caas synergy jan-june
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A BIANNUAL JOURNAL
OF THE CENTER FOR
AFRICAN AMERICAN
STUDEIS
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Thursday, May 2nd, was focused on student enrichment models and
best practices for success. Friday, May 3rd, was focused on
community-based research conducted across the country. The
conference had several keynote speeches and panel presentations that
examined social and policy issues (e.g., education, health, social class,
criminal justice) that impact Blacks in America and concluded with a
community forum with local representatives discussing Dallas/Fort
Worth Metroplex race matters.
Don’t forget to Save the Date for the 2nd Annual Conference on
February 14-15, 2014!
The Center for African
American Studies (CAAS)
was thrilled to host so many
fantastic speakers at our
Inaugural Conference,
Critical Issues in Black
Studies: Race in Context!
The purpose of the CAAS
Conference was to profile
progressive research and
program development focused
on the diverse conditions of
African Americans.
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A BIANNUAL JOURNAL
OF THE CENTER FOR
AFRICAN AMERICAN
STUDEIS
Schnavia Hatcher, PhD,
MSW Director
Hadia Miller, BA Program Assistant
Christopher Woolen
(Exercise Science, Senior)
Student Assistant
Yvonne Williams
(Criminology &
Criminal Justice, Senior) Student Assistant
Dorothea Ivey, BA
(Pursuing MSW & MPA)
Student Associate
AFFILIATE FACULTY
2012-2013
Faculty Fellows
Dr. Ifeoma Amah Educational Leadership &
Policy Studies
Dr. Robert Bing Criminology & Criminal
Justice
Dr. Eusebius Small Social Work
Dr. Sonja Watson Modern Languages
Faculty Associates
Dr. Ben Agger Sociology & Anthropology
Dr. Krystal Beamon Sociology & Anthropology
Dr. Myrtle P. Bell Management
Dr. Joan Blakey Social Work
Dr. Elten Briggs Marketing
Dr. Marvin Dulaney History
Dr. Cedrick May English
Dr. Jason Shelton
Sociology & Anthropology
Contents:
3 Accomplishments
4 Faculty Spotlight
6 Student Engagement
8 Community Engagement: Inaugural CAAS Conference
9 Curriculum
10 Calendar of Events
11 Give to CAAS
ear CAAS family,
It has been a phenomenal first year of existence- and we're not done yet! With the mission to cultivate an exceptional transdisciplinary experience through teaching, civic engagement, and community-based research focused on the diverse contextual conditions of African Americans, we continue to move forward making a positive impact on campus and in the community.
Activities and accomplishments in core components for academic year 2012- 2013 include:
Curriculum and Instruction
* Offered AAST 2300- Intro to African American Studies in Spring 2013
* Created three (3) additional undergraduate AAST courses: Special Topics; Conference; Capstone for Minors
* Created one (1) graduate AAST course: Conference * Offered graduate internships * Developed 28 AAST elective courses that are cross-listed with
other units
Research and Policy Analysis Incorporated four (4) research fellows into the unit from: Criminology and Criminal Justice, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Social Work, and Modern Languages
Research projects focused on: * Education * HIV and AIDS * Race, Class, and Crime Racial Identity * Substance Abuse/Mental Health
Your donations, both in- kind and financially, make it possible for us to continue to build the infrastructure that will enlighten, inspire
and empower student, faculty and staff, and community stakeholders to drive social change within the Black community specifically
and the broader society generally.
I look forward to seeing you in 2013- 2014.
All the best,
Schnavia
Schnavia Smith Hatcher, PhD, MSW Director
Community Engagement
Student Outreach *Hired undergraduate student assistants from: Criminal Justice, Exercise Science, Physics *Launched first cohort of students in the Emerging Scholars Program: 16 females; 13 males Activities included:
Monthly group workshops and individual meetings
Community service
Reflection assignments
Peer mentor experience
End of year projects and presentations *Organized one (1) Student Kickball challenge *Served as faculty/staff advisor on five (5) student groups on campus
Community Outreach
*Organized five (5) scholarly lectures focused on prevalent social problems *Hosted an Evening of Authors showcasing published works from CAAS affiliate faculty *Cosponsored several events with other units on campus *Coordinated and hosted the Inaugural Research Conference, Critical Issues in Black Studies: Race in Context
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As the nation remembered Juneteenth, or June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation and freed all remaining slaves in Texas, the Texas State Historical Association launched The Handbook of African American Texas with the help of History Department chair, Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney. The state historical association invited Dr. Dulaney, to write the lead essay and other significant portions of the new online handbook. He authored entries for the organization’s pioneering Handbook of Texas 17 years ago. Dr. Dulaney is a CAAS Faculty Affiliate.
Congratulations to Dr. Sonja Watson, assistant Professor of Spanish, on the acceptance of her book length manuscript, Dark Skin Panama: The Cultural Politics of Race in Afro-Panamanian Literary Discourse ! It has been accepted for publication with the University Press of Florida.This is a great accomplishment and we look forward to the release Summer 2014!
Dr. Sonja Watson is an Assistant Professor of Spanish within the Department
of Modern Languages.
Dr. Watson is a CAAS Faculty Fellow.
(L) Jim Austin (Jim Austin Co.) & Tyrone Smith (Business
graduate student) connected at the CAAS Inaugural
Conference. Smith is now an intern for The Jim Austin
Company and Jim Austin Online.
CAAS looks forward to working with both of them at the
National Day of the American Cowboy Celebration July 26-28!
(For more information about the event see p. 10)
Please let us know if you have made a CAAS Connection too!
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What motivated you to pursue the current focus of your career?
I have been pursuing a career as an instructor/teacher/professor of African American history since I was 17 years old. It was
at that time, after twelve years of primary and secondary education, that I discovered how uneducated I was. I was a good student, but I did not know any- thing about African or African American history. Thus, I made teaching the African-American experience to as many people as possible my major life goal.
What are your greatest challenges as an African American in your profession?
The challenges as an African American in my profession have changed over the years. At first, I faced the challenge of proving to the professors with whom I worked in graduate school that African American history was a legitimate field of inquiry and that research in the field required as much rigor, analysis, and scholarly work as any other discipline. When I started teaching African-American history, finding materials to support my instruction was very difficult. I spent a lot of time producing handouts and copying them on “ditto machines,”
as well as copying maps and images
from books in order to provide my
students a quality course. Thankfully, in
the last twenty years education- al
publishers and historical organizations
have done a lot to produce materials
(books, films, maps, slides, and other
teaching materials) to close the gap that
those of us who taught African American
history in the 1970s and 1980s faced in
the classroom.
Since the 1970s and 1980s, the
challenge has been to bring more people
who look like me into the profession.
There is still a dearth of African
Americans in academia and it has been
difficult to convince students that an
academic career is worth pursuing--given
the time that it takes to complete a Ph.D.,
to earn tenure, and to be successful in
any field in higher education. Too many
students who look like me want
immediate gratification and they have not
been willing to pursue a career that takes
a lot of time to complete.
What has been one of the
greatest rewards in your role
thus far?
My greatest rewards have been seeing
some of my students go forward and be
successful in their careers. Although I
have produced only two PhDs in
History (both of whom attended my
alma mater, Ohio State University), I
have quite a few, former students who
have become teachers, journalists,
attorneys, and professionals in a wide
variety of fields. They have made me
proud and I know that if I pass away
tomorrow, I have made some impact on
the lives of students who have taken
my classes, worked for me, and been
my mentees.
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During 2012-2013, CAAS launched its first cohort of
students (16 females; 13 males) in the Emerging
Scholars Program, an enrichment program for first-
year students.
The mission of the CAAS Emerging Scholars
Program is to develop and provide educational,
cultural, and social models of support that
strengthen the foundation of exploration and
learning for first year male and female students
interested in African American studies and/or
volunteering in the Black community. Activities
included: monthly group workshops and individual
meetings, reflection assignments, peer mentor
experience, end of year projects and conference
presentations.
CAAS Emerging Scholars Participants also
provided community service to 45
organizations/agencies totaling over 460 hours.
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“The CAAS program actually had the biggest
impact on me because it pushed me to do many
things as far as interacting and meeting new
people. It also made me get very involved by giving
back to the community.”
-Emerging Scholar 2012-13
My CAAS Experience
As the end of my
graduate study grew near, I contemplated heavily on where would
be the best place for me to complete my capstone internship. With
so many interesting options within the UT Arlington campus, I couldn’t
really settle on which place would be right for me. That was until I
found out that the dream of UT Arlington’s long awaited Center for
African American Studies was actually going to be realized. I knew
instantly that I wanted a chance to be a part of this venture.
I felt extremely fortunate that Dr. Hatcher granted me the opportunity
to intern with CAAS and see firsthand the amazing work that was
being done there. The agenda and plans for the first-year were
ambitious to say the least and I knew right away that CAAS was going
to make a huge impression on UT Arlington and its surrounding
communities.
One of my main responsibilities was to assist in the facilitation of the
Emerging Scholars Program. For me, this was an opportunity to work
with students in a very real, very effective way. I have always
believed that higher education is instrumental in changing
people’s trajectories. Being involved with this program allowed me to
be connected to this belief in a way that I had not before. It felt
awesome to be in some way a contributor to the success of several
first-year, African American students here at the University.
I can only hope that it was as impactful for the students as it was for
me. The experience helped me identify some of my strengths and
weaknesses as a higher education practitioner. It also reminded me
that there are times
when you have to move beyond the books and re-
search and remember that there are real lives and real
futures involved in our work and in our study. While working
with the ESP students, I learned to be more open-minded
and not to make assumptions, but more importantly, that
the work we do has great meaning and purpose.
I walked away from my internship experience feeling a
huge sense of accomplishment. I was more than thrilled
to have been a part of several firsts that had
occurred over the year, such as the Inaugural CAAS
Conference. I also felt like the Center’s research and
programming efforts demonstrated the importance of being
a change agent on our campus and in our community. I truly
appreciate having had the opportunity to observe and learn
from a very effective administrator and dynamic staff, but
more so, how to think big, shoot for the stars, and never
settle for mediocrity.
I am sure that CAAS will continue to grow and make an
even bigger impact at UT Arlington, in the surrounding
community and likely across the nation. CAAS’ mission to
‘enlighten, inspire, and empower’ will forever remain with
me as I venture toward the next steps in my career.
CONGRATULATIONS
CHAUNTE !
MASTER’S DEGREE IN EDUCATION –May 2013
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By: Chaunte’ White CAAS Graduate Intern, Spring 2013
(picture right) Keynote Dr. Ivory Toldson of Howard University; (picture above) Provost Elsenbaumer, Dr. Hatcher & Keynote Speaker Derek “Fonzworth Bentley” Watkins; (picture to the right) Art work that was donated by Professor Sedrick Huckaby on display for auction.
2013 CAAS Emerging Scholars w/ Keynote
Derek “Fonzworth Bentley” Watkins
CAAS Conference Planning Committee
MORE PICTURES AVAILABLE ON
FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/UTACAAS
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Mikala Gibson, performer
Derek “Fonzworth
Bentley” Watkins
CAAS mk
AAST 2300 INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
AAST 2337 ECONOMICS OF SOCIAL ISSUES
AAST 3324 THE COMING OF THE CIVIL WAR, 1820 - 1860
AAST 3365 AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1865
AAST 3380 RACE, CRIME & JUSTICE
AAST 4331 RACE, ETHNICITY & FAMILY FORMATION
AAST 4341 INEQUALITIES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
AAST 4350 SPECIAL TOPICS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
AAST 4378 WEST AFRICA AND THE ATLANTIC DIASPORA
AAST 4391 CONFERENCE COURSE
AAST 4399 CAPSTONE AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
*Courses subject to change
**Special topics courses must be approved by CAAS each semester
***Other courses might qualify. Consult with a CAAS advisor
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Dr. Pamela Hill
CAAS Adjunct Faculty
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A BIANNUAL JOURNAL
OF THE CENTER FOR
AFRICAN AMERICAN
STUDEIS
Upcoming Events
July 26-28th “National Day of the American Cowboy”
Join us as we celebrate the unique and untold story of the American Cowboy and the Cowboys of
Color. This year CAAS is actively contributing to the event during the “Zydeco Fest” which is a
celebration of Creole/Cajun culture and music unique to the eastern and southern regions of
Texas and LA. The event will take place in the stockyards of Fort Worth and will feature live
music. Famous cowboys and celebs such as actress Pam Grier are sure to be in attendance.
CAAS will have a booth setup during the festival on Saturday, July 27th, 4pm-8pm. Be sure to
come by and say hi!
The event is located at:
River Ranch - Fort Worth Stockyards, 500 NE 23rd Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76164
For a whole list of “American Cowboy” events and ticket information visit:
http://www.cowboysofcolor.org/index.php
• August 22nd, First Day of Classes (Fall 2013)
• October 2nd, “CAAS Kickoff Event”, (Details Forthcoming)
• November 6, Noon, “CAAS LECTURE” (Noon, University Center)
• December, “Evening with Authors” (Details Forthcoming)
*More details and events to come soon!
*Events calendar updated regularly; please contact [email protected] for inquiries.
Spring Semester 2014
February 14-15, “2nd Annual CAAS Conference” (SAVE THE DATE)
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Established August 2012, the mission of the Center for African American
Studies (CAAS) at the University of Texas at Arlington is to cultivate an
exceptional trans disciplinary experience through teaching, civic
engagement, and community-based research focused on the diverse
contextual conditions of African Americans. Our purpose is to foster
student, faculty, and community capacity to create progressive solutions
to social problems.
Endowed funding is being sought to
support:
Lectures, events, and conferences
Student seminars
Graduate fellowships
Undergraduate assistantships
Faculty and student research
For individual giving, please contact:
Michelle Gilchrist at [email protected]
Myke Holt at [email protected]
For foundation giving, please contact:
Shawn Farrell, Director of Foundation Relations
For more information about the needs of CAAS, please contact:
Dr. Schnavia Hatcher, CAAS Director, at [email protected]
To give a gift, go to www.uta.edu/caas/support.html
How do you contact The Center for African American
Studies?....
CAAS is located on the UT Arlington campus in the
Swift Center, Suite 129.
Visitor parking is on the corner of UTA Blvd and Summit.
1022 UTA BLVD., SUITE 129
BOX #19024
ARLINGTON, TX 76019
Phone: 817.272.9642
Fax: 817.272.9643
Email: [email protected]
Facebook.com/groups/UTACAAS
Twitter: UTArlingtonCAAS
Email to join our listserv at:
www.uta.edu/caas
CAAS WEBSITE: