My passion for exploring Africa and its diasporas was cultivated during my freshwoman year at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA where all students are required to take a year-long course entitled “African Diaspora & the World (ADW)”
We were selected to participate in the 2024-2026 Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI) cohort with the National Humanities Center (NHC). We received a collaborative NHC grant to develop a co-constructed, team-taught, interdisciplinary course, ‘AI and the African Diaspora,’ across two HBCU campuses (JCSU & NCCU)
Johnson C. Smith University Lyceum Engagement Series (2024)
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist & Creator of The 1619 Project, NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES!!!
Excited to attend the 2023 ASALH Conference in Jacksonville, Florida with students enrolled in my African Diaspora Seminar!! (Creating a pipeline of Student-Scholar-Activists)
2022 ASALH Conference Co-presenter, “When The Word Is Given: Collecting oral histories with African diasporic communities.” Digital Humanities Series: Getting Started with Oral History. 107th ASALH Conference, Montgomery Alabama, October 2022.
2022 UNCF/Mellon Faculty Domestic Seminar “Africans, Their Descendants, and Native Americans: History and Legacy” at Spelman College (Faculty Fellowship) July -August
RHC 130 African Diaspora Seminar The development of this course was inspired by the two required ADW courses that I completed at Spelman College during my freshwoman year. These two courses were not only academically rigorous, but epistemically and personally transformative as well.
SPANISH COURSES (AfroLatinx focus): I whole-heartedly embrace the HBCU mission of providing a student-centered higher education that affirms and empowers Black students by implementing a heritage infused curriculum and programming which centers and celebrates the histories, lived experiences, cultures, and contributions of African descendants. As a culturally responsive Spanish professor teaching within an HBCU context, I consciously incorporate Afro-Latinx lived experiences, literature, and cultures in my curriculum to create connections, peak student interests, and index the shared histories, traditions, cultural practices, and struggles between African American students and African descendant communities in Latin America.
Walking Tour of Charlotte’s Historic Black University and West End Communities: As a native Charlottean & HBCU Professor for 17 years, it was a pleasure to take Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Teacher-Fellows enrolled in my 2022 CTI Seminar entitled “Charlotte as a Teaching Canvas: Creating Culturally Responsive Classrooms and Equity-Mindsets by Engaging in Local Diasporic Spaces” on this walking tour. We discussed the histories, contributions, and triumphs of Johnson C. Smith University and the Historic West End, “Charlotte’s only surviving intact concentration of Black communities.” Photo Credit: Gabriela Gutierrez
DIGITAL DIASPORAS OF CHARLOTTE: My Ongoing Local Project
Please watch the seven digital stories below that I have collected to celebrate Charlotte’s African Diasporic communities (more coming soon) as well as a song (La Negra) that I wrote indexing some of the global contributions by Black women.
INTRODUCTION: The video below provides a preview of the 7 digital narratives. Each individual life story follows.
1-Dr. Tanure Ojaide (born in NIGERIA)– the UNC-Charlotte Africana Studies Graduate Chair, author, and renowned poet discusses the importance of an Africana Studies Department as well as his poetry.
2-Dioveris López (born in St. Croix, V.I.)– is a Financial Analyst. She and her sister Rose discuss the importance of Latinos recognizing their African ancestry.
3-Christopher Bennett (born in Jamaica)- a small business owner of Perfect Communications discusses his transition from Jamaica to Jamaica Queens, his love for reggae music, and misperceptions about Rastafarianism.
4- Terza Lima-Neves, PhD (born in Cape Verde)- an Assistant Professor of Political Science and President/founder of Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas talks about a less commonly discussed Lusophone Africa.
5-Dr. Wesley Dobbs Clement, MD (Atlanta) an Ophthalmologist in Charlotte for 40 years & grandson of Civil Rights leader John Wesley Dobbs and first cousin of Maynard H. Jackson (Atlanta’s 1st Black Mayor) discusses his life during and after de jure racial segregation in the U.S.
6-Patrice Ognodo (born in Togo)- the Executive Director of Neighborhood Good Samaritan Center (NGSC) discusses his advocacy work for refugees and how his organization assists in resettling asylees in Charlotte.
7-Mrs. Barbara Turman Ferguson (born in Asheville, NC)– discusses how she along with a group of young people desegregated schools in Asheville, N.C. She also details her role in bringing performing arts opportunities and camps for Black youth that focus on African histories, traditions, and styles to Charlotte.
LA NEGRA– Listen to a song written & performed by me celebrating women from Africa and its diasporas. I used images from the internet to index the women mentioned. Note: I do not own the rights to the images in the iMovie that I created. This video is used for educational purposes only.
I presented my ongoing Charlotte African Diaspora digital story collection at the National Council for Black Studies (NCBBS) 2016 Conference.
Alabama Tours in Montgomery (The EJI Legacy Museum & Memorial) and Tuskegee University & Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
I am elated to learn that Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) and First Baptist Church-West in Charlotte will receive funding from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to preserve Black heritage/historic sites. This is exciting because I have taught at JCSU since 2005 and I grew up in FBCW with Reverend Humphrey. Harvey B. Gantt was the Black architect and first Black mayor of Charlotte who designed the church.
Sona Jobarteh is in North Carolina: She is the first female Kora virtuoso to come from a prestigious west African Griot family(the Gambia)
I had the privilege of learning about the Kora & seeing Sona Jobarteh perform in 2018 at Duke University’s Forum for Scholars & Publics (Carrboro Arts Center) . She discussed the role of Griot music in Mande society, demonstrated the Kora technique, performed songs, and discussed her work around education and female empowerment in The Gambia.
My experiences with Afro-Latinidad en Santiago De Cuba (Carnival 1999)
I had the honor of hosting bilingual storyteller, songwriter, & cultural educator, Ms. Kali Ferguson, in my Spanish classes as well as participating in her phenomenal African American–Latinx Bridge Building & Awareness project (AALBBA) with the N.C. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
2020 African-American Read-In @ JCSU sponsored by the Center for Languages, Rhetoric and Languages (LRC). A huge shot-out to Dr. Marsha Rhee, who co-directs the LRC with me for leading, organizing, & growing this event at JCSU!
We are grateful for Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African and African American Studies, who served as our Keynote Speaker!
