Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons^™

"Just Let Your Soul Glo": Humorous Music In Black American Comedy Films, Drew Brady

Music Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I inspect ways in which music has been used to create humor and meaning in black American cinema. In doing so, I address gaps in film music scholarship, as music in comedy films and in black cinema are both neglected topics. I suggest that humor in these films arises out of a particular blend of musical irony, parody, and satire, the exact combination of which is contingent on various historical, cultural, and political factors. In order to track this trend, I analyze humorous music in eight films, each representing a unique manifestation of this tradition: Watermelon Man …

Family Dementia Caregivers’ Disaster Preparedness In Chinese American Communities In New York City, Weiyu Mao, Bei Wu, Yaolin Pei, Zhen Cong

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Disaster preparedness is a significant public health concern. Disasters manifest in different forms and often lead to disruption of daily life. This is especially challenging for family dementia caregivers and their care recipients in the community. There remains much unknown regarding dementia caregiver disaster preparedness, especially in ethnic and racial communities. Guided by Protection Motivation Theory, with the backdrop of Hurricane Ida, this study explored the association between caregiving-related characteristics, cognitive appraisals, and disaster preparedness among caregivers in Chinese American communities. Data came from a pilot study on Chinese American family dementia caregivers in New York City between November 2021 …

Pauline Monsanto, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

Now a Golden Soror with fifty years of service, Monsanto reflects on her legacy with pride. Her daughter, initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha through the Delta Lambda Chapter at Delaware State University in 1994 and now a Silver Star member—continues the family’s commitment to the sorority, and Monsanto hopes her granddaughter will one day follow the same path. Monsanto ends her interview with optimism, expressing complete confidence in the next generation of talented and determined young women who will carry the sorority forward. Her life stands as a testament to how service, education, and sisterhood can shape not only a …

Paul "Pete" Rosenblum, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Paul "Pete" Rosenblum grew up in the United Workers Cooperative Colony, or the Allerton Coops, in the 1930s and 1940s. In his oral history, Pete recalls what he can about the handful of African American families that lived in the complex during the 1930s as well as the shifting social ecology of the building as more African Americans moved in during the 1940s and beyond.

LINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW: https://cdm17265.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/baahp/id/97/rec/63

Donna Joseph, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

Her implementation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities scholarships, Community Center Drives, and Dorm Drives was an achievement she’s appreciated. She provided extensive support to people in the Bronx, and it was well-received by her peers across the nation. A humorous story she recalls is when she left a teapot set unattended while she went back to her car to retrieve the remaining piece. She returns to where it was and learns it was stolen by a woman living in a shelter. Instead of being upset that something was stolen from her, she says, “You have to tell me who …

Marci Whitehead, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

After graduating from LIU and securing both a teaching position, which proved not to be her passion, and a social work job at Abbott House, Whitehead continued her involvement in Greek life. In the early 1980s, Whitehead joined the Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), where she served as President, Graduate Advisor, Membership Chair, and Bachelors Standard Chair during her tenure. She was a very active member and leader, striving to keep the organization’s spirit alive through the various events such as “rites of passage, all of our acts of greed, programs, Aka Rosa, our highway beautification, The …

Mark "Po" Dean, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Dean, first exposed to music through his mother’s occasional record playing, would attend parties and occasionally dance against other b-boys. Upon watching DJ Kool Herc continually unload equipment, Dean found himself immersed in hip hop by first helping DJ Kool Herc move his equipment. He reminisces on the free park parties that these sound systems were taken to, and the ability of the people across the river to hear the sound. Continuing, he discusses the difference between b-boys and breakers, the profound influence of MC’s on hip hop, and the necessary contributions of graffiti to the overall culture. Each part …

Laverne D. Best King, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

Soror D. B. King served as the 14th Basileus from 2003-2006. She continued the legacy of outstanding service leading the chapter’s signature program AKATeens Rites of Passage.

During her administration, the chapter achieved the following:

• The Chaplains committee was instituted.

• The chapter won Chapter of the 2nd place,

• Soror Pauline L Monsanto was awarded the Angel Award.

• The chapter received an Educational Award for Reading One to One. 2004.

Soror Laverne remains dedication to the Chapter’s Signature Program, AKATeens Rites of Passage (ROP) program for high school girls, the program completed its 30th year helping girls develop leadership and life …

Linda Simms Chin And Regina Williams, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

With their sorority-led initiatives that help unite the Bronx and its inhabitants, Chin and Williams feel a sense of optimism and pride for their borough. Both of them discuss that a prime example of this sisterhood was evident during Barack Obama’s presidency. This could be seen through both Chin and Williams, whether it was Chin reminiscing of the progress and resilience of African-Americans in the United States, or Williams discussing the fulfillment of seeing lines for blocks and blocks of people ready to vote and make this momentous day to occur. Chin and Williams recognize and acknowledge the importance of …

Candice Scott, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

Soror Scott authored the book "Color Me Nia" in 2017 and worked with Emmett Wigglesworth, the renowned artist and illustrator.

From 1978 - 1991 Soror Scott taught general science at CIS 166X, started their Arista Program, conducted Career Day with some of the Sorors in the Chapter. She held the position of Interim Acting Assistant Principal for two years without pay.

Dr. Scott's years of dedication and service had improved the lives of countless individuals, and she has received numerous awards, accolades, and proclamations of appreciation, including:

• Honored as the Woman of the Year for The Black Caucus of the …

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Edward Lowe - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Members of Lowe’s family continue to stand up for their values and help others. This willingness to fight for what is right dates back to a very important member of Lowe’s family, Edmund Kelly. Lowe shared a photo of Kelly’s letter to Abraham Lincoln on August 21st, 1863. The letter is titled “The Colored Man’s Interest in the Present War.” He wrote the letter supporting the recruitment of troops for the U.S. Colored Troop at the time. Kelly was also known for being a minister. He bought himself and Betty out of slavery. To Lowe, the Civil War is alive …

Alice Mckenzie - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Part 2 of an oral history recorded for the Bronx African American History Project with Alice McKenzie, who grew up in the United Workers Cooperative Colony, or the Allerton Coops, located at 2700 Bronx Park East. In this second part of her oral history, Alice speaks more about her experiences as a professional dancer, her time in the New York public school system, her experiences of race and sexuality, what the Coops represents to her, and much more.

LINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW: https://cdm17265.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/baahp/id/99/rec/54

Alice Mckenzie - Part 1, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Part 1 of an oral history recorded for the Bronx African American History Project with Alice McKenzie, who grew up in the United Workers Cooperative Colony, or the Allerton Coops, located at 2700 Bronx Park East. Alice's father was a Guyanese national of African descent and her mother an Ashkenazi Jew from Poland. In this part of her oral history, Alice speaks about her family history and background, her experience growing up in the Coops, and much more.

LINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW: https://cdm17265.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/baahp/id/102/rec/53

Marion "Tiny" Frampton, Wildman, And Mike Sherman - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

This interview with early Black Spades members recounts old memories and new directions for the gang, serving as both an oral history and a set of future ambitions for New York communities and the Black Spades. Giving out food, telling New York and Black Spades histories, and fighting for community centers are just a few of the many thing’s TBS: New Direction does for New York. Just as Tiny recounts how his mom brought others together by, “feeding TBS members from across the city,” TBS New Direction is creating communities of New Yorker's by giving back to the city. (Summary …

Mina Jones, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Oral history recorded for the Bronx African American History Project on January 30, 2023 with Mina Jones, who grew up in the United Workers Cooperative Colony, or the Allerton Coops. Mina's grandmother, Celia (Tsivia) Langert, raised her mother, Evelyn Lambert, in the Coops, and Evelyn gave birth to Mina in California. When Evelyn and Mina returned to the Coops after a few years, Leon "Lamby" Lambert became Mina's stepfather. In her oral history, Mina speaks about her family's history and background, her experience growing up in the Coops, the complexity of navigating her biracial identity (her father was Afro-Chicano and …

Maya Health In The Days Of Deportation Discussion And The Case Example Of Colectivo Vida Digna, Guatemala, David W. Barillas Chon

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Health inequalities and health racism have a long history in the Americas, as in Guatemala and the United States. Drawing upon testimonies and case examples from the Maya non-profit Colectivo Vida Digna [Guatemala]. Barillas-Chon reveals how some Maya in Guatemala have organized to overcome historic and current challenges and are now working with Maya who have returned from the US.

Comentario Al Libro: ¡Qué Chula Te Ves! – ¡Wal Watx’Il Heli!, Glenda Yojana Ixtabalán Hernández

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Por todo ello, leer ¡Qué chula te ves! es un acto de escucha intercultural. Cada poema, desde Majan Mundo hasta los textos finales, mezcla recuerdos personales con escenas cósmicas y denuncias históricas. En esa mezcla se produce una armonía que no es complaciente, sino insurgente: belleza como resistencia. Quizá por eso, al terminar de leer, resuena la frase del prólogo transformada en exclamación colectiva: “¡Qué chula te ves, Madre Tierra!”. No es solo un elogio, sino un compromiso político y espiritual: verla libre, viva y en plenitud; ver también a nuestros pueblos y culturas liberados del racismo y del despojo. …

Women In Santa Eulalia, Guatemala Through The Concepts Of Rootedness, Community, And Migration., Helen Hobson

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

This essay explores the experiences of Maya Q’anjob’al women in the villages of Santa Eulalia in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Women from eleven communities participated in group interviews during the four months I spent conducting fieldwork in 2024, thus building upon my findings from 2022 and 2023. Questions focused on their daily lives, their connections to people and places, strategies for generating income, and the impact of migration on their lives and the community. Two broad themes emerged from the interviews. The first relates to their relationships to the land and community, and how this rootedness supports a wholistic (Indigenous) sense of …

Flores De Caña: Documental, Adrianna Cruz-Manjarrez

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

García Ortega, Martha. (2024). Flores de Caña. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. https://youtu.be/W3Yv_gOT_EQ?si=nHK-70sEa22tZUFO Dirección: Martha García Ortega Fotografía: Marco Girón y Martha García Ortega Edición y posproducción: Meztli Vianey Suárez Mc Liberty Reseña por Adriana Cruz-Manjarrez Universidad de Colima

Front Matter, Maya America Editors

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Includes Cover Art and Table of Contents