AA&AS News

Posted by steel012 at 9:42 AM | Permalink

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.

Posted by CLA-OIT Web Team at 9:07 AM | Permalink

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

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:57 AM | Permalink

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.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 1:19 PM | Permalink

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.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 8:45 PM | Permalink

"Abbey Lincoln's Japan: Slave Art in the Creation of 1973 Albums" is a talk to be presented by AA&AS Assistant Professor Yuichiro Onishi from 2:00-3:30 on November 18, 2011 in Ford Hall 400. This project is a study in Abbey Lincoln's art-making, the process that gave form to her aesthetic authority as she reworked the idiom of jazz and reset the standard of singing that exceeded this genre. Specifically, it investigates the place of Japan in Lincoln's maturing artistry during the period in which she retreated from the limelight after ending her marriage with drummer Max Roach in 1970. Far from being crippled by loss and sorrow, she searchingly worked out what was original about her art between her divorce from Roach and the delayed U.S. release of People in Me in 1978, followed by Golden Lady (1981) and Talking to the Sun (1983).

What did Lincoln work on in Japan that enabled her to make such acute advances as an artist? In 1973, both her Live in Misty album and the tracks on People in Me were recorded and released in Japan. The context from which these 1973 albums came into being, Onishi argues, reveals Lincoln's self-conscious effort to cultivate and preserve the mainspring of slave art in Black America without suppressing the unruliness of racial, gender, and sexual formations in the history of the Black struggle.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 4:37 PM | Permalink

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 $5000 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 March 1, 2011.

Awards will be presented on April 30, 2011 at the second annual Morrill Hall/Rachel Tilsen Social Justice Fund Gala Event.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 3:09 PM | Permalink

On December 26, 2010 Associate Professor Keith Mayes was interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) about The Value of Kwanzaa.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 2:36 PM | Permalink

The website for the Department of African American & African Sudies has been updated. As part of this process we have a new URL (http://aaas.umn.edu/) and email address (aaas@umn.edu). The old afroam.umn.edu and afroam@umn.edu URL and email address, however, are still in operation, as they get redirected to the new locations.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 4:34 PM | Permalink

The journal XCP: Cross Cultural Poetics has launched a new blog in order to reach a broader audience. Assistant Professor Yuichiro Onishi's short essay on Diaspora originally appeared in 2005 (number 15/16 of the print version of the journal).

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:22 AM | Permalink

Assistant Professor Keith Mayes has received a 2010 College of Liberal Arts Arthur "Red" Motley Exemplary Teaching Award. The Motley Award honors faculty who inspire and care, who make themselves approachable, who show an interest in individual students' well-being and in programs for the benefit of students generally, who give of themselves generously in advising, counseling, and directing projects, and who create an active classroom atmosphere. Such faculty provide a model to undergraduate students through their own research and teaching, and leave an impression by their efforts which alumni recall with appreciation and esteem. Dr. Mayes was also recently awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor (effective August 2010).

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 9:56 AM | Permalink

AA&AS Outreach Coordinator Scott Redd has introduced many exciting outreach and engagement activities since joining the department in 2008. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has published an article about a recent campus visit for Minneapolis' Bryn Mawr Community School fifth-graders, in which Scott played a large role.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 5:29 PM | Permalink

Professor Walt Jacobs' research on digital storytelling is a featured story on the Discover CLA webpage. Click on the second icon to view a 12.5 minute video: "The Pedagogy of Digital Storytelling in the College Classroom."

Posted by Afro American and African Studies at 1:23 PM | Permalink

Black Women in Cultural Production

AFRO 5910/DNCE 5500
3 weeks during May Session 2010
May 24 - June 11, M-Th 11:15 - 2:30

Instructors: Rose Marie Brewer and Ananya Chatterjea.

"Black Women in Cultural Production" is a studio/lecture class investigating the history and politics of cultural production in visual and performing arts, by black women in both diasporic locations and transnationally. Examining the work of a select group of artists, the course will propose some core questions about the ways we come to know and value their artistic production.

Some of the questions we will be investigating are: How do we learn to read resistance in such work? How do these histories position us to think about the ideas and aesthetics articulated in the work of contemporary practicing Black women artists? What kinds of epistemological questions, questions about world-making and world-knowing, are proposed by the tropes that inform such cultural production?

The course will conclude with students creating presentations and writing brief papers that they will be invited to present in a History Jam session at a symposium hosted by the Dance Program in October 2010.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 8:44 AM | Permalink

Professor Keith Mayes' research on Kwanzaa is discussed in an Associated Press article. His research is also featured in a multimedia story on the CLA home page.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 5:19 PM | Permalink

Professor Keith Mayes' research on Kwanzaa is the featured story for December 14-20 on the CLA home page. The multimedia story includes a video and a podcast.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 4:49 PM | Permalink

Professor Rose Brewer will present the Fall 2009 Ada Comstock Distinguished Women Scholars Lecture at 4:00 PM on November 5, 2009. "Colorblind, Postracial, or Not? Exploring Race in the Obama Era" is the topic for the event in the Cowles Auditorium of the Hubert H. Humphrey Center. Professor Brewer will share the results of her research and invite us all to become involved or re-involved as progressive social activists. The Ada Comstock award honors a University of Minnesota woman faculty member's exceptional research, scholarship, teaching, and leadership contributions via a public lecture. For more information about the Ada Comstock award visit the University of Minnesota Women's Center.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The department now has a social networking presence. Fan us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter!

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 11:26 AM | Permalink

The latest issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the Summer 2009 issue:

• welcome from the community outreach coordinator
  
• faculty spotlight
  
• your thoughts: Gates arrested
  
• opening doors in North Minneapolis
  
• course spotlight
  
• building a better Tomorrow
  
• upcoming events
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 2:53 PM | Permalink

The Future Scholars Program partners African American and African students in grades 9-11 at St. Paul's Arlington High School with University of Minnesota students to explore the steps needed to attend and graduate from college. The University/AHS student mentor pairs are currently working together to address college readiness, community, and educational issues, and will make a group presentation to St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman at the end of the mentoring period. The program was highlighted in a May press release from the University of Minnesota's Office for Equity and Diversity.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 2:56 PM | Permalink

Congratulations to Antoni Tang, a 2009 candidate for bachelor's degrees in marketing and African American & African Studies, who will be a 2009-2010 Fulbright Scholar! Antoni received one of only three available Fulbright Teaching Assistant Grants to Venezuela. He will help to teach English to pre-teen and teenage students. Antoni also plans to volunteer with an Afro-Venezuelan organization in the community and plans to learn about Afro-Venezuelan movements for social justice.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The latest issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the April/May 2009 issue:

• welcome from the community outreach coordinator
  
• first impressions: shaping the path
  
• Ken Burns remembers John Hope Franklin
  
• CLA Outstanding Service Award: Charlene Hayes
  
• NOMMO African American Authors Series
  
• course spotlight
  
• faculty spotlight
  
• upcoming events
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 5:24 PM | Permalink

The latest issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the March 2009 issue:

• welcome from the community outreach coordinator
  
• John Hope Franklin
  
• alumna Rebecca Fly
  
• teaming up to create change
  
• course spotlight
  
• faculty spotlight
  
• upcoming events
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:31 AM | Permalink

Two videos are now available on our 40th Anniversary webpage: the November 7, 2008 "1968 Morrill Hall Takeover: Reflections on Black Bodies in Resistance" panel discussion; and "Morrill Hall Takeover 1969-2009: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants," a film made by youth from Minneapolis' Hope Community.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 9:20 AM | Permalink

The latest issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the February 2009 issue:

• welcome from the community outreach coordinator
  
• future scholars mentorship
  
• course spotlight
  
• NOMMO African American authors series
  
• student profile
  
• faculty spotlight
  
• upcoming events
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 2:13 PM | Permalink

CLA Media Mill Video

A slightly larger version of the video can be viewed on St. Paul Neighborhood Network Access.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 12:00 PM | Permalink

The latest issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the December 2008-January 2009 issue:

• welcome from the community outreach coordinator
  
• outreach website
  
• alumni profile
  
• course spotlight
  
• youth stand on the shoulders of giants
  
• faculty spotlight
  
• upcoming events
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 4:20 PM | Permalink

The November issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the November 2008 issue:

• welcome from the community outreach coordinator
  
• hot off the press
  
• alumni profile
  
• excerpt from "Obama can be our Nehemiah, not our Moses" op-ed
  
• course spotlight
  
• faculty spotlight
  
• upcoming events
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 1:20 PM | Permalink

The November 2008 issue of the department's Legacy newsletter is available online in pdf format.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 11:14 AM | Permalink

The October issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the October 2008 issue:

• welcome from the community outreach coordinator
  
• partnering in North Minneapolis
  
• alumni profile
  
• Obama Effect
  
• course spotlight
  
• faculty spotlight
  
• upcoming events
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 1:56 PM | Permalink

The second issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the September 2008 issue:

• welcome from the community outreach coordinator
  
• standing on the shoulders of giants
  
• building tomorrow's leaders
  
• we want to know
  
• alumni profile
  
• Black Paris
  
• upcoming events
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 4:24 PM | Permalink

The Department of African American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota is partnering with Minneapolis South High School and Blame It On Hip Hop to mentor African American males at South High. We are currently looking for University students who are interested in helping African American males develop community pride and career aspirations.

What does it involve?
As a mentor you will work one-on-one with an African American male student between the ages of 14 to 16. You will work with the student to develop their key skills around leadership, community, and college preparation. Mentors will meet with students once per week for an hour at South High. All mentors will receive training.

How can you help?
As a college student you have a wealth of experience which will help aspiring college students make important decisions about future career plans and the future of our community.

What's in it for you?
Is your resume lacking in transferable skills? Are you concerned about what is going to give you the edge over other applicants? Mentoring is a great way to develop the key skills employers look for in graduates. In any job you accept it will be useful for you to have experience in group facilitation. Mentoring gives you the opportunity to practice this skill. You will prove that you are reliable, responsible, and committed to your community.

Contact us for more information:
afroam@umn.edu
(612) 624-9847

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 3:32 PM | Permalink

The first issue of The Village is now available. The Village is a newsletter for friends and alumni of the Department of African American & African Studies.

Inside the August 2008 issue:

• staying connected
  
• a message from the chair
  
• keep us posted
  
• get involved
  
• faculty in the news
  
• community commitment
  
• "We Still Have a Charge to Keep"
  
• quote of the month

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 5:36 PM | Permalink

In fall 2008 a new course will be taught: "Digital Storytelling In and With Communities of Color." For more information visit the "Digital Storytelling In and With Communities of Color" class website, or download the "Digital Storytelling In and With Communities of Color" class flyer.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:30 AM | Permalink

In 2009 the department will celebrate its 40th Anniversary, so we have added a new page to our department website: AA&AS Celebrates 40 Years. Also, the Make a Gift page has been updated to reflect upcoming 40th Anniversary priorities.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 4:24 PM | Permalink

Professor Yuichiro Onishi is offering a new course in the spring: Black Internationalism. Professor Fernando Arenas is also teaching a new course, Portuguese-Speaking Cultures in Translation: Lusophone Africa. Both will be fascinating courses!

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 9:41 AM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities seeks outstanding candidates for a community outreach coordinator. The community outreach coordinator will enhance the department and college's role and profile as a partner with communities of color in Minnesota, particularly with African American and immigrant African communities, and serve as a liaison connecting the community to the department and college's teaching, service, and research resources. The coordinator will also create and nurture a network of relationships that link the department and college to the community by providing internship and service learning opportunities for CLA students as well as research and service opportunities to our faculty. The coordinator will establish relationships with schools, workplaces, after-school programs, service agencies, and local community colleges to increase awareness of the University's commitment to diversity. Other roles and duties may also be assigned.

Required qualifications: a bachelor's degree; three years relevant experience in program or project coordination; demonstrated written and oral communication skills; demonstrated success working in a team setting; experience with African and/or African American communities; and proficient computer skills (word processing, email, and web searching). Must be able to travel using own transportation.

Desired qualifications: master's degree; knowledge of K-12 school demographics and issues impacting Minnesota communities of color; demonstrated ability to prioritize and balance multiple tasks and responsibilities; ability to work well and communicate effectively (both verbally and in writing) with diverse populations, including students, members of the faculty, and community members; knowledge and experience with higher education structures, policies, and procedures; demonstrated ability to learn and disseminate detailed information using a high level of interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to work independently, collaboratively, and under supervision; familiarity with liberal arts programs and with university-wide student support services; and strong writing skills to include editing and presentation layout.

Applications (resume, cover letter, and 3 references) will be accepted online.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities seeks outstanding candidates for a Teaching Specialist/Lecturer position in Swahili for the Spring Semester 2008 and thereafter in the Department of African American & African Studies. The candidate selected will teach up to six courses annually: Beginning Swahili (I and II), Intermediate Swahili (I and II), and possibly two courses that focus on African Studies in those regions where Swahili is spoken. In addition, the candidate selected will advise students and hold office hours. Other Responsibilities might include providing service to the department, College, and University. This is a 9 month annual renewable position.

Required Qualifications: Masters Degree in relevant field or equivalent, two years of foreign language teaching experience, native or near-native fluency in Swahili and English, and a background in foreign language pedagogy.

Preferred Qualifications: Ph.D. candidates (or equivalent) in Swahili, Linguistics, Foreign Language Education or another relevant field; expertise teaching multiple sections of Swahili in a large public American University; background in second language acquisition, proficiency-based teaching, or computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and other technological applications; and a record of research publication. Any further questions please call African American & African Studies, College of Liberal Arts, 612-624-9847. To apply visit the U of M employment website and search for requisition # 151276, or send resume, cover letter, and list of 3 references to African American & African Studies, 267 19th Avenue South, 808 Social Sciences Bldg., Minneapolis, MN 55455. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From 2-3:30 on a Wednesday of each month of the fall semester the department's Assistant Professors will present their research during the departmental "Coffee Hour." The schedule:

Yuichiro Onishi, September 26: "The Ring Shout as the Modalities of Afro-Asian Solidarities."

Keith Mayes, October 17: "To Put Down Crazy Cracker Celebrations: Toward a Theory of Black Holidays and the Logic of Holiday Placement and Calendar Protest."

Alexs Pate, November 14: "Ya Feel Me?: The Meaning and Nature of Saturation in Rap/Poetry."

Njeri Githire, December 5: "Victor Hugo, Captain Bligh & Caribbean Women Writers: Imperial History, Nation and Gender in the Works of Gisele Pineau (France/Guadeloupe) & Andrea Levy (England/Jamaica)."

Come hear about exciting work in progress!

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 8:59 PM | Permalink

On August 31 a moderately redesigned department website was launched. Over the 2007-2008 academic year a major redesign will be conducted. Let us know your ideas!

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

CLA's Spring 2007 Reach magazine features a story about AA&AS students and faculty involved in K-12 outreach.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 10:40 AM | Permalink

Hello everyone, I'm Walt Jacobs, the interim chair of the department for 2007-2008. I'll try to post at least one entry per week to this blog that may be of interest to the AA&AS community: information about the department, campus events, news about African and African American peoples and organizations, etc. Please contact me with any ideas and comments! My email address is wrjacobs@umn.edu and my office phone number is 612.624.8012.

Posted by Walt Jacobs at 1:53 PM | Permalink

Welcome to the chair's blog for the Department of African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota! The chair of the department will post information that may be of interest to our community.

Posted by Afro American and African Studies at 1:27 PM | Permalink