We’re excited to share with everyone the Fall 2021 AAST Newsletter! Check it out to see what’s happening in the program this semester.
Fall 2021 Newsletter
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Category Archives: News
Decolonizing the Curriculum: Teaching Race Across the Disciplines
Don’t miss out on these events this semester! This year’s theme of Decolonizing the Curriculum: Teaching Race Across the Disciplines kicks off with Dr. Lailani Sabzalian (Oregon University) on September 23rd, soon followed by Dr. Jameliah Shorter-Bourhanou (Holy Cross College) on September 30th. Dr. Sabzalian will discuss race, indigenous populations, and educational pedagogy while Dr. Shorter-Bourhanou will discuss how to incorporate race content in philosophy. In October, we will host Dr. Sofiya Noble (UCLA) whose talk will feature her award-winning book Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. While Dr. Noble is housed in African American Studies/Women and Gender Studies, this phenomenal work intersects with STEM fields such as computer science and software engineering (one of CofC newest forthcoming majors). Her talk is scheduled for Oct. 27th. Each of these events will be held virtually.
1967 Legacy Ambassador Award Recipents!
African American Studies is so excited to congradulate TWO of our students this year as recipents of the 1967 Legacy Ambassador Award here at CofC!
Janae Dorsey
Zinnia Harris
The Legacy 1967 Program aims to improve the recruitment, retention, graduation and workplace success of Black students through scholarships, enhanced and extended education support, and professional preparation, as well as research the experiences of the Black trailblazers who contributed to the College.
Who Are Legacy Scholars? This scholarship is for first-year Black students who consider themselves trailblazers. What does it mean to be a trailblazer? A trailblazer is a pioneer. It’s someone who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. It’s an innovator.
Former College of Charleston trailblazers include people who are:
- community activists.
- grassroots organizers.
- preachers and ministers.
- champions of social justice.
- teachers.
- leaders in both their profession and community.
Student Spotlight
The African American Studies Program would like to congradulate and share with you this year’s recipient of the Afrcian American Studies Rising Scholar Award Janae Dorsey.Janae Dorsey is from a small town called Kingstree, South Carolina. She is a rising junior that is double majoring in Computer Science and African American Studies. She’s an active member of CofC’s Women in STEM, Women in Computing, and Student Ambassadors organizations. She’s passionate about helping people and dreams of combining her passion and her education to help create tech-based solutions that will specifically benefit minorities and underrepresented groups. Janae’s motto in life lies within this belief: Your mentality is one of the most important keys to your success. Two fun facts about her are 1) She has a twin brother and 2) She graduated from Kingstree Senior High School as valedictorian of the class of 2019.
Spring 2021 Student Awards
We are pleased to announce the
Spring 2021 African American Studies Student Awards!
Alumni News!
AAST would like to share some exciting news from some of our almuni!
Adeyemi (Yemi) Oduwole ’19, finished his MPH program early and will graduate from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai this summer, and he will be entering a post-baccalaureate program at Temple University in the fall so he can apply for medical school!
Kamau Pope ’16, after successfully defending his masters thesis titled “Shaping a Queer South: The Evolution of Activism from 1960–2000,” graduated with a MA in History at the University of South Carolina this spring, and he will be pursuing a PhD in History at Duke University in the fall!
CSSC Faculty Studying Slavery: Kameelah Martin
Our very own Director Kameelah Martin was featured on the CofC’s Blog!
Click the link to read the post “CSSC Faculty Studying Slavery: Kameelah Martin.” It is one of a series that documents work studying slavery by faculty members of the CSSC.
Spring 2021 Conseula Francis Emerging Scholar Lecture
Mark your calendars now! The African American Studies Program presents the 2021Conseula Francis Emerging Scholar Lecture: a conversation with Dr. Danielle Fuentes Morgan about her book, Laughing to Keep from Dying: African American Satire in the Twenty-First Century (2020).
Wednesday, February 24th at 4:30pm
Register at:
Distinctive Divide: African American Religious Diverisity
Did you miss this event on November 10th with Dr. Jason Shelton? Don’t worry you can watch it here!
Book Talk with Roberto Strongman
If you missed the BOOK TALK WITH ROBERTO STRONGMAN
hosted by The Carolina Lowcountry & Atlantic World Program at CofC, don’t worry you can watch it here https://bit.ly/3nvjJXG
Author of Queering Black Atlantic Religions: Transcorporeality in Candomblé, Santería, and Vodou
Roberto Strongman is Associate Professor of Comparative Caribbean Cultural Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Discussion was lead by Dr. Lenny Lowe, Assistant Professor in Religious Studies at CofC.