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.
The department is searching for a new Outreach Coordinator. For more information and/or to submit an application, please visit the U of M online employment system page for the position.
The University of Minnesota Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, in partnership with Penumbra Theatre, will hold a series of four public lectures and conversations that examine the Black Arts Movement's influence on American theater on January 26 with a presentation by Lou Bellamy, artistic director and founder of Penumbra (and a U of M professor emeritus).
In addition to Bellamy, the series features three influential scholars in the field of Black theater. Each event will feature a talk by the speaker, moderated conversation, and open question-and-answer period. U of M theater professor and Penumbra associate artistic director Dominic Taylor will moderate. The dates, speakers and topics will be:
- Thursday, January 26, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Penumbra's Birth and the Black Arts Movement, with Lou Bellamy, founder and artistic director, Penumbra Theatre Company
- Thursday, March 1, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Gender and Sexuality and the Black Arts Movement, with Sydné Mahone, professor of theater, University of Iowa
- Thursday, April 19, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Black Cultural Traffic and the Black Arts Movement, with Harry J. Elam, Jr., professor of drama, Stanford University
- Thursday, April 26, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: The Future of the Black Arts Movement, with Paul Carter Harrison, playwright and scholar
All events are free and open to the public, and take place from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the In-Flux Auditorium at the Regis Center for Art on the University of Minnesota's west bank.
University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry alumna Jeannette Brown will present a brief lecture and book signing about African American women chemists from 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18, in the Coffman Memorial Union Bookstore. A meet-and-greet for Ms. Brown is also planned beforehand from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, January 18, in the Black Student Union.
Black Environmental Thought ll: Translocal and Transnational Dialogues and Collaborations is a conference for scholars, artists, farmers, activists, cooks, gardeners, environmentalists, and outdoors enthusiasts to advance Black Environmental Thought philosophy and imagine new futures of change and possibility. The Call for Papers is now available for the conference, which will be held September 21-23, 2012 in Minneapolis.
Spring semester 2012 classes begin on January 17, 2012. Seats in AA&AS courses are still available; please see a file of spring 2012 course flyers for more information.
The 31st annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. concert (remembering Dr. King and Dr. Reginald Buckner [founder of the concert]) will be held on Sunday, January 15, 2012, 4:00-6:00 pm, in Ted Mann Concert Hall. The concert will feature Committed, winners of NBC's The Sing-Off, plus Larry Long with musical guests Tonia Hughes, Billy Peterson, and Billy Steele. For more information contact Ralph Blanco, Office for Equity and Diversity, rblanco@umn.edu, (612) 625-8680.
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