AA&AS News

Organizing in the Ranks: Racism & Resistance in the U.S. Military, professors Yuichiro Onishi and Malinda Lindquist, will provide a talk on Thursday, May 16th at 7 p.m. at the St. Paul Labor Centre, 411 Main Street, St. Paul. This event is part of the The Friends of the St. Paul Libraries 15th Annual Untold Stories Series. Learn more at www.thefriends.org

Associate Professor Walt Jacobs accepts a new position at University of Wisconsin-Parkside, as Founding Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies. Read more.

While the lives and histories of peoples of African descent is a matter of daily study for us in AA&AS, we celebrate Black History Month in many ways on campus and around the Twin Cities. Learn more about the history of Black History Month at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and see the list of educational activities.

Professor Keith Mayes is now Chair of the Department of African American & African Studies. I will return to regular faculty duties after serving as Chair for 5 years. Thanks to all who have helped me maintain AA&AS as a vibrant community. I know that you will do the same for Professor Mayes!

Best Regards,
Walt Jacobs

The Black Men Reading group will hold its celebration of Black Women's Voices from 6:00-8:00 on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. The event will feature poet Jessica Care Moore and singer Kiana Marie, and will take place at the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411.

Jessica Care Moore is an internationally renowned poet/publisher/activist/rock star/playwright and actor. She is a five-time winner on Showtime at the Apollo, was featured on hip-hop mega-star Nas' "Nastradamus" album, and was a regular on Russell Simmon's HBO Series, Def Poetry Jam.

Kiana Marie, an aspiring singer/songwriter, appears on Beyonce's "I Am" World Tour DVD, performing the "Single Ladies" dance. She has also performed with veteran artists Bruce Henry, Daryl Beaudreaux, Dan Ristrom, and Kathleen Johnson. Her song "What You Do" features Stokley Williams of Mint Condition.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

The Morrill Hall and Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund was created to acknowledge and honor the work of the Afro American Action Committee (AAAC) and Rachel Tilsen. By acknowledging the 1969 Morrill Hall Take-Over at the University of Minnesota Campus (see the award-winning film at www.vimeo.com/6608437) and Rachel Tilsen, we recognize the importance of personal sacrifices as well as organizational efforts in the struggle for social justice. The Afro American Action Committee (AAAC) emerged from a rich tradition of protest, revolt, and resistance to the spirit of racism and ruthless domination. AAAC embraced the "incarnate spirit of justice, hatred of a lie, that willingness to sacrifice money, reputation, education and life itself on the Alter of right." AAAC stood on the shoulders of the NAACP and the Niagara Movement. The members of AAAC believed, they stood, and they spoke. In fact, the tenacity of the AAAC members transformed the University of Minnesota to become more inclusive, more tolerant, and less separated from the dynamics of the entire community.

Rachel Tilsen epitomized the term Social Justice. Rachel was more than just a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend, and wife. She was a fierce freedom fighter and lover of life. In many respects her legacy lies in her courage and the attributes she instilled in every woman that had the opportunity to meet her. She was not only a freedom fighter, she was also a teacher. Rachel taught others to have respect for self, family, culture, and history. She was a morale lifter who believed that you had to let your voice be heard, and that you had to follow your words with action. She championed what she believed. Rachel insisted that we have a responsibility to stand up for the people who do not have the strength or the will to stand for themselves. Rachel fought for social justice regardless of race, color, religion, or creed.

The Morrill Hall and Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund is intended to continue and promote the activism AAAC and Rachel subscribed to: equality and justice for all people, with all people equally valued; and vigilant struggle in the fight for justice.

Grants up to $6000 will be awarded to individuals or organizations for projects addressing social justice.

Applications and criteria are available for downloading. Email questions to mhrtjfquestions@gmail.com

Applications will be accepted up to midnight on April 1, 2012.

Awards will be presented on May 5, 2012 at the third annual Morrill Hall/Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund Gala Event.

On Tuesday, February 28, AA&AS will host a screening and discussion of the movie The Help. Members of the post-screening panel discussion will be Duchess Harris (Professor of American Studies, Macalester College), Rose McGee (Storyteller and Poet), and AA&AS Professor Rose Brewer. The event starts at 6:00, in Cowles Auditorium (located in the Hubert H. Humphrey Center). Tickets are free, and available in the AA&AS main office: 810 Social Sciences (or call 612-624-9847).

The University's new "Critical Conversations" series features public discussions on urban issues and ideas with scholars, historians, artists, and community leaders. The first event is on the history of North Minneapolis, focusing on the recent U-produced documentary, Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis. Cornerstones' director and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Daniel Pierce Bergin will moderate, and AA&AS Professor John Wright will be on the panel. The event takes place on February 23: 5 p.m. reception, 6 p.m. film screening, and 7 p.m. main event; location: Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center, 2001 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis. For more information, see Critical Conversations.

On Wednesday, February 8, 2012 the NOMMO African American Authors series continues its 2011-2012 season. Professor Alexs Pate hosts Elizabeth Alexander at 7:00 PM in Cowles Auditorium (located in the Hubert H. Humphrey Center.) Perhaps best known for composing and delivering President Barack Obama's inaugural poem "Praise Song for the Day," Alexander has published five books of poems, including American Sublime, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and an American Library Association "Notable Books of the Year" selection in 2006.