, the City Club, the NAACP, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the City Planning Commission and Landmark Commission. She was recognized by the Cleveland Restoration Society for her work in converting apartments to condominiums in a historic building on East Boulevard. Judge Burke received the Trailblazer Award from the Norman S. Minor Bar Association, and a YWCA Woman of Achievement Award. Through the Cleveland Foundation, she established the Lillian Walker Burke Scholarship that gives support each year to deserving African American students with financial need.
Judge Burke was the first African American woman to sit on the bench in the state of Ohio. Elected to Cleveland Municipal Court in January 1969, Burke was also the first woman ever elected to serve as an Administrative Judge of a Municipal Court in Ohio. Born in Georgia in 1915, Burke grew up in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and left for Ohio to attend The Ohio State University where she studied education. Upon graduation, she moved to Cleveland with plans to teach secondary education, but when she was told that there were no positions available, Burke promptly revised her plans. She undertook studies for a law degree, completing a JD at Cleveland Marshall Law School in 1951. Burke went on to serve three years as the Assistant Attorney General where she specialized in workmen’s compensation. She was later appointed by Governor James Rhodes to the Ohio Industrial Commission where she served for three years. Governor Rhodes also appointed Judge Burke to the Cleveland Municipal Court in 1969, and later in the same year she won election to that court seat. She continued to win re-election to the court until her retirement in 1987. President E. Gordon Gee and Vice Provost Valerie Lee enjoyed an unforgettable day with Judge Burke last December when they visited her home. President Gee recognized Judge Burke’s many achievements and presented her with a replacement of her 1947 Ohio State diploma. The original degree had been stolen years
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Standing from the left, Dr. Curtis Austin, Dr. E. Gordon Gee, Dr. Valerie B. Lee, Dr. James L. Moore III. Seated is the Honorable Lillian W. Burke.
For the Love of Knowledge: ODI Scholar Graduates summa cum laude An Interview with Marvin Brown By Dr. “Tayo” Tiffani Clyburn, Director for Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Diversity and Inclusion who knew that I was looking for a chance to do more research in critical theory. Dr. Lee invited me to apply to a summer research program at OSU called PHD (Program for Arts and Humanities Development). I came for a summer, fell in love with the diversity of the departments and classes and then transferred to OSU after my year abroad. The rest, as they say, is history.
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hen I first met Marvin Brown, it was through his online application to the Program for Arts and Humanities Development (PHD). At the time, Marvin was a young sophomore at Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University). The recommendation letters from his professors there painted a portrait of a young man hungry to experience the world in as many ways as he could. Five years later, a quote from one of his recommenders still sits with me. The professor wrote that when asked what Marvin was going to do one evening, Marvin replied, “I’m going dumpster diving. Then I’m going to a meeting of anarchists.” I knew then that I wanted to work with Marvin. After his second summer as a participant in the PHD, Marvin transferred to Ohio State. He graduated summa cum laude in Spring 2011. Marvin is currently conducting research in France. He plans to go to law school this fall—he was accepted to programs at U.C. Berkeley, Duke University, University of Michigan, University of Virginia, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University, New York University, Stanford University, Harvard University and Yale Law School. Why did you choose Ohio State? Marvin: When I graduated from high school, the first thing I wanted to do was move out of Ohio. Nonetheless, I transferred to Ohio State after two years in D.C. and a year abroad in Collonges-SousSalève, France. It was definitely one of the best decisions I have made, and I am extremely proud to call myself a Buckeye today. Formative in my decision was the guidance of Dr. Valerie Lee
What was your major(s)? How did you decide? Marvin: I majored in French and Comparative Studies with a focus on Ethnic and American Studies. I knew I wanted to continue working on my language skills after returning from France. Comparative Studies, on the other hand, came out of my interest in interdisciplinary studies and critical theory. The summer before I arrived at OSU I spoke to my mentor/advisor, Professor Maurice Stevens, about my choice, and he encouraged me to join the Comparative Studies department, and I haven’t looked back since. Overall, I loved both departments as they both gave me the freedom to explore my own interests and develop as a student. What have been some formative experiences you’ve had during your undergraduate career? Marvin: As I think about it, all of the formative experiences that I have had in my undergraduate career have stemmed from conversations with various professors. For example, my interest in research began when a professor encouraged me to write a paper on the French theorist Jean Baudrillard and then allowed me to accompany him to Boston to present the paper. At OSU, I have been blessed to have more great mentors/advisors such as Professors Danielle Marx-Scouras, Maurice Stevens and Jennifer Willging who have often pushed me to apply to things I did not think possible. Without their guidance and support I would not have had some of the formative experiences that have helped define my undergraduate career: spending a summer working on my French in Lyon, France; performing research at the Bibliothèque National de France in Paris during spring break; presenting my research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Ithaca, New York and at the International Society of African Philosophy and Studies Conference; and finally, guiding me through the daunting process of writing a senior thesis. Looking back, I think one of the best things about being at OSU was the relationships that I had with my professors and the wonderful things they challenged me to do. Were there any groups or organizations that had a particularly powerful impact on you? Marvin: The groups/communities that had the biggest impact on
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me are my cohorts from OSU’s PHD and SROP programs. Some of my best friends came from PHD, and we are still pretty close and help each other in our various endeavors. I give a lot of credit to PHD for my decision to attend Ohio State as well as putting me in touch with a strong support group of other students of color. Can you say a bit about the impact study abroad experiences have had on you as a student and scholar? Marvin: Studying abroad has changed my whole perspective on the world and has helped shed light on how globally interconnected we are. For example, my first time in France was in the fall of 2008, a couple of weeks before Lehman Brothers collapsed. As an American from Cleveland, Ohio, a city that was hit hard by foreclosures, I had a very localized viewpoint on the crisis. When I arrived in France that fall I immediately saw that what once seemed to be a localized crisis in the States was having major effects on Europe as well. From my friends who were worried about their
job prospects as we were in the states, to an unemployed lady I tutored who worried about how the housing market in the States might affect her future employment, I was made aware of how interconnected the global economy remains. Now in my research and work I am constantly looking for the deeper implications that actions have, sometimes miles away from their source. What are you projected plans for the future? Marvin: In the immediate future I plan on moving to Berlin, Germany in order to improve my German, which I began studying some months ago. After that, I will enter law school where I hope to focus on comparative international and public international law. While I am considering work with the government and NGOs, I am still very much interested in academia and research and wouldn’t mind returning to work in a university one day. Oh, and for the fall, he chose to attend Yale Law School.
Change Abounds in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion: New Initiatives Expand Access and Excellence
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DI remains steadfast in its commitment to the recruitment, retention, and success of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff, but the world is ever-changing. To remain vibrant and take advantage of new opportunities, ODI is cultivating new program initiatives. Last fall, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion launched Leadership Initiatives for Women of Color. Program director Victoria Dunn is working with campus units and student organizations to develop women of color as leaders in the classroom, on campus and in their communities. The office sponsored a number of programs including “Threads of Our Fabric,” a program on African women’s immigration experiences, as well as a brown bag talk with National Human Genome Center Founder, Dr. Georgia Dunston. Victoria attended the recent Black Women’s Retreat and was “refreshed by the incredible ingenuity and creativity” of the women involved both as planners and participants. While the primary work of the office will support women of color on campus, a secondary aim is to increase college and career awareness among academically promising and ethnically diverse middle and high school girls. For example, the event “Girls Like Us Empowered” (GLUE) was a conversation about COSI’s recent RACE Exhibit with 25 Columbus area high school girls and campus women who received facilitator training for the event. The office will launch more broadly this fall
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and, by engaging offices like Undergraduate Admissions and the Center for Student Leadership and Service, more fully utilize the university’s resources to better serve women of color as developing leaders. One of ODI’s oldest divisions has served as the principle diversity recruitment arm for the university for 40 years. Now, under the banner of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), Normand Caban is leading efforts to implement culturally-tailored programs to educate families and students on how to prepare for college. COE is designing programs geared to middle school students and their parents that focus on topics such as: “Making the right academic choices,” What is college all about,” and “The impact parents have on student success.” Notable programs include: the annual MLK, Jr. academic recognition; Hispanic Excellence; ODI Experience OSU Day; the 53rd Bank Young Bankers Club campus visits; the Gates Millennium Hispanic Scholarship Bridge Builders Forum; and COE has hosted numerous minority student groups visiting the campus from out-of-state areas. COE aims to provide its program materials in Spanish and Somali language translation and to make them available on the ODI web site in the new academic year. Partnering with parent and civic groups is a core strategy for COE to more effectively reach underserved communities across the state.
In Pursuit of Coolness: Exploring Hip Hop in Kenya By RaShelle R. Peck, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Comparative Studies attended events and concerts. The primary site of my investigation was a monthly event called WAPI that takes place mostly outside of commercial music venues, where hip hop practitioners and graffiti artists showcase and share talents.
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used an Education Abroad Research Award granted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to assist in defraying costs to travel to Nairobi, Kenya to conduct fieldwork. My dissertation project, “Bodies of Transgression: Cool Performances in Kenyan Hip Hop,” currently focuses on how Kenyan hip hop artists in Nairobi perform coolness through bodily stances, gestures, and poses. I assert cool performances are the embodiments of an oppositional rap music culture, and Kenyan hip hop practitioners use coolness to generate cultural meaning. Since coolness is also commodified, this continues to challenge its subversive characteristics. Both resistive and commercialized forms of cool poses are additionally heavily masculinized, and many male and female practitioners who embody problematic forms of coolness seek to negotiate realities within hip hop spaces and society at large. During my trip in the summer of 2011, I interviewed hip hop artists, visited studios, and
Through participant observation and open-ended interviews in Nairobi, I noted four aspects of cool performances. First, I spoke with performers at WAPI who assert that cool poses are a way to participate with a global rap music culture. Second, many hip hop practitioners suggested their music, along with cool performances, is a critical response to the restrictive opportunities of the music industry in Nairobi. I have also observed the limited spaces of hip hop and contend that cool poses acquire oppositional meanings that artists find urgently necessary. Third, in asking participants to describe coolness, many revealed that cool poses are a troubling celebration of consumer culture. These discussions elucidated the ongoing tensions hip hop faces as a music of social resistance that is also simultaneously commodified. Fourth, I noted that coolness is heavily masculinized, and at WAPI male and female artists utilize various forms of coolness to negotiate these gendered spaces. Based on these findings, this trip allowed me to plan the reminder of my fieldwork and project. I will continue to explore the masculinization of hip hop spaces. Future fieldwork will focus on interviewing female artists and focusing on women’s participation in rap music spaces. I will explore the notion that female hip hop artists offer possibilities by challenging the restrictive boundaries around gender construction. I thank Dr. Tayo Clyburn, Dr. Valerie Lee, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for this award. To learn more about ODI Education Abroad scholarships and grants, visit odi.osu.edu.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion Hosts National Conferences The 12th Annual Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability Annual Conference was hosted by Ohio State University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the ADA Coordinator’s Office on April 24 - 25, 2012. Under the theme, “Experience Understood in Image, Poetry, Narrative, and Research,” it inspired twenty-three concurrent sessions, three public lectures and the annual student poster competition. With generous support from the Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation, the Multiple Perspectives conference brought together a diverse audience of over 200 participants to discuss the full spectrum of disability research issues and experiences for its twelfth year. All student poster presentations are available online at ada.osu.edu. On May 1, 2012, the 18th Annual National Conference on Diversity, Race, and Learning (NCDR&L) convened 400 attendees including representatives from colleges, schools, hospitals, corporations, and government agencies. Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, delivered the keynote address. The program included 22 sessions addressing the theme, “The Journey of Change: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Uncertain Times.” Proceedings also included presentation of the William H. Watson Memorial Award to Dr. Hrabowski by Ohio State Professor Eugene Jones. The 19th annual conference is set for May 7, 2013.
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Office of Diversity and Inclusio The Office of Diversity and Inclusion congratulates students and faculty recipients of ODI grants and scholarships for diversityrelated research activities and education abroad, and awards for scholarly achievement.
Education Abroad Scholarships
Diversity Research Grant
Undergraduate scholarships awarded to students from underrepresented groups going abroad for the first time to study, conduct research, or render service. Scholarships are awarded to graduate or professional students to conduct research abroad on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability topics.
Small grants to support interdisciplinary research projects that have as their central focus such topics as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
Undergraduate Recipients Nefertiti Berhane, Sociology and Criminology Nickolas Castillo, Architecture Presney Edwards, Spanish/Marketing Rahwa Hassen, International Studies/Arabic Andrea Hesse, Neuroscience Kinjal Pandya, Psychology Disha Labhasetwar, Mechanical Engineering Mohammed Muntaser, Biology Camille Ramirez, Marketing/International Business Temesgen Senait, International Studies Clarissa Smith, Business/Marketing Kathryn Wallace, Human Nutrition
Graduate Recipients RaShelle Peck, Comparative Studies Rhonia Gordon, Medicine Crystal Fuller, Dance
Todd A. Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male Outstanding Faculty Award Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, School of Educational Policy & Leadership
Outstanding Staff Awards Dan Thomas, Office of Diversity and Inclusion Chila Thomas, Office of Diversity and Inclusion David Harrison, Fisher College of Business
Outstanding Undergraduate Award Joseph Amos, Actuarial Science and Economics
Excalibur Prize Winner Aaron Hatchett, Psychology and Comparative Cultural Studies
Mac A. Stewart Distinguished Award for Service Shawn Dove, Open Society Institute (OSI) US Programs
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Faculty Grants Dr. Valerie Kinloch, School of Teaching and Learning “Transformative Service-Learning Initiatives in Urban Schools and Local Communities” Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, College of Education and Human Ecology “Intersections of Oppressions: Understanding” Dr. Sultana Nahar, Astronomy “Collaborative Project on Energy, Health, and Globalization with Eqypt”
Graduate Student Grants Nyron Crawford, Political Science “The Boundaries of Racial Loyalty: Blame, Exit, and Social Identity in the Black Boy Politic” Rashea Hamilton, School of Educational Policy and Leadership “Visual Perspective and Possible Selves: A closer look at perception and motivation” Uttara Manohar, School of Communication “Effects of Perspective-Taking to Improve Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes Towards Asian Teaching Assistants” Danielle Olden, Department of History “Whiteness in the Middle: Mexican Americans, School Desegregation and the Making of Race in Modern America“ Hye Sue Park, Department of English “Narrating Other Minds: Alterity and Empathy in Post-1945 Asian American Fiction and Film” Theresa Rojas, Department of English Project Narrative Summer Institute Ravi Somayajulu, Teaching & Learning “Investigating Pre-Service Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Geometry at the Secondary Level” Yati Liu, Teaching and Learning “Nurturing High School Students’ Understanding of Proof as a Convincing Way of Reasoning”
on Announces Award Winners LASER: Latino and Latin American Space for Enrichment and Research
Ethel Louise Armstrong Student Poster Competition:
MASS: Mentee Award for Scholarly Success
Adena Rottenstein, University of Michigan “Multi-Media Measurement of Disability Prejudice”
Jordan Loewen, for successful completion of the LASER Mentor program and entrance to graduate school at Princeton University
GALAS: the Graduate Achievement for Latino/a Studies Awards First Place: Veronica Betancourt, “Brillan por su ausencia: Latinos as the missing outsiders of mainstream art museums”
Graduate Research
Undergraduate Research Keisha Brown, Ashland University “Encouraging Involvement of Parents of Minority Children with Disabilities”
Class Projects
Second Place: Alexis Del Sol, “Whitewashed Dance: Bringing Color to the Here and Now” Leticia Wiggins, “Boundary Sound: Border Radio”
Lauren Levey, Doug Follmer, Shubhra Kocher & Adam Zurmehly “KAir-FOrce: A Fully Adjustable Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthotic for Clinical Training and Diagnostic Use in Patients with T-6 or Below Spinal Cord Injuries”
ABUELo/aS: Award for Best Undergraduate Essay in Latino/a Studies Award:
Dr. Mark Ruegsegger, The Ohio State University “Biomedical Engineering 501/502 senior design capstone course”
First Place: Judy Rodriguez, “Queering la jibara: A Counter-Narrative to Puerto Rican Nationalist Discourse” Runners-up: Yurancy Quiñones, “MTV’s Contribution to Teenage Pregnancy and Motherhood” Miguel Guevara, “Institutionalized Silencing”
2012-13 L.A.S.E.R./Humanities Institute Graduate Fellows in Residence: Theresa Rojas, Department of English “Latino Life Writing across Media” Doug Bush, Department of Spanish and Portuguese “Telling and Selling Their Stories: a Market Approach to Three Upand Coming Gay Chicano Authors”
William Henry Watson, Jr. Memorial Award Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Community Service Bowen Marshall, The Ohio State University Multicultural Center “The Open Doors Project, The Importance of Advocating for Persons with Disability in Discussions about Multiculturalism”
Conference/Symposia Grants Small grants awarded to students, faculty, or staff sponsoring a conference or symposium that directly addresses issues of diversity and inclusion. Dr. Susan R. Jones and Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, School of Educational Policy & Leadership “Fostering Dialogue, Creating Change: The Promise of Intersectionality in Addressing Diversity Issues in Higher Education” Dr. Jill Bystydzienski, The Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Cindy Holodnak and Shadia Jallaq, Glenn School of Public Policy “NEW Leadership Ohio 2012” Dr. Valerie Kinloch, School of Teaching and Learning “Learn and to Serve: Critical Service-Learning Initiatives and Community Engagements”
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ODI SPONSORED EVENTS 22
Authors Reception Dr. Sultana Nahar
Gates Millenium Bridge Builders Forum
Bell Center Painting Unveiling
Shuan Kinley, Ms. Beth Beuhler, Mrs. Monaray Bell, Dr. Bob Beuhler
Family Affair and Reunion
Young Bankers Club Visit
Campus Overnight Visitation
MLK Jr. Celebration
Larry Williamson, Senator Charleta B. Tavares, Councilmember Priscilla R. Tyson, Vice Provost Valerie B. Lee, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson
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GPS Program
Girls Like Us Empowered
MLK Jr. Scholar Celebration
NCDRL
Vice Provost Valerie B. Lee, Rebecca Carter, Assistant Dean Robert L. Solomon II.
MLK Jr. Scholar Celebration NCDRL
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AUG
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THE OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION The Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion Student Academic Services Building, 3rd Floor 281 West Lane Ave. Columbus, OH 43210-1132
Support the life-changing opportunities made possible by The Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Go to odi.osu.edu and click DONATE! Dr. Valerie Lee presents Dr. Michael Eric Dyson with the ODI kente stole at the 2012 MLK Celebration
Photo by Ira Graham III